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Permalink Reply by Clyde Pfisterer on January 25, 2011 at 5:03pm

As a member of the Indiana Fire Apparatus club called PPPSI I would suggest the evolution of rigs. First were hand cart pumping units, then the horse pulled units brought steamers, then a motorized unit pulling the steamers to replace the horses, then all motorized with it's own on board pump.
My antique was built in the Indianapolis Fire Department shops. They could have put on a cab but some of the previous comments made in this blog prevailed.
All along the designs continued the original wagon type configuration. There were no tops to cover the rigs, but as all progress, we have seen constant changes in convenience and comfort to our enclosed air conditioned monsters of the present day.
What may the future bring?

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• 6_23_05c.JPG, 1.9 MB

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Permalink Reply by Harry Field on March 17, 2011 at 2:44pm

When I joined the EHFD in 1983 we were still running a 1968 Ward LaFrance open cab. When I asked an older member of my company WHY they purchased an open cab his first answer was "because its a work truck and not some parade wagon...if you wanted to be in a parade you should have got assigned to the Ladder and NOT my Engine"....but then he went on to say that many times on very cold nights there were arguments about who would get to sit in the nice warm cab while everyone else was freezing...their simple solution was to buy a truck without a cab. We didnt even have a rag top!!!

If anyone is interested I can send you a photo of this awesome work truck.

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Permalink Reply by joemac on March 17, 2011 at 4:14pm

Would anyone happen to know the name of the light on this rig, the one in the center of the cowl?
The old International I used to ride has one and no one ever knew the proper name. Some called it the one-eyed tit, I called it the wiggle-waggle.
I'd love to know who made them. You don't see many of them.

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Permalink Reply by John Gillelan on March 17, 2011 at 4:52pm

Is it a Federal signal mars light?

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Permalink Reply by larry jenkins on March 17, 2011 at 9:02pm

Not sure of what picture your asking about, but the Mars 888 sounds like what your refering to.

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Permalink Reply by joemac on March 17, 2011 at 10:30pm

The photo I'm referring to is the one Clyde posted a link to, above my last post.
The Mars light has a moving reflector/bulb inside a fixed housing, whereas the light on the rig in his photo has a housing with a fixed reflector/bulb/lens that swings in a horizontal arch. It sits atop another light that flashes. The lower light housing resembles a bomb shell, complete with fins at the rear.

Sorry for the thread hijack.

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Permalink Reply by Vic Silverfish on March 18, 2011 at 2:37am

I think the open cab was so the apparatus would fit in the station. Work trucks had a roof by the 1960s, no idea why not for fire trucks.

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Permalink Reply by Cody W. Henthorn on March 18, 2011 at 11:06am

Who needs a roof when you have a helmet to wear!...lol

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Permalink Reply by ken h. on March 18, 2011 at 11:46am

what are you, some kind of a clown? this ain`t a comedy question!

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Permalink Reply by Clyde Pfisterer on March 18, 2011 at 4:43pm

The name plate on the red light on the cowl of my rig states that it was made by Acron Brass and is called an AKR LITE by them.

Clyde

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Permalink Reply by E Metzger on March 18, 2011 at 5:58pm

Heat of the engine would roast you in the cab

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Permalink Reply by Q2Brunner on March 19, 2011 at 3:24pm

Just before apparatus were motorized all of the pumpers, ladder trucks, and chief vehicles were horse drawn (I know someone is gonna say duh!) 99% of those were open to the air and environment. My point, some of the first motorized apparatus were horse drawn steam pumpers that had a motor, steering wheel, and driver seat attached to those same apparatus exactly where the horses would be harnessed. I think eventually as they started to add windshields, review mirrors, warning lights it just developed into what it is today.

Some of the old Seagrave and Pirsch apparatus of the 50's had the bench up front in the "cab" area for the driver and operator and the firefighters riding tailboard. But midstream some apparatus started to include seats facing forward over the rear wheel wells. Eventually these were flipped to be backward over the front wheel wells. Some of the early episodes of Emergency! will show these apparatus passing in front of the camera.

Like it is today new innovations competed with tradition and department practice until the standard changed. In the first part of my career I had the opprtunity to ride in open cabs both in the rain and the sunshine and the wind blowing through your hair. It was a defintely a lot of fun.

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