Friday, September 5, 2008

WEFR’s 1950 Ford Maxim Pumper



In August 1965 the West End Fire and Rescue Company purchased a 1950 Ford Maxim engine. The company paid $3,000 for the rig but it is unknown whom they purchased it from. We believe it was the Barren Hill Fire Department, in Pennsylvania, and hope to have a definitive answer on that soon. In September 1965 the West Enders took possession of the unit. The rig was painted red when purchased and re-lettered by the company. In its later years it carried the Franklin County designation 15-4. A couple of these photographs are when the rig ran as a Fayetteville engine on loan to them in 1973. In February 1974 the department sold the engine to J. T. McGee of Panama City Fire Equipment for $3,500 to be taken to Florida like so many other local rigs.

Nothing major occurred in the Shippensburg area today. Today's post was supposed to be a slide show, but after trying numerous times to make it work, I give up. These stupid machines!

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Looking at the pictures before reading the story. I said to myself the last two pictures are taken at Co.7 and the plate on the front is 7-2. Why did Fayetteville have it?

Brad Myers said...

I don't know Dave, I may have the info in the company minutes but will not have a chance to look it up for some time. With any luck Crawford will see this and know the answer.

Anonymous said...

Okay Boys,

The Minnesota Boys have discussed the issue and here is the answer.

Cutch,(Chief Cutchall) was short and engine because they have gotten rid of a piece before the second Hahn arrived. West End had an abundance of apparatus. we had taken delivery of the 73 International. Cutch said bring up to Co.7 he would use it for a while. Done deal, we lived together as departments in that time period.

CW and JJW

Anonymous said...

Thanks Boys. That's what I thought, because the HAHN was a 1974.

Haney said...

Bradley
I noticed that the doors are leteered different. I assume the rig was refurbed at some point.

Brad Myers said...

Kevin, I think we need to have the young men from Minnesota to jump in again. I have spent all that time documenting the rigs and gathering photos and until you mentioned it I never noticed the different lettering on the doors.

I never came across any sort of refurb on the rig so I can only assume that it was just a relettering thing. Hopefully they can shed some light on the subject. Now you have my interest peaked.

Anonymous said...

Think I can shed the light here boys. Rig was repainted in anticipation of adding some equipment. Note the addition of the red spots on the roof of the cab and if you look closely enough, the lettering on the snout of the hood is also different. This occurred shortly before she was lent to Cutch and the boys at 7 engine. Not a big refurb Brad. More of a cosmetic thing.
JJW