A Must Have For Any Seagrave Fan

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Recently, I purchased "Seagrave 125th Anniversary- A Pictoral History Of Seagrave Fire Apparatus" by Matthew Lee.

This book is AWESOME, and very comprehensive. There are some great photos of Seagrave apparatus from the begining up until now

Due to unprecedented demand, Matt Lee, renowned author of many fire truck

history books, has decided to update, and re-release his 1991 book, originally

entitled "Seagrave".

Written in an easy-to-read manner, Mr. Lee traces the

history of the Seagrave Company from its 1881 beginning, right up to 2006

deliveries.

There are over 1,000 photos or sketches. Rather than using

captions, he discusses the significance of each and what makes that photo

unique. The photos are superb. They are not only from Mr. Lee's extensive

collection, but also from the collections of over 36 noted fire historians and

photo collectors. Some photos are very old, but none-the-less remarkably crisp

and clear.

Included is one remarkable 1937 photo testifying to the strength

of the truss ladder showing 35 men, weighing 5,822 pounds standing on the base

of an 85 foot ladder and causing a deflection of 5/8 of an inch. The book is

structured as follows: The Early Years (1881-1912); The Buckboard Era

(1907-1916); The Gable Hood Era (1913-1926); The Round Hood Era (1921-1935); The

Full Grille Era (1935-1951); The 70th Anniversary Series (1951-1970); and The

Modern Era (1959-2006).

It's available from the FSP Books And Videos, the BEST exclusive fire and EMS bookstore on the internet.

Here's the link:

http://www.fire-police-ems.com/books/bs6398.shtml

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I read some more of this book today, and Seagrave's history is quite facinating. There are several local apparatus pictured in this book.

Seagrave has been around for quite a while, and reading and seeing their history is amazing. They've produced quite a variety of rigs, and many of the major cities in the US have had a Seagrave at one time or another.

Quality issues or not, I still think Seagrave builds a tough truck from many years of experience. Although they may not build the trucks with all the bells and whistles, they build simple and what works.