New Canaan Ct 1967? American LaFrance ladder

[pfdfirefighter01 1]

Woke up Saturday morning to this is my parking lot of my apartment building. The guy who had it works for the museum is Middletown and had it for Mt Kisco's parade. Very clean truck and still has all the ladders, axes and pike polls with it. Another beautiful piece of apparatus from the museum. Always interesting what he is going to bring home next. Decent photos with this garbage camera.

[IzzyEng4 427]

Do you know what year it was refurbished with the Century cab?

[AndyC3J 190]

The model year is in the mid-'70s. I want to say 1975, but not 100% sure.....been a little while since I saw that one "up close".

Wow.....who took it over there? Usually it's one of our guys with their own rigs. Surprising to see one of Andy's trucks get out that far away from "home". Was the current New Canaan ladder there, too? That would have been cool to see!

[fsw1970 0]

It is a 1975. It replaced a 1947(I believe) Seagrave quint.

[pfdfirefighter01 1]

Wow.....who took it over there? Usually it's one of our guys with their own rigs. Surprising to see one of Andy's trucks get out that far away from "home". Was the current New Canaan ladder there, too? That would have been cool to see!

i dont remember his name, Luke payntar knows him. Lives out in beekman. I am unsure about thier new truck there. I just remember him saying that they were bringing this truck and another to hang an american flag across the road.

[IzzyEng4 427]

Its really weird to see a Century model cab on a 900 / 1000 Series body. If you look at the pump panel that is definitely the 900 / 1000 Series layout and the cab is a Century Series (the bubble over the front wheel wells is the key. 900 / 1000 were straight in line with the front doors of the cab to the back of the canopy). The Century series didn't go into mass production until 1975 I want to say.

[ncfire100 0]

Yes this ladder did alot of work during its day. I can only say this from what others have told me,since I am not that old haha.I got to see this piece at the Mount Kisco parade and she is on full working order It was replaced by a 2003 100 foot Seagrave rear mount. The current owner totally fixed the malfunctioning aerial device and she looks great.

It is great to see that this New Canaan antique is being maintained so well!

[Guest]

The truck is a 1975 model. The cab is original. This ladder replaced a 1949 Seagrave 65 foot aerial wich is currently undergoing a full restoration. The American LaFrance is a 100 foot model. The last section of the ladder was replaced in 1988 as it was damaged when a burning dormer fell on it. The aerial was taken out of service around 2002 when it failed its ladder test, but it was still used to carry ground ladders. I took it to one of its last big fires and parked it in a neighbors driveway. We used some ground ladders and tools off it. This rig maneuvered well and ran great. I found that I had to get it as close as possible to the objective as the tip load was very diminished at a low angle usualy 15 degrees at about 85 feet out that was about you could safely put a guy on it. I'm so glad to see this rig being well taken care of as I was asighned to it the last three years we had it. The repairs I could remember were a rebuilt transmission, new fly section, new gauges on the pump pannel, and repairs to the front of the cab for collision damage. Keep her going she was a great rig.

[fsw1970 0]

Is the dept restoring the 49 Seagrave aerial? And are all the other antiques still floating around? If so, has any work been done to the 48(?) WLF engine?

The truck is a 1975 model. The cab is original. This ladder replaced a 1949 Seagrave 65 foot aerial wich is currently undergoing a full restoration. The American LaFrance is a 100 foot model. The last section of the ladder was replaced in 1988 as it was damaged when a burning dormer fell on it. The aerial was taken out of service around 2002 when it failed its ladder test, but it was still used to carry ground ladders. I took it to one of its last big fires and parked it in a neighbors driveway. We used some ground ladders and tools off it. This rig maneuvered well and ran great. I found that I had to get it as close as possible to the objective as the tip load was very diminished at a low angle usualy 15 degrees at about 85 feet out that was about you could safely put a guy on it. I'm so glad to see this rig being well taken care of as I was asighned to it the last three years we had it. The repairs I could remember were a rebuilt transmission, new fly section, new gauges on the pump pannel, and repairs to the front of the cab for collision damage. Keep her going she was a great rig.

[Guest]

Is the dept restoring the 49 Seagrave aerial? And are all the other antiques still floating around? If so, has any work been done to the 48(?) WLF engine?

The 49 Seagrave is privately owned. its about 65%complete I installed the engine two weeks ago. The 53 Ward Lafrance pumper is owned by the Old Faithful Antique Fire Engine Association. Its repainted and the Tank removed and seating installed to give rides. They also have a 1922 Seagrave 750 pumper. Former New Canaan E-1. A 1924 American Lafrance pumper from Nutley N.J. A 1928 Seagrave hose car from Malden Mass. I personally have former New Canaan Emergency Squad 4 a 1941 Diamond T with a Woods Engineering body with a 250 GPM pump. Another NCFD member has former New Canaan E-2 a 1959 Seagrave 750 GPM pumper. The Fire Cats have whats left of the 1960 Maxim former NCFD E-5. And the 1975 American Lafrance 100' ladder. Norwalk Fire Dept has former T-8 a 1973 Ward Lafrance 3000 gallon tanker with a 1500 GPM pump. They also have former R-6 a 1978 Ford C cab with a Saulsbury body The body is now on a Pemfab as Norwalk R-3 the cab and chassis is in storage. Scrapped NCFD Appartus include E-1 a 1969/1984 American Lafrance pumper. 1946 Seagrave 500 GPM pumper with an enclosed cab. 1926 International city service truck. 1966 International Loadstar brush unit (caught fire under DPW ownership.) 1929 Lincolon touring car converted into a lighting unit. Thats all I can remember for now.

Edited July 16, 2009 by car11

[fsw1970 0]

The 49 Seagrave is privately owned. its about 65%complete I installed the engine two weeks ago. The 53 Ward Lafrance pumper is owned by the Old Faithful Antique Fire Engine Association. Its repainted and the Tank removed and seating installed to give rides. They also have a 1922 Seagrave 750 pumper. Former New Canaan E-1. A 1924 American Lafrance pumper from Nutley N.J. A 1928 Seagrave hose car from Malden Mass. I personally have former New Canaan Emergency Squad 4 a 1941 Diamond T with a Woods Engineering body with a 250 GPM pump. Another NCFD member has former New Canaan E-2 a 1959 Seagrave 750 GPM pumper. The Fire Cats have whats left of the 1960 Maxim former NCFD E-5. And the 1975 American Lafrance 100' ladder. Norwalk Fire Dept has former T-8 a 1973 Ward Lafrance 3000 gallon tanker with a 1500 GPM pump. They also have former R-6 a 1978 Ford C cab with a Saulsbury body The body is now on a Pemfab as Norwalk R-3 the cab and chassis is in storage. Scrapped NCFD Appartus include E-1 a 1969/1984 American Lafrance pumper. 1946 Seagrave 500 GPM pumper with an enclosed cab. 1926 International city service truck. 1966 International Loadstar brush unit (caught fire under DPW ownership.) 1929 Lincolon touring car converted into a lighting unit. Thats all I can remember for now.

Thanks for the info. I had no idea that so many old NCFD rigs were still around. I knew about the WLF, the 22 Seagrave, and 24 ALF. One of those older one's was in pieces the last time I saw it(about 1993). Is the WLF relettered or still plain? Also I vaguely remember, as a kid, a small utility body style rescue living behind the ladder. This was before the Ford C/Saulsbury rescue came in, so I always assumed it was a rescue. This wasn't the 41 Diamond T, was it?

And how long did the IHC brush rig serve? I don't ever remember seeing in person, just in that old station pic.

Edited July 16, 2009 by fsw1970

[Guest]

I knew I would forget something. The little truck behind the ladder was the old R-6 it was a 1962 Chevrolet 40 series with a utility body. Around the time the Ford rescue came in the Chevrolet was turned over to the Parks Dept , who removed the body and sold it to a local farrier. They put on a flat bed body and used that truck until around 1993. It was sold to a NCFD member who parted it out. The 53 Ward was lettered and striped as it was originally. I think the International was taken out of service around 1980. Sadly there are not may pictures of it other than a news photo of it burning up. I still rember the radio report from the scene. "We have a fully involved frie engine!!!" What a sad end.

Edited July 17, 2009 by car11