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I remember hearing stories about the Chicago Fire Department’s purchases back in the late '60s and early '70s. A lot of people have been curious about those aerial ladder trucks they bought around that time—specifically, the ones equipped with booster reels and 300-gallon water tanks. It turns out, the CFD acquired quite a variety of aerials during that period.
For instance, there were three 1968 Mack CF/Pirsch 100-footers with red cab fronts, all fitted with 300-gallon tanks. Then there was that unique 1968 Seagrave aerial with a forward-facing chassis and rear-wheel steering, which was sent to Truck 63 at O'Hare Airport. They also got eight 1970 Seagrave rear-mounts, each with 250-gallon tanks. Five 1970 Ward LaFrance/Grove units were assigned to Trucks 7, 12, 18, 21, and 34, sporting 300-gallon tanks. Later, in 1972, they added three more Mack CF/Pirsch 100-footers with silver cab fronts and 300-gallon tanks.
Over time, though, maintenance staff decided to drain the water tanks and remove the booster reels from some of these vehicles. You can see this change in action in some old photos I've come across online.
In future posts, I’ll be sharing more detailed images of these historic trucks. For now, take a look at these examples. This first one is a 1968 Seagrave Rear Admiral with a 500-gallon booster tank and dual reels. It has an FWD chassis with rear-wheel steering and was stationed at Truck 63 at O’Hare Airport. Larry Shapiro captured this great shot. And here's another one—a 1972 Mack CF/Pirsch combo assigned to Truck 5. It’s a 100-foot rear-mount with a 500-gallon water tank and twin booster reels. Again, thanks to Larry Shapiro for the image.
If you're interested in older models, check out my earlier posts on CFD trucks from 1967 and 1968. Those had their own quirks and features too. The history of these fire trucks is fascinating, especially when you consider how much technology has changed since then.