Hi to all the readers out there! Sorry about the lack of updates lately, there has been alot going on in the real world that has caused me to not be around to update the blog. Hopefully I'll be able to pop a post in there before Friday morning (because I get alot of downtime at work!).
Take Care and keep checking back!
Josh
70-C1
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
Thursday, February 7, 2008
Now serving as Hose 4
Engine 6 on Rimmon Street (the good 'ol West Side) was originally known as "Fulton Engine Company 6" after Mr. Walton M. Fulton, the financier who paid for the station to be built in 1892 on the corners of Rimmon and Amory Streets (the bays face Rimmon Street).
Hose 4 was assigned here for only a few years with Engine 6 from 1971 to 1976. According to the MFD, Hose 4 would have run with a Mack Pumper and a 75ft Seagrave Ladder truck (Engine 6 and Ladder 6 respectively).
In 1976, Hose 4 was moved to Weston Street with Engine 10 and Truck 3. Weston Street was built in 1902 on the corners of Weston and Concord Streets which is located on top of the hill in the northeast corner of Manchester. Originally, Weston Street was the quarters of "Hose 4" back in the old horse drawn cart days from 1908 to 1932 when old Hose 4 was replaced with a motorized truck and renamed Engine 10. Pictured at the left is the original Hose 4 circa 1910. Below is a view of the Weston Street Station in 2004. Sadly, this station was torn down in 2007 and is now an empty lot.
Now this is when the history gets a little confusing. According to the history provided by the MFD website, Hose 4 was reincorporated on June 12, 1967 which would not match up with the history of the IHC BC-160. The history provided by one of the MFD officers I have spoken with states that Hose 4 came back into service in 1962 when the two trucks were purchased as Hose 4 and Hose 1. Curious discrepency I think! The MFD online history does state that Hose 4 was equipped with hose and a deck gun, which does match up with the actual truck (as my truck has hose and a deck gun). It would be interesting to see who is worng with the history, or if the original IHC 1962 Hose 4 is really what is being described in the online history which can be read here: http://www.manchesternh.gov/CityGov/MFD/History.html. I don't know, it really is slightly confusing actually! Hose 4 would stay at Weston Street until the station closed in 1982.
At this point the truck was in poor condition and was in need of some TLC. In May of 1982 the truck returned to Merrimack Street for a few weeks where it was rehabed and cleaned up. There was some body work performed and the truck recieved a much needed coat of paint.
Hose 4 was assigned here for only a few years with Engine 6 from 1971 to 1976. According to the MFD, Hose 4 would have run with a Mack Pumper and a 75ft Seagrave Ladder truck (Engine 6 and Ladder 6 respectively).
In 1976, Hose 4 was moved to Weston Street with Engine 10 and Truck 3. Weston Street was built in 1902 on the corners of Weston and Concord Streets which is located on top of the hill in the northeast corner of Manchester. Originally, Weston Street was the quarters of "Hose 4" back in the old horse drawn cart days from 1908 to 1932 when old Hose 4 was replaced with a motorized truck and renamed Engine 10. Pictured at the left is the original Hose 4 circa 1910. Below is a view of the Weston Street Station in 2004. Sadly, this station was torn down in 2007 and is now an empty lot.
Now this is when the history gets a little confusing. According to the history provided by the MFD website, Hose 4 was reincorporated on June 12, 1967 which would not match up with the history of the IHC BC-160. The history provided by one of the MFD officers I have spoken with states that Hose 4 came back into service in 1962 when the two trucks were purchased as Hose 4 and Hose 1. Curious discrepency I think! The MFD online history does state that Hose 4 was equipped with hose and a deck gun, which does match up with the actual truck (as my truck has hose and a deck gun). It would be interesting to see who is worng with the history, or if the original IHC 1962 Hose 4 is really what is being described in the online history which can be read here: http://www.manchesternh.gov/CityGov/MFD/History.html. I don't know, it really is slightly confusing actually! Hose 4 would stay at Weston Street until the station closed in 1982.At this point the truck was in poor condition and was in need of some TLC. In May of 1982 the truck returned to Merrimack Street for a few weeks where it was rehabed and cleaned up. There was some body work performed and the truck recieved a much needed coat of paint.
Hose 4 returned to service later that month and was assigned to Engine 9 on Calef Road where it remained until 1987.
In 1987 Hose 4 was offically retired from service as the MFD purchased three new engines which had more capabilities in terms of the amount of equipment they could carry. There was no need to have a seperate truck just to carry hose as the new engines were large enough to carry all they needed to any scene they went to. Hose 4 was then sold for scrap and taken to a junkyard on Bodwell Road in Manchester where she would stay until it was rescued. . . .
Wednesday, February 6, 2008
Change of Plans
Sorry folks there seems to be a little change of plans in the direction of this blog! Instead of running posts with the history of each station, I've decided to just focus on the truck itself and the locations it served in. Hope this doesn't bother anyone....maybe when I have more time I can get more in depth like that!
Josh
Josh
Friday, February 1, 2008
The Beginning of Engine 1's Service.....as Hose 1
Sometime in 1962 the Manchester, NH Fire Department placed two new and identical trucks in service, one as "Hose 1" and one as "Hose 4" (I have no idea where Hose 2 and Hose 3 are, if the even existed). Hose 1 is the truck that I own and is obviously the subject of this blog. These trucks were in service as hose carrying trucks only...they were to see no "frontline" service as engines. Most of the time, the hose wagon would be driven to the fire scene, offloaded, and then parked until it was time to pick the hose back up. Not much of a dignified job if you ask me, but an important one none the less. Hose 1 was equipped with two booster reels carrying 1" solid rubber hose, a 300 GPM rotary gear pump, 1- 1 1/2" discharge on the passenger side, 1- 2 1/2" pump intake on the passenger side, 4- 2 1/2" and 2- 1 1/2" intakes for the deck gun, a full complement of hose and tools, and a single SCBA (air tank) for the firefighters. There were orignally no ladders on the truck as the MFD's ladders took care of that function.
Upon arrival in the City of Manchester, Hose 1 was assigned to MFD Engine 1 (which at the time was a 1943 Mack) in the Vine Street Central Station until the station was torn down in 1971 when the new Merrimack Street Central Station was opened in January. Hose 1 was not to be Hose 1 for much longer after that date. In February 1971 Hose 1 was replaced by a '71 IHC/Howe and renamed Hose 4 (whatever happened to Hose 4 remains a mystery. Was it in an accident and destroyed?).
View Larger Map
More to Follow! Next post we'll cover the history of the Vine Street, Merrimack Street, and Amory Street stations.
Josh
Upon arrival in the City of Manchester, Hose 1 was assigned to MFD Engine 1 (which at the time was a 1943 Mack) in the Vine Street Central Station until the station was torn down in 1971 when the new Merrimack Street Central Station was opened in January. Hose 1 was not to be Hose 1 for much longer after that date. In February 1971 Hose 1 was replaced by a '71 IHC/Howe and renamed Hose 4 (whatever happened to Hose 4 remains a mystery. Was it in an accident and destroyed?).After being reassigned as Hose 4, the truck left the Central Station and was moved into quarters with Engine 6. Engine 6 was located on the West Side of Manchester at the corners of Amory and Rimmon Street. Below is a map of all the stations the truck served in.
View Larger Map
More to Follow! Next post we'll cover the history of the Vine Street, Merrimack Street, and Amory Street stations.
Josh
Good News Today!
Well I have good news for everyone! After the engine in the truck went I had it towed home where it has been parked ever since (going on 4 months now!). Of course, I drained the oil/antifreeze from the engine and put new oil in, plus cleared the cylinders of any fluid and oiled them all before storage. My intent was to go out once a week and just turn the engine over to keep it from rusting up or anything. Of course, life happens and I haven't been out to do that since it was parked! I was worried about the engine seizing up on me, but I went out today, uncovered it, and put the battery jumpers on. I think I gave it about 10 minutes, popped in the key, and could ya guess what happened? It turned over (the coil was disconnected so it couldn't fire) a few times until the battery ran out of juice! So the engine didn't seize up over the course of the last four months, which breathes new life into my hope that the truck will run again this year!
Josh
Josh
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