Fire Engines Photos

This configuration was a familiar Mack option, extending the standard truck cab and even using an extra front door on the left side to access the rear compartment. It was continued with the famous B series, but it did require a longer wheelbase chassis, which reduced manuverability.

Apparently, no-one thought about relocating the ladders on a European-style overhead gantry, which would have permitted the installation of a rear door on the kerb side!

Because it was based on the standard truck cab, this crew cab was also rather narrow, and space was also limited by the intrusion of the pump. I don't know what the nominal seating capacity of this cab was supposed to be, but I do remember seeing a B-type responding in Long Beach, CA, many years ago. Two crew members were riding the rear step, even though two others were in the rear of the cab.

Added by Rob Johnson on 04 February 2013.

Still not bad for 1949 when many apparatus were being ordered with an open cab....I can't remember the Chief Officer but it was stated that many Chiefs at the time thought that an enclosed cab rig did not look like a proper Fire Engine !!!...er maybe those were not the days !! after getting wet and cold at an all nighter the prospect of a long ride back to the station exposed to the elements does not have much appeal

Added by Gary bolton on 05 February 2013.

I agree Gary. I have often compared the wonderfully restored open cab 1951 911 memorial FDNY Engine 343 on this site to the contemporary British Dennis F12 "limousine" pump, as both were so typical of their era here and in Britain.

They look like they came from different planets!

The first enclosed pumper in the US was a 1935 Mack - only five years behind the first UK enclosed Dennis pumps supplied to Darlington and Edinburgh. But by 1940 there were hardly any open cab pumpers being ordered in Britain, while it took decades for The NFPA to mandate enclosed cabs in the US. They actually had to require that the rear step was removed, because the old school firefighters still rode the step in preference to using the cab! (I was told more than once that it was because it gave them faster access to the hose bed). I saw this time and time again in cities like New York, Chicago, Los Angeles and San Francisco.

Ladder trucks were a different story. Some of the wartime British ladders still had open cabs - it was thought that it was easier to position the areial if the driver could see everything from his driver's seat. But all UK postwar "TL"s were also enclosed, initially with US-style canopy crew cabs.

The same was true for most other European countries, with fully-enclosed cabs becoming the standard during the late 1930s and 1940s.

Now it seems that fire departments worldwide are having to use less equipment to fill an ever-increasing variety of roles, so maximizing the cube has become the essence of any truck's potential usefulness. This means they are increasingly "look-alikes", which is a pity for those of us who enjoy countries' different ways of design, build and operation, but probably a good thing for the guys and gals who have to use them.

Added by Rob Johnson on 05 February 2013.

A number of very good points and observations Rob-the UK also had a number of 'fall offs' and roll overs with tragic results accelerating the move towards enclosed cabs during the 1920's and 30's of course the war brought about standardisation closed cabs become the norm except for TL's as you say ...agree on the common appearance of modern day Fire apparatus but open the lockers and its not uncommon to see some truly ingenious engineered storage solutions as more equipment is carried ...even my local rural station has a Rescue pump that carries the same equipment as would have been found on three trucks at the start of my time ...even when I left the service this modern day pumper does the job of two units from the 70's 80's period ...plus the FF's love the truck whereby in my time we were always bitching about our Engines !!

Added by Gary bolton on 06 February 2013.

Gary - Take a look at picture 33766 on this site for the best example of stowage I have ever come across. This is a Swedish-specification and Swedish-built pump-rescue-tanker on a Scania chassis, supplied to a Belgian fire department.

Belgium has no domestic truck manufacturers, and they have a long tradition of buying chassis and complete trucks from all over Europe as well as the US. In this way, they tend to look for the best and sometimes the most advanced solutions, and I think this all-Swedish Scania is a good example.

All it needs is a Dutch powered roof rack for the ladders and suction hoses and a pair of French one-may hose carts for the 70 mm hoses!

Added by Rob Johnson on 06 February 2013.

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