Popular Post SMFire History Posted September 19, 2013 Popular Post Share Posted September 19, 2013 Just wanted to introduce myself and Santa Monica Firefighters new project; our 1952 Mack 125LS. We have recently acquired it and will be fundraising to refurbish/restore this rig to it's original condition. It sat for years here in SoCal with one of our members, then made a brief stop in Central CA before coming home to be restored for our community, relief association fundraising, parades, etc. We have a lot to learn but I have friends nearby in Oceanside that restored their 1952 L95 so that will be a big help. I have acquired a copy of Harvey Eckarts book, received all information regarding our rig from the Mack Museum and will be looking for some parts that we are missing in the near future. My hope is to use this project not only as a benefit to the community but to help bridge the gap between our current members and the retirees who rode on this engine here in Santa Monica. Per the Mack museum it is one of three 1952 L125's and one of 46 built from 1940-1954. It was in service from delivery in May 1952 and converted to our Aircraft Rescue rig before being replaced by a true Walters AR and retired in the early 1980's. Our intentions are to return it to it's original form as a pumper.Dominic SmithSanta Monica Firefighters 5 Quote Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/32833-intro-1952-125ls-santa-monica/ Share on other sites More sharing options...
j hancock Posted September 19, 2013 Share Posted September 19, 2013 Welcome and it looks like a great project! Quote JimIt doesn't cost anything to pay attention. Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/32833-intro-1952-125ls-santa-monica/#findComment-207121 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bigdogtrucker Posted September 19, 2013 Share Posted September 19, 2013 Welcome,fine looking old dog! Quote Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/32833-intro-1952-125ls-santa-monica/#findComment-207122 Share on other sites More sharing options...
2stacksuperdog Posted September 19, 2013 Share Posted September 19, 2013 Quote Matt Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/32833-intro-1952-125ls-santa-monica/#findComment-207123 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loadstar Posted September 19, 2013 Share Posted September 19, 2013 Beautiful truck!!!.... Welcome aboard and best of luck with the restoration. Quote Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/32833-intro-1952-125ls-santa-monica/#findComment-207143 Share on other sites More sharing options...
BOB DINGSDALE Posted September 19, 2013 Share Posted September 19, 2013 smfirehistory: some where in calif. there is a LTL open cab fire truck.do you know anything about it.only one made and was a fire truck yellow not Mack yellow Quote Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/32833-intro-1952-125ls-santa-monica/#findComment-207189 Share on other sites More sharing options...
j hancock Posted September 19, 2013 Share Posted September 19, 2013 LTL open cab? WoW! Quote JimIt doesn't cost anything to pay attention. Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/32833-intro-1952-125ls-santa-monica/#findComment-207190 Share on other sites More sharing options...
yarnall Posted September 19, 2013 Share Posted September 19, 2013 Welcome to the forum. Nice truck. Glad to hear it will get some love. There is a restored LTL fire truck behind glass at the Glendale, CA fire house. I have pictures somewhere. It is red and I think it is a coupe(day) cab. Mike Quote Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/32833-intro-1952-125ls-santa-monica/#findComment-207193 Share on other sites More sharing options...
fxfymn Posted September 19, 2013 Share Posted September 19, 2013 Welcome aboard! Very nice truck. It looks like the right headlight has been replaced. There is a builder in CA that makes a pretty close replacement if you are looking to go back to the original look. http://www.otbgear.com/Default.aspx Quote Money, sex, and fire; everybody thinks everyone else is getting more than they are! Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/32833-intro-1952-125ls-santa-monica/#findComment-207209 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gmerrill0516 Posted September 19, 2013 Share Posted September 19, 2013 Is that a Hall-Scott powered rig? I would think a 125 would need the 1049 inch engine or something equally as stout...Cummins or 711? More pictures and information would be great? It looks nice. Cool truck.Greg Quote Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/32833-intro-1952-125ls-santa-monica/#findComment-207212 Share on other sites More sharing options...
BOB DINGSDALE Posted September 19, 2013 Share Posted September 19, 2013 yarnall: is that what they use to call open cabs.chassis number is LTLT1D 1121.Hall-SCOTT powered.Big 1090 cid.hp is anybody's quess seeing it's a fire truck.My picture is when it was yellow and numbered E23 Quote Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/32833-intro-1952-125ls-santa-monica/#findComment-207213 Share on other sites More sharing options...
BOB DINGSDALE Posted September 19, 2013 Share Posted September 19, 2013 smfirehistory: needs gold accent pinstriping but it is a fine looking piece of eqipment Quote Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/32833-intro-1952-125ls-santa-monica/#findComment-207215 Share on other sites More sharing options...
bulldogboy Posted September 19, 2013 Share Posted September 19, 2013 On page 79 of Harvey Eckart's book, "Mack Fire Apparatus, A Pictorial History", there is a photo of Engine 23, a 1954 Mack "LT" 1000 GPM pumper delivered to Glendale, CA. The photo is black and white but it is obviously not red; either yellow or white. It is a semi-cab which means it has doors but no roof. An open cab has no doors and no roof; real old time firefighting! Harvey's books are a must for anyone interested in all types of Mack fire apparatus. bulldogboy Quote Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/32833-intro-1952-125ls-santa-monica/#findComment-207235 Share on other sites More sharing options...
SMFire History Posted September 19, 2013 Author Share Posted September 19, 2013 Thanks for all the kind welcomes. We're really looking forward to getting this rig back up to snuff so that it can be a showpiece for our community and generate even more pride for our members. The plan for now is a frame on restoration that will incorporate much of the original specifications while increasing it's curb appeal with upgrades that may not have been ordered on the original spec but still offered by Mack. We are in the process of gathering original photos of the rig for reference and will begin a fundraising effort shortly to offset the significant costs. Until then we will need new tires, a thorough safety inspection to include the braking system, etc. and a few small items to make it road worthy. A tune-up and carb rebuild will also come shortly. I'm not very familiar with these rigs and have not had time to review Harvey's book thoroughly but I will try to answer any questions you might have. I will also try to post pics for your review.Is that a Hall-Scott powered rig? I would think a 125 would need the 1049 inch engine or something equally as stout...Cummins or 711? More pictures and information would be great? It looks nice. Cool truck.GregThe sales brochure from Mack states it would have a 707 cu in motor. (serial#ENF707B-208-55) Eckart lists this as a 276HP rig. We had a 1948 L125 also and I am not familiar enough to know the difference when scanning our archive of images. If anyone could enlighten me that would be helpful. I believe these are a few pics of the 1952 originally... Quote Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/32833-intro-1952-125ls-santa-monica/#findComment-207238 Share on other sites More sharing options...
bulldogboy Posted September 19, 2013 Share Posted September 19, 2013 SMFire History: I believe that the "L" model in the old station photos is older than 1952. The telltale item is the front bumper, it is smaller than the one on your '52. "L"s had the smaller bumper until 1949 or thereabouts. Nice old pictures, they remind me of my department when I started my career. bulldogboy Quote Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/32833-intro-1952-125ls-santa-monica/#findComment-207240 Share on other sites More sharing options...
BOB DINGSDALE Posted September 19, 2013 Share Posted September 19, 2013 the old one at fire station is a 40's model.you can tell by the stripes on the hood and no vent windows also MACK scripe on hood is flat metal.in 1950 they put the dog on the side curtains as well as the raised Mack scriped sign and put vent windows in the doors.this was all done because of there 50th anniversary. Quote Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/32833-intro-1952-125ls-santa-monica/#findComment-207250 Share on other sites More sharing options...
BOB DINGSDALE Posted September 19, 2013 Share Posted September 19, 2013 bulldogboy: good info on cab's.learn something new every day.thanks Quote Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/32833-intro-1952-125ls-santa-monica/#findComment-207251 Share on other sites More sharing options...
SMFire History Posted September 20, 2013 Author Share Posted September 20, 2013 (edited) SMFire History: I believe that the "L" model in the old station photos is older than 1952. The telltale item is the front bumper, it is smaller than the one on your '52. "L"s had the smaller bumper until 1949 or thereabouts. Nice old pictures, they remind me of my department when I started my career. bulldogboyI noticed the front bumper was different but thought maybe in changed when it was converted to our aircraft rig. Thanks for the insight.the old one at fire station is a 40's model.you can tell by the stripes on the hood and no vent windows also MACK scripe on hood is flat metal.in 1950 they put the dog on the side curtains as well as the raised Mack scriped sign and put vent windows in the doors.this was all done because of there 50th anniversary.I do see now that the bulldog is missing from the side of the engine bay. Nice tid bits to help resolve which rig is which. Thank you! Here's a pic of the 52 post conversion when it was in service at the airport here in Santa Monica. Sorry for the poor quality... Edited September 20, 2013 by SMFire History 1 Quote Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/32833-intro-1952-125ls-santa-monica/#findComment-207256 Share on other sites More sharing options...
SMFire History Posted September 20, 2013 Author Share Posted September 20, 2013 A few pics as it sat in 2010 before heading to Lindsay, CA for a brief stay before returning back home to Santa Monica... 1 Quote Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/32833-intro-1952-125ls-santa-monica/#findComment-207258 Share on other sites More sharing options...
SMFire History Posted September 20, 2013 Author Share Posted September 20, 2013 This is Oceanside Firefighters (CA) 1952 L95... 1 Quote Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/32833-intro-1952-125ls-santa-monica/#findComment-207261 Share on other sites More sharing options...
SMFire History Posted September 20, 2013 Author Share Posted September 20, 2013 A few more Oceanside pics... 1 Quote Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/32833-intro-1952-125ls-santa-monica/#findComment-207263 Share on other sites More sharing options...
SMFire History Posted September 20, 2013 Author Share Posted September 20, 2013 Welcome aboard! Very nice truck.It looks like the right headlight has been replaced. There is a builder in CA that makes a pretty close replacement if you are looking to go back to the original look. http://www.otbgear.com/Default.aspxThank you. I will add this to our resource list. Quote Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/32833-intro-1952-125ls-santa-monica/#findComment-207264 Share on other sites More sharing options...
paulromano Posted September 20, 2013 Share Posted September 20, 2013 I like the Budds that most of the West Coast Macks seemed to equipped with. Does the truck have air brakes? I must confess to being a little confused (not an uncommon condition these days) but I assumed that the designator L-125 meant the same as B-125 or C-125 or a 1250gpm pump. In the photos I only see four discharge gates. To get the full Underwriters rating a pump needed one discharge for each 250 gal or 5 discharges for a 1250 pump. I think that some West Coast Mack apparatus carried a designator of L-21 which indicated the Hall Scott Motor, I have a catalog that lists a B-21 as having a Hall-Scott motor. Does the L-125 mean something different than the pump size?? Quote Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/32833-intro-1952-125ls-santa-monica/#findComment-207290 Share on other sites More sharing options...
bulldogboy Posted September 20, 2013 Share Posted September 20, 2013 BOB DINGSDALE: Thanks for the info about the bulldog and different chrome strips on the "L" models. The "L" models I worked on were all pre-1950 so, other than the bumper, I didn't realize that there were other cosmetic changes made in later years. bulldogboy Quote Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/32833-intro-1952-125ls-santa-monica/#findComment-207297 Share on other sites More sharing options...
yarnall Posted September 20, 2013 Share Posted September 20, 2013 SMFire History: I believe that the "L" model in the old station photos is older than 1952. The telltale item is the front bumper, it is smaller than the one on your '52. "L"s had the smaller bumper until 1949 or thereabouts. Nice old pictures, they remind me of my department when I started my career. bulldogboyI think the small chrome bumper was an option. My '47 85 LS has the large steel bumper. On the build sheet it initially specifies a chrome bumper, put that is x'ed out and a steel bumper with chrome strips is listed. http://www.bigmacktrucks.com/index.php?/gallery/image/10999-macungie-2012/. I found the picture of the LTL in Glendale. It is a semi-open cab and it is red. I will have to scan it and post it. Mike Quote Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/32833-intro-1952-125ls-santa-monica/#findComment-207372 Share on other sites More sharing options...
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