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Chicago FD History – Ward LaFrance
I was recently going through some old files and stumbled upon some photos and documents related to some of Chicago's Ward LaFrance fire apparatus. These particular vehicles have always held a special place in my heart because of their unique design and impressive capabilities.
Among these, I found images of what I consider to be some of the most iconic Chicago pumpers—the seven 1970 Ward LaFrance engines capable of pumping 2,000 gallons per minute. It's fascinating to note that these rigs were equipped with Cummins NTF high-torque, 365-horsepower engines. These powerful engines were essential for driving the two-stage Hale Q pumps, which required quite a bit of horsepower. Interestingly, the five trucks produced the same year were fitted with slightly less expensive Detroit 350-horsepower engines.
Following the massive snowstorm of 1967, Chicago started specifying rear-mounted, 20,000-pound hydraulic winches on many of its vehicles. Both the engines and trucks showcased here were no exception. Although Ward LaFrance had a somewhat inconsistent reputation as a manufacturer, they truly outdid themselves with these rigs. I was particularly impressed by the brushed stainless steel pump layout and the incredibly precise Crosby black-face gauges on the control panel. I've never seen this level of accuracy and quality on any other fire apparatus before or since.
These rigs had relatively compact wheelbases but featured extended bodies positioned behind the rear axle. This body style became a common feature in later Ford chassis pumpers as well. Alongside these engines, there were five trucks fitted with 100-foot Grove ladders. According to today's NFPA ratings, these ladders, based on Grove 18-ton cranes, would be classified as heavy-duty with 500-pound tip loads. By comparison, Chicago's other ladder trucks—such as those from ALF, Seagrave, and Pirsch—that were purchased around the same time would fall under the medium-duty category with 250-pound tip load ratings.
The Grove ladders were massive and heavy, too much weight for a single axle to handle effectively. Throughout their service lives, these rigs experienced continuous issues with brakes and axles. Adding to the complexity, these trucks also came equipped with a 300-gallon booster tank, a pump, and twin reels. On top of all that, the ground ladder complement was extensive: two each of 30-foot and 40-foot ladders, one 50-foot ladder, and a 20-foot car ladder stored under the turntable. Additionally, three roof ladders were carried on each side.
I vividly recall climbing one of these rigs at a fire where the operator managed to position the ladder's tip just 12 inches below the parapet, much like how old wooden ladders used to settle as you climbed them. Unlike other ladders that would bounce or shift, this Grove ladder remained rock-solid. Even with our entire engine crew pulling on a line to stabilize it further, the ladder tip never budged an inch.
By sheer luck, I ended up with the original factory delivery photo negatives, which I've included here. I also took some photos myself of the engines during their acceptance testing near McCormick Place. You can see the rear-mounted winch installations in the rear views. Another interesting detail is that the two rear discharges had 3-1/2-inch boat hose threads, and the rigs carried a 700-foot bed of it.
Back when I was working on the West Side, Division 2 Chief Dan Lynch would always request Engine 113 specifically when he needed the 3-1/2-inch hose dropped into a Snorkel during a still or box alarm.
There are two photos showing the Grove ladder in action. The first was taken at the Bedford Hotel fire on the near West Side in the early '70s. If my memory serves me correctly, there were two additional alarms working in the city at the time, and no Snorkels were available. Second Deputy Bill Foley, who usually oversaw the shops, took command. This marked the first time I’d ever seen two ladder pipes operating without Snorkels at an extra-alarm fire in Chicago.
The second photo was taken at another extra-alarm fire on the South Side, though the exact location has faded from memory. Another negative scanned around the same time shows Engine 63 in action, so perhaps someone might recognize the company involved.
I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas.
ACD
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[Images of these historic Chicago fire trucks can be found in the links provided below, and searching for "Ward LaFrance" will yield more details.]
[Image captions and additional photos are sourced from the Dave Fornell and Bill Friedrich collections.]