bulldogboy

If you have ever driven through downtown Boston you'll know why fenders took a beating. Add a little snow and the old cowpaths become even narrower. Some of the old Boston Macks had two deck guns mounted over the hose bed, one fore and one aft. Boston F.D. had a lot of "L" models and several unique bodied "B" models. Those were the last Mack fire trucks in Boston. There were never any "C" or "CF" models. Must be a story there but I never heard why Macks were banned in Boston. bulldogboy

Troy's old Aerialscope is a former FDNY truck; don't know what companies it served. Maybe Bubba can fix it up and Coventry can put it into service as its first ladder truck. bulldogboy

Check with the boys down in Whitehall, LA posted under "One for Vinny". They could probably hook you up with some red paint. Seriously, I'm an old timer from the seventies but I think that the lime-yellow looks good. I've seen red, green, yellow, blue, and other colored Macks. Macks always look good no matter what the color. bulldogboy

Yep, once for training; not too smart. Our ladder trucks carried life nets so one day we said, "What the heck, why not". You had to land just right or the jumper and the holders could get seriously hurt. Never did it again. bulldogboy

That's a former USAF aircraft refueler. Refuelers have the mufflers mounted under the front bumper away from the fuel tank. Most USAF refuelers were built on Mack or Dodge chassis. Many found their way into civlian fire service after their military service was finished. bulldogboy

Looks like a homemade vehicle. bulldogboy

On page 11 of Harvey Eckart's book, "Mack Model B Fire Trucks", there is a spec sheet that shows the standard equipment that was supplied with either a "B" or a "C" model pumper. In addition to the electrical system, brakes, axles, etc. there is also a list of small hand tools such as a 10' pike pole, 2 axes (1 pickhead, 1 flat head) and so on. Almost everything was out in the open on the running boards; the good old days (sorry for sounding like the dinosaur that I am). Chem ox mask!!! I trained on one of those in the USAF. Never used it in a real situation though. bulldogboy

I've seen pictures of a Mack "Granite" 6x6 tanker built by Pierce for the Seminole Tribal Fire Department in Florida. Not sure if it was a factory installation or a later modification. bulldogboy

I remember when Milford was a Mack town with 3 "CFs" and before that an American LaFrance town. Good luck with your HME. bulldogboy

Tim: I know that in 2001, Westmore, VT, up in your neck of the woods, started a fire department. They might be a resource for you if you start a department. What kind of trucks does Coventry have in mind? bulldogboy

In the automotive section of the "Boston Sunday Globe" on March 3, 2013 there is an article about VW and its plans to surpass GM and Toyota as the world's largest car manufacturer. The VW product manager said that VW has no plans to produce a pickup truck for the U.S. (he said this shortly before leaving VW to work for Chevrolet). Their feeling is that American pickup truck owners are extremely brand loyal so it would be tough to break into the market. I saw a new Ford Ranger in St. Maarten last year; it looks a lot like the VW pickup. Maybe when it's time to replace my Ranger I can import one from SXM (that wouldn't be too expensive, would it?). bulldogboy

Didn't Dodge once sell a red pickup that came factory equipped with dual exhaust stacks? I think that it was called "Little Red Wagon" or something like that. To be p/c, it is no longer Dodge, now it's Ram (a rose by any other name, etc.). bulldogboy

When I started my full time career as a firefighter in the early 1970s, I don't think that my department's 10 Macks cost $430,000 total. bulldogboy

I remember several local "R" and "MB" model fire engines that had Scania engines. I assume that Mack offered these as a lower cost option to help win municipal bids. Did Mack find this more cost effective than building its own smaller diesel? bulldogboy

I have this brochure; it's 20 pages long with two pages of old Mack fire apparatus. There are two pages for each of the following pumpers: "CF", "R", "MC" and Midliner ("MS"). There are also two pages each for the "Aerialscope", "Bulldog I" aerial ladder, and the "MC" and "R" model chassis only. It brings back memories of Mack's glory days in the fire apparatus business. bulldogboy

Yes, it's a shame when old Mack fire trucks are left out to deteriorate. The one from New Haven formerly served West Fairlee, VT. There is another picture of it on www.firenews.org sitting in a field, presumably in Vermont. I think that it is a shame when a department gets rid of an old Mack. I know that there are money issues, lack of space, lack of interest in old fire trucks, not the original owner, etc. but I like to see departments keep their old Macks for parades, etc. A lot of small departments near me had second hand or home made Mack fire trucks, now they are all gone. Wish I had pictures of them all. bulldogboy

According to Offset-U-bet on another thread, some NMX tractors are for sale at McDevitt's in Manchester. I believe that NMX had at least one twin screw, there may have been others. Most were singles. Sad to see them go; I always liked seeing the Nashua logo on the highways. bulldogboy

Don't confuse Nashua Motor Express with Nashua Corporation. The only things that they had in common were; they both were located in Nashua, NH and both ran Mack tractors. NMX is the company that recently went out of business and will be selling their fleet of Macks. Nashua Corp. manufactured tapes, printing inks, and other computer products. The last Mack that I remember was a sharp looking blue "R" model. Offset-U-bet: I think that Nashua Corp. still has an office on D.W. Highway in Merrimack. Maybe you could contact them. bulldogboy

Back in the late 1970s there were a few departments near me that had tractor trailer tankers with "U" model tractors. Wish that I had taken pictures of them back then. They weren't very practical so were replaced by newer straight chassis tankers. fifth wheel: the website; www.firenews.org has a section on N.E. fire apparatus past and present. Under Holden, MA they mention the Mack "B" tanker but have no photo of it. Any chance that you could scan the Mack tanker photo to them? The webmaster is John Galla and he is always looking for N.E. fire photos. bulldogboy

Hey, Vlad, better wear your hard hat when you venture outdoors. Seriously, that meteor crash in Russia was unreal. Hope that everyone heals quickly and that the damage will be repaired soon. bulldogboy

Back in the early 1970s when the "MB" model fire engine was introduced, many small, volunteer fire departments operated apparatus mounted on commercial chassis such as Ford, GMC, IH, etc. The Mack "MB" was an entry into the "custom" fire apparatus world for these departments. Departments now had an affordable engine that incorporated the safety of a jump seat plus other "big city" features. Later, these departments could move into Mack "CF"s, Spartan, ALF, and other custom apparatus. While the "MB" was a commercial chassis, Mack made the fire apparatus version a "custom" by adding fire department features such as dual ignitions, beefed up suspensions, electrical systems, safety features, etc. required by the NFPA. This was also done to "custom" "R" model fire apparatus. bulldogboy

yarnall: Whose Mack "AC" fire engine are you hauling? bulldogboy

Law Motor Freight has had the NH Liquor Commission warehouse contract for many years. Recently they lost the bid to DHL. This was a large part of their business so what happens to the company from this point is unknown. They are contesting the bids but who knows how that will play out? Law's Mack "A" model roof ornament is a local landmark. It is just west of the current Nashua Motor Express terminal on Amherst Street (Rte. 101A). When I was a kid, LMF was known as Law & Ingham Trucking. They, along with Nashua Motor Express, Nashua Corporation, Improved Machinery Inc., and many others, had all kinds of Mack "A", "L", "B", "R", "CH", etc. tractors and straight trucks in operation. Along with the fire department's fleet of Macks, it was a great time to be a Mack fan. bulldogboy

Nashua Motor Express today announced it is shutting down its trucking operations after 92 years in business. The company will be involved in logistics only. They will lay off all their drivers and sell their 20 tractors, mostly "R" and "U" models. Too bad, another New England trucking company goes away joining St. Johnsbury, N&B Express, Holmes, etc. bulldogboy

And, after you change your filters, clean the lint trap and vent hose, don't forget to clean the fins underneath or behind your refrigerator. These often get overlooked, get very dusty and your refrigerator will not work as efficiently as it should. Oh yeah, don't forget the bathroom fan needs cleaning; could be a fire hazard if not cleaned regularly. Lots of household advice here today!! bulldogboy