Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Izzy ( J. Bade) on March 17, 2011 at 1:54am

you got that right!

Permalink Reply by Izzy ( J. Bade) on March 17, 2011 at 1:55am

yup, yup!

Permalink Reply by Izzy ( J. Bade) on March 17, 2011 at 1:56am

oh! those danged belts. they took all the fun out of it

Permalink Reply by SMOKEnPipesJim on March 17, 2011 at 2:50pm

In My Orginal company, We Had a 1973 CF Maxim 1000/1000 Overhead stack, 5 speed spicer, you could hear it a mile+ away without the Q the rig had NO Mattydales or crosslays, eveything was off the rear and nothing was preconnected back there either. so though some might have thought it was silly we Often opted to ride the step, to get the tip, of course... In Fact, waiting for drivers became an issue and I got qualfied to drive and pump the rig, Because I prefered to take in a response then to sit in quarters...in my 2nd department we had 3 engines 2 of them were R model Internationals Circa 1962 and 63 and I rode the step on them often enough as well as put a couple thousand miles on each.. and No we never had hooks or belts.. just wrap your arms around the bar, bend yer knees and go....hahaha
Can you imagine 3 or the 4 rigs I mentioned were "Standard Trannies" to hahaha not like these Panty waist rigs today

Permalink Reply by Oldman on March 17, 2011 at 9:06pm

We used to fight over the tailboard except in the winter or if it was raining. Oh the days of real firemen.

Permalink Reply by Izzy ( J. Bade) on March 18, 2011 at 8:49am

yep! LOL

Permalink Reply by SMOKEnPipesJim on March 18, 2011 at 2:00pm

I always fought for the drivers side, being Well over 6'6" I hadda watch out for tree Branches ON the right side.. we fought over the step even in the snow and rain, another case when being taller sucked in heavy rain...lollike riding a motorcycle In 37 degree weather in the pouring rain.. lol I can actually say That I once responded Back from a call with guys riding the step in a winter storm...

Permalink Reply by David Earl Gregory on March 18, 2011 at 2:23pm

Ah the tailboard riders are a breed among themselves, myself included. Nothing like it anywhere. Hanging on while jumping the bumps and railroad tracks, leaning into the curves, learning how NOT to get your chin jammed by the driver shifting through the gears, REAL MEN for sure.

Permalink Reply by Russ on January 11, 2012 at 10:42pm

I did and I miss it...sometimes... didnt like it in the winter or in the rain thats why i'm in Florida now-LOL...anyone that answers yes to this question is really showing their age

BTW-I'm on the right with the helmet and the smile...19yrs old on a 1961 ford-young

Attachments:

• Dave Honey & me 1979.jpg, 236 KB

Permalink Reply by larry cooke on May 14, 2012 at 9:34pm

When I was 31yo I began working on a fire department. We rode tailboard, had to get bunked up and packed up prior to mounting the engine and leaving the station. It was not uncommon for an energetic engineer to leave the station before you were on and hooked up. At that time, the early 70's we were a combination paid and volunteer. I was on the paid side. We had a call for a structure fire and we were riding tailboard. The engine came to a complete stop at an intersection and the volunteer was already sucking air, jumped off the tailboard thinking they were at the fire.. The Engine took off because the engineer had only stopped for traffic. The volunteer was left standing in the middle of busy intersection sucking air. He had to walk back to the station in all his gear for abt. two miles.

It was not uncommon to be thrown up in the air when hitting a bump.Shortly after this incident the city opened a second station and the paid personnel maned it during the day and the volly's at night. I was engineer and we had an open cab and during snow storms we would wear our helmets with the shield down so we could see where we were going. That was during 1982 blizzard in Colorado that dropped up to 36+ inches of snow in a 24 hour period. Engines were getting stuck everywhere. We help one engine company get out of being stuck and then we got stuck. (2 am in morning and about -10 degrees.) The city called for a frontend loader to dig us out. When they removed the snow next to the engine there was about 2 ft. under the engine, LONG night.

Lt. Larry Cooke (retired aft, 30 years)

Westminster Fire/Rescue

Westminster, Colorado

Permalink Reply by Timothy John Dodson on January 24, 2013 at 1:23pm

When I first got into the fire service in 1977 in Pennsylvania after I graduated from high school, we rode the tailboard as well. It was nice in the summer but cold as hell in the winter.

Permalink Reply by Titus D Carter on October 19, 2013 at 7:06pm

I agree it was an art,bitch in winter and bad in pouring rain but nothing like it. We did in in Atlanta up till mid 80's. by the way 70- 80 model Mack with 2 jump seats but never used them until fed regs.

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