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1915 fire truck


FWDTEXAS

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  • 2 years later...

This is an image from the Library of Congress showing a New York city fire department competition in 1913.

 

It is a very LARGE MB file with lots of detail which can be downloaded below.

 

New York Fire Department vehicle circa 1913 - Photo shows competition of motor pumper engines held by the International Association of Fire Engineers, New York City, Sept. 3, 1913. Pumper engines drew water from the Hudson River.

 

6896887325_39272b373f_z.jpg

 

Library of Congress image ... click here to see photo in original context <a href="http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/ggb2005014138/" rel="nofollow">www.loc.gov/pictures/item/ggb2005014138/</a>

 

DesertBlooms88

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I think that there was a British Dealer bringing these American La France Fire Engines into the UK, some years ago, and then converting them into Edwardian Look - alike Racing Cars - something like Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. There was one for sale at the Beaulieu Autojumble some years ago at something like £80,000!

 

Tony

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I think that there was a British Dealer bringing these American La France Fire Engines into the UK, some years ago, and then converting them into Edwardian Look - alike Racing Cars - something like Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. There was one for sale at the Beaulieu Autojumble some years ago at something like £80,000!

 

Tony

 

Any idea what make the above photo vehicle is?

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It is very normal to convert American La France, fire trucks in to racing cars.

We have a couple in Denmark. They schould be fun to drive 14,8 litre 6 cyl. 3 sparkplugs pr cylinder. chain drive and a consuption of a liter pr 100 metres.

The Technische museum in Germany also have two, and I think they did Paris to Peking in one of them.

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there is one in the UK that was a fire department ladder truck but has now been shortened to make a car! not seen the car itself but a friend is rebuilding the engine, its huge!!

 

Maybe this one I snapped at GDSF some years ago......the owner said it was a barn find and he had done nothing at all to it since finding it, it went very well and sounded splendid, :bow:I would have willingly swapped Forceful for it!

 

image0.jpg

 

image0-001.jpg

 

Bernard

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Excellent race photo's.

 

I think this Robinson Pumper Engine is a similar vehicle

FDNY - New York Fire Department vehicle circa 1913 - Photo shows Robinson pumper engine in the competition of motor pumper engines held by the International Association of Fire Engineers, New York City, Sept. 3, 1913.

 

Library of Congress image, click link for LARGE MB downloadable file.

http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/ggb2005014134/

 

hmvf131.jpg

 

Link to info and pics of Robinson fire fighting eqpt

http://www.spaamfaa.com/robinson.html

 

DesertBlooms88

Edited by DesertBlooms88
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I have driven one of the American LaFrance fire truck based 'racing cars'. It was the most scary thing I have ever driven ! The engine really only wanted to go at one speed and it didn't seem to matter which gear you engaged (no hint as to which gear was which), when you engaged the clutch it shot off with the obvious intention of killing you. There was no sign of the revs dropping, it just was suddenly doing about 40 or at least it seemed like it. This was not good as I was in quite a small yard. However it did have bags of character and really looked the part.

 

David

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Just look at that reduction gear on the starting handle! It would take a big man to start that monster!

 

Steve:D

 

Looks like a inertia starter. If so, it would make starting much easier. I have an engine equipped with one, they also used them on tractors, tanks and airplanes. You turn it around slowly but at a high torque for a minute or so, there is a flywheel inside which stores the energy and when it turns fast enough you engage some sort of dog clutch. If all is well the engine should start!

 

Marcel

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