Open Cab Fire Apparatus

[x635 4,066]

Looking at photos of rigs from the past, why do they have open cabs? What was the reason at the time?

Especially departments in the Northeast, that experienced snow, rain, etc. Didn't they want protection from the elements?

[lad45der 78]

Looking at photos of rigs from the past, why do they have open cabs? What was the reason at the time?

Especially departments in the Northeast, that experienced snow, rain, etc. Didn't they want protection from the elements?

That was the style back then.

One of my old vollunteer company's had 2 maxim's that had no doors and no roof. In fact they are the only 2 ever built from maxim.

[PCFD ENG58 1,085]

This is one of my rigs, 1957 Mack B-95 X Port Chester NY Engine 62 open cab with rag top !

[sfrd18 360]

Here's a classic open-cab rig from Connecticut nicknamed "The Yellow Bird". I actually got a ride on it when I was a kid. A 1972 Maxim, it is still an active, frontline rig that serves the Noroton Volunteer Fire Department in Darien, CT. It is not my photo, however.

As lad45der said, it basically was the style back then. I guess they also figured that firefighters could get in and out of the rig quickly if necessary. These classic rigs were highly prevalent up until the late '60's and early '70's, when more and more rigs became closed-cabs. However, many FD's, such as LA, chose to hang on to many of their open-cabs well into the '90's.

[wraftery 1,275]

Looking at photos of rigs from the past, why do they have open cabs? What was the reason at the time?

Especially departments in the Northeast, that experienced snow, rain, etc. Didn't they want protection from the elements?

Open cabs were so you could look up and see the smoke was one reason. I'm not explaining it, but that's why. Some people like convertables, some ride motorcycles. MY car seats are heated. I like that better.

With open cabs, on the other hand, snow was cold, rain sometimes hurt your face but we all loved the job. They didn't have heat, either. I have more than once put my hands in the exhaust (they had no mufflers, either) to get them warm.

Why did firehouses have coal furnaces long after the oil burner became popular? It might be because the department rules said "The deskwatchman shall check the furnace hourly and fill and stoke it as needed. What would the desk watchman do if there was no coal to shovel. By the way the desk watchman had to stay up and at the desk all night.