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Fire and Rescue and Emergency Vehicles Here is a spot for all them important emergency vehicle builds.


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  #1  
Old 09-23-2018, 07:13 AM
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Default 1950s FWD fire engine

This is a JerryIndy build i'm helping out with. Hopefully he remembers his password soon...

The goal, model "High Fenders" a 1956 FWD fire engine run as "Engine 2" by Washington Twp. VFD in Indianapolis, IN. They operated it as a front line engine from '56 up until it was replaced by a Mack about '76, not sure how long it stayed on reserve status. This was JerryIndys favorite apparatus while he was a fireman.

Because...


Highfenders with the Snorkle in service 1970s


Latest known picture of her after leaving Washington Twp, going to work in Arcadia, now in barn of a private collector.


Starting point, jjrc Q61 , 4 wheel truck version of a zil-157


Wheelbase stretch and starting to reconfigure.


Might need longer rails to punch it out enough, gotta try mockups though.

Unfortunately the donor is closer to a 1949 FWD than the correct one, but we'll figure something out. Four Wheel Drive corporation has an interesting history, i'll probably go into it more as the build goes on.

This beast had a straight-piped gas engine, that with the bay door open could be heard crackling to life several miles away as the rest of the firemen were already rolling toward the scene.

Reference material is scarce, it's not even on
http://www.indianafiretrucks.com/Default.aspx

I think it needs a Federal Q with a Grover Airhorn
https://www.modeltrainsoftware.com/c...r-your-diecast

Here's a ride along of a "1958 FWD Fire Truck", because fire engines are sweet
https://youtu.be/Ay1yP0W9Krk
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What do ya mean "Cars are neither Trucks or Construction"?
It's still scale, and i play fairly well with others, most of the time...

Last edited by frizzen; 09-24-2018 at 09:55 PM. Reason: 1956 FWD not 52...
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  #2  
Old 09-23-2018, 12:44 PM
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Default Re: 1950s FWD fire engine

Colour me excited! That's a great project for this truck. I see there are some models of FWD trucks with both rounder fenders, rounder grills and flatter sides, so there are some options that require less modifications of the donor cab, but I know the feeling of wanting to get as close as possible to a specific model and year Of course, for anyone not familiar with the truck (like me) the donor cab looks good as it is.
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  #3  
Old 09-23-2018, 07:09 PM
JerryIndy JerryIndy is offline
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Default Re: 1950s FWD fire engine

This was the engine I trained and served on from 1972 - 1976. "High Fenders" was retired and replaced with a new yellow Mack pumper.
The FWD had a 5" straight exhaust and on a clear night I could hear that big gas engine start inside the station from home. Over a mile away. Fire trucks had personality back then.
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  #4  
Old 09-30-2018, 05:43 AM
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Default Re: 1950s FWD fire engine

I fired up "CAD" to see what kind of setup we're looking at with the punched out wheelbase...



The cardboard didn't want to stay creased at the top of the bed.

Profile looks pretty good, but i dunno if it's high fenders. Looks like we're gonna need something like either a wpl b16, or jjrc q60 frame rails
---
Haven't ordered a frame yet.
Round 2


Getting better, maybe need a bit longer in the pump panel area.
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What do ya mean "Cars are neither Trucks or Construction"?
It's still scale, and i play fairly well with others, most of the time...

Last edited by frizzen; 10-01-2018 at 07:22 PM. Reason: Take 2...
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  #5  
Old 01-04-2019, 06:48 AM
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Default Re: 1950s FWD fire engine

A lot of life happened, still don't have the new chassis to start designing around. So rather than take a cab only frame to the meet, let's make some kinda hose-wagon brushfire rig. I dunno, let's say forestry service for now. Later we'll get back to FWD.

Led rotator light mounted, couple of Bruder firemen have joined the department at christmas. With the earlier wheelbase stretch, moved the fuel tanks aft, stuffed a spare tire in the frame.


Catch a hydrant to setup a forward lay


Horseshoe hose setup in the bed. Yes, it flakes off correctly.
550 paracord outer layer, would be about 3" line.


The town said i need 2 to operate the truck. Nailed it.

Hey where's the other fireman?
Uh, nothing...


---
Off topic, but starting with the ALF 800 series got we thinking
If a guy were wanting to do a bunch of Airport Ground Service equipment...

Texaco American LaFrance fire engine
Texaco Jet Fuel Truck
Doepke Airport set - baggage carts & (Clark tug)
Tonka airline tractor and baggage carts (Tug)
Structo 'Doodlebug' jeep / tug / follow me
Structo "Structo Airlines" / "Sky Chef" Scissor-lift Box truck
Nylint econoline airport hotel van
Nylint Baker Traveloaders with conveyer pallets were used as K-loaders, before K-loaders were a thing

I thought i'd also seen an Airstair Truck somewhere?
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What do ya mean "Cars are neither Trucks or Construction"?
It's still scale, and i play fairly well with others, most of the time...

Last edited by frizzen; 09-16-2023 at 08:22 AM.
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  #6  
Old 01-04-2019, 09:55 PM
skeeter skeeter is offline
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Default Re: 1950s FWD fire engine

From where did you source the fire hydrant? Glad to see you're having fun, as always with your builds.
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  #7  
Old 01-05-2019, 05:04 AM
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Default Re: 1950s FWD fire engine

I thought the fire hydrant came with the Texaco American LaFrance pumper. It was actually a Tonka that was found at a swapmeet, and it followed our young firefighter home to display with his Engine.

It hooks to a garden hose, the top valve works and has a wrench.
The pumper carries 2 'Large Diameter Hose' sections to connect hydrant to the engines pump panel. Once the hydrant is secured, you call for water and it pressurizes the Deck Gun on the ALF. Or there was a plastic adapter it carried on the tailboard to go garden hose to LDH without a hydrant.

I believe there were other fire hydrants made by companies like Doepke, Tonka, Structo, Buddy L.
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What do ya mean "Cars are neither Trucks or Construction"?
It's still scale, and i play fairly well with others, most of the time...

Last edited by frizzen; 03-23-2019 at 01:59 AM.
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  #8  
Old 01-05-2019, 12:28 PM
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Default Re: 1950s FWD fire engine

What? That's awesome! They sure knew how to make fun toys in the past.
Nice choice for a fire hose too!
You convinced me to finally go on an ebay hunt for a liquid chrome pen with your other post, by the way. I haven't been able to justify the cost of 30-40USD from a Norwegian webshop, but ordered one from the UK with shipping for a third of the price, so I'll finally have some shiny reflectors in my light buckets.
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  #9  
Old 01-05-2019, 06:51 PM
skeeter skeeter is offline
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Default Re: 1950s FWD fire engine

I know there were other fire hydrants made by companies like Doepke, Tonka, Structo, Buddy L.

It hooks to a garden hose, the top valve works and has a wrench.
That sounds AWESEOME! No need for an internal pump & tank that way. I like it a LOT!

There were other fire hydrants made by companies like Doepke, Tonka, Structo, Buddy L.
Thank-you sir for the info. I think I may have to start looking for one of them real soon. I STILL need to start that NewBright conversion I was planning to do. I LOVE the idea of NOT having to have an onboard pump, and tank to make a functional unit!
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  #10  
Old 01-05-2019, 09:15 PM
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Default Re: 1950s FWD fire engine

I hope the chrome pen will impress you as much at i have been. Oh yeah, the headlights on this got chromed too.

The hose has a little more memory than i'd like, but looks pretty killer for 2.5" or 3" line. I'll need to make couplers out of tubing and put them at appropriate lengths. I've also been reading up on using flat elastic for filling hose beds over on Scale Firehouse.

I didn't expect the hydrant to steal the show. I just thought it'd look more 'hose' if i had a hydrant to wrap so they could lay out hose.

Tonka Suburban Engine
https://youtu.be/yf72xSnXESA

I was wondering why i hadn't seen your newbright fire aparatus in any of your groups videos yet. *Poke poke.*

I'd also wondered eventually about having a valve on the truck to send water to either a tank or deck monitor. That way you could be able to pump and run, or start fighting off the pump & tank until it's possible to secure a hydrant.

--
Modded the driver seat, and a new guy that had a broken leg.

Back on the High Fenders build, the chauffeur was also their pump operator and while on scene was allowed to go "as far away from the rig as he could wanted, while still touching the pump". He'll get a dark blue dress shirt with a badge, doesn't need a helmet.
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What do ya mean "Cars are neither Trucks or Construction"?
It's still scale, and i play fairly well with others, most of the time...

Last edited by frizzen; 01-06-2019 at 05:29 AM. Reason: Hooligans running red lights
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  #11  
Old 01-12-2019, 02:56 AM
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Default Re: 1950s FWD fire engine

Sure i can call it a hose-wagon, but with only a couple hundred feet of 2.5" hose, i wasn't really buying it either. If he already dropped the rest of the hose at a fireground, what new emergency is going on?





Nylint pumper / tender supplied some suction lines, and tools. Starting to look a bit more recognizable as a support rig?

---

Jerryindy was giving me a hard time about it looking like a Rocky Ripple truck. A much smaller 'town' that his township vfd ran mutual support. They had no budget, their bridges couldn't support real fire apparatus, ran so few runs their apparatus always needed jumped for runs. They ran a retired septic tank truck as a pumper. Once in the 70s they showed up with a Squad towing the 1940s Buffalo Engine because they just couldn't get it to start...
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What do ya mean "Cars are neither Trucks or Construction"?
It's still scale, and i play fairly well with others, most of the time...

Last edited by frizzen; 03-23-2019 at 02:02 AM. Reason: You sit in penelty box, and you feel shame
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  #12  
Old 01-18-2019, 11:28 PM
skeeter skeeter is offline
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Default Re: 1950s FWD fire engine

I love the new additions! This thang is looking more gooder each time you post new pics of er.
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  #13  
Old 02-02-2019, 11:52 PM
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Default Re: 1950s FWD fire engine

Hey that's enough playing grabass in my station! Say goodbye to the "Hillbilly Fire Engine". Time to start doing this like we mean it.

New chassis installed, rear driveshaft stretched, hooked up headlights.

He agreed on the sketch so i got both of the bed panels rough cut.

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  #14  
Old 03-23-2019, 12:10 AM
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Default Re: 1950s FWD fire engine

Fenders, compartment doors, chassis supports, braces... anyway, it's all a single piece and getting close to actually being a bed now.

Scuffed interior of beacon to help diffuse the leds.
Federal Q siren made from a beacon lens and some plastic sheet, molotow chrome.
A 12 rung, 2 fly extension ladder that works by pulling the halyard.



The ugly but functional bed to chassis mounts, and some braces.



I'm going to hold off on closing the tank and building the hose bed until i atleast get the federal/grover sound unit, a switch for that. Dunno if it needs engine too.
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What do ya mean "Cars are neither Trucks or Construction"?
It's still scale, and i play fairly well with others, most of the time...

Last edited by frizzen; 03-23-2019 at 02:09 AM.
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  #15  
Old 03-23-2019, 08:02 PM
skeeter skeeter is offline
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Default Re: 1950s FWD fire engine

Looking good, Frizzy
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  #16  
Old 03-25-2019, 07:18 PM
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Default Re: 1950s FWD fire engine

Nice work. How are you securing it to the chassis? Looks like there's room for a compact 380 sized gear pump in there.
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  #17  
Old 03-26-2019, 12:44 AM
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Default Re: 1950s FWD fire engine

Thanks guys, i'm glad it's starting to look better. (Heh, just wait for the diamond plate, hose beds, reels, lights...) It should get really interesting soon.

The bed uses the stock jjrc cross member bed mounting screws from below, that now go up through those 3 ugly built up pads on the cross members of the bed. 4 screws held the original bed in single shear tension, so i just stuck with that.

It's tempting, but we're just keeping *the 1950s FWD* a dry truck. I doubt the 1/16 scale chinese axles would suffer long if Engine 2 were actually wet. I think we can get it cool enough without needing the pumps and just sticking with some with old school awesome.

Although it might get ballast to help it get the 500 gallon tank body roll.
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It's still scale, and i play fairly well with others, most of the time...
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Old 03-26-2019, 12:50 PM
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Default Re: 1950s FWD fire engine

That makes sense. I frequently regret spending so much time on a water system I'm probably only going to test once.
A nice heavy high center of gravity would definitely look cool
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  #19  
Old 03-31-2019, 09:45 PM
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Default Re: 1950s FWD fire engine

Been hanging out a lot with jerryindy, we got a little farther. Tailboard, running boards, rubrails, reshaped the wheelwells. Shaking out old memories and and working out plans



Then there's some other cool stuff going on that doesn't count yet like cab mods, finding flat elastic for hose loads, reels for side mount attack lines, shaping and painting diamond plate...
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What do ya mean "Cars are neither Trucks or Construction"?
It's still scale, and i play fairly well with others, most of the time...
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  #20  
Old 04-07-2019, 04:31 PM
skeeter skeeter is offline
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Default Re: 1950s FWD fire engine

I acquired diamond plate from Evilbay. It was EXPENSIVE stuff. Cost me $60,oo for 6X10 plate!
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