Winter Trucking - Halifax style

Despite a heavy fall of snow last night, roads were mostly clear and wet in Halifax today. No ice roads here! Instead we have a snow followed by mild temperatures then rain - and lots of salt spread on the roads in the interim. It means slushy driving, and impossibly dirty trucks.

Mills' big Mack Titan and Paron trailer was on the road today hauling one of the imported Bell articulated off road dump trucks  - this one a B30E - which had a quantity of wet snow in its dump body.

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Bell Equipment Co

The Bell Equipment Company is a big name in Africa and Asia, where its Richard's Bay factory churns out a huge variety of off-road trucks, loaders, dozers, graders, tractors, harvesters and custom equipment. Their corporate brochures shows a bewildering array of gear:   Bell Equipment Co

The company also serves Europe from its factory in Kindel, Germany, which also serves North America, and since 2012 through Wajax Equipment it Canadian dealer. The company also has partnerships with Hitachi, Liebherr and Bomag.

A recent shipment of large off road dump trucks is parked in Halifax awaiting forwarding on to dealers. Most are inconveniently located backed up to a chain link fence in the Fiarview Cove terminal, but one unit was a bit more accessible to view.

A Bell B40D articulated dump truck fresh off the ship from Europe waits for delivery. Not the biggest truck in their line, but impressive even so.

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Pierreville #1

A Halifax fire engine that used to wear number 1 is again wearing that number, but is no longer in service as a pumper. Instead it is listed as an antique apparatus and is brought out for ceremonial occasions such as funerals. It also makes an appearance at the annual commemoration of the Halifax explosion of December 6, 1917 when much of Halifax was leveled and nine fire fighters lost their lives. The firefighters' memorial for that horrific event is located at Station 4 on Lady Hammond Road and their ceremony takes place there.
This year, on December 5, the engine was draped in black for funeral service, which I had never seen before and was being rubbed down in preparation for the December 6 ceremony.

Now known as 76-11A on the official roster, it is a Pierreville, bearing serial number 635 (which is not listed on the Canadian Fire Truck Archive all time list).
Built in 1976 it carries a Cincinnati cab, and unknown chassis, possibly Pemfab. It is also possible that it was a Pierreville demonstrator, because it was extensively chromed and carried detailed gold leaf and pinstriping.

In its front line days for Engine Company # 1, it responded to the Derby Tavern fire on Gottingne Street in 1981.

Later in 1981 it responded to a call on Barrington Street.

 

By the time it was called out to the Bob McDonald Chevrolet fire in 1984 it had been reassigned to Engine Company 6.

 

In active service is was based at West Street, and was probably the busiest engine in Halifax for several years. It was later reassigned and carried Engine Company #6. Always beautifully maintained, it was kept in reserve until it was transferred to the antique roster where it has been painstakingly restored.

One of its characteristics was a slight squat to the rear, which was very small, but gave the rig a sort of crouching look - ready to spring. 

At the December 6, 2012 commemoration.