Images and information from Dave Fornell about some of Chicago’s Ward LaFrance apparatus: I was going through my old files and stumbled upon some photos of what I've always considered one of my favorite Chicago pumpers: seven 1970 Ward LaFrance 2,000-GPM engines. It's interesting to note that these rigs were equipped with Cummins NTF high-torque engines, producing 365 horsepower, which were necessary to power the two-stage Hale Q pumps. In contrast, the five trucks delivered the same year had less expensive Detroit 350-horsepower engines. Following the major snowstorm of 1967, these rigs were ordered with rear-mounted 20,000-pound hydraulic winches. Both the engines and the trucks featured these. Although Ward LaFrance had a somewhat inconsistent performance record, they did an exceptional job on these units. I was particularly impressed by the brushed stainless steel pump layout and the extremely expensive, highly accurate Crosby black face gauges on the panel—something I’ve never seen before or since. The rigs had relatively short wheelbases but extended bodies behind the rear axle. This body style would later be used on Ford chassis pumpers as well. These engines were paired with five trucks equipped with 100-foot Grove ladders. Based on today’s NFPA standards, these ladders would be classified as heavy-duty with a 500-pound tip load rating. At the time, Chicago’s other ladders (from ALF, Seagrave, and Pirsch) were rated for only 250 pounds. The Grove ladders were massive and heavy—too heavy for a single axle to support properly. As a result, these rigs faced issues with frequent brake and axle failures throughout their service life. The added weight of a 300-gallon booster tank, pump, and twin reels didn’t help either. However, the ground ladder complement was impressive: two 30-foot, two 40-foot, one 50-foot, and one 20-foot ladder carried under the turntable, plus three roof ladders on each side. I remember climbing the main of one of these rigs during a fire when the operator positioned the tip just 12 inches above the parapet, much like with the old wooden ladders that would drift down as you climbed. But the Grove ladder was rigid, and even with our entire engine stretching a line to the roof for a vantage point, the tip never dropped an inch, nor did the ladder bounce like others did. I eventually came into possession of the original factory delivery photo negatives, which are shown here. I also included some photos I took of the engines during acceptance testing near McCormick Place. The rear views show the winch installation. Notably, the two rear discharges had 3.5-inch boat hose threads, and the rigs carried 700 feet of it. When I was working on the West Side, Division 2 Chief Dan Lynch would often call for Engine 113 to drop the 3.5-inch hose into a Snorkel when he had a still and box. Two photos show the Grove ladder in action. The first was taken at the Bedford Hotel fire on the near West Side in the early 1970s. If my memory serves me right, there were two extra alarms in the city at the time, and no Snorkels were available. Deputy Bill Foley, who usually oversaw the shops, took command. That was the first time I had ever seen two ladder pipes without any Snorkels operating at an extra alarm fire in Chicago. The second photo was taken at an extra alarm on the South Side, though its exact location is now lost to history. Another negative scanned at the same time shows Engine 63 in operation, so maybe someone can identify the company. Wishing everyone a wonderful Christmas! ACD  Dave Fornell collection Dave Fornell collection Dave Fornell collection Dave Fornell collection Bill Friedrich collection Bill Friedrich collection Bill Friedrich collection Dave Fornell collection Dave Fornell collection More on the CFD Ward LaFrance apparatus is HERE and by entering "Ward LaFrance" in the search field. Floor Scrubbing Brush,Floor Washing Machine High Density Filter Element,Short Bristled Antibacterial Roller Brush,Floor Scrubber 0riginal Accessories Grey Whale Intelligent Appliances (Shenzhen) Co., Ltd , https://www.szgraywhale.com