Road Report-Part 3 - Summer Fire Apparatus

This is a round up of fire apparatus from July and August-some from around home and some from away.

1. Halifax Regional Municipality 97-258E is a Freightliner FL 80 / Metalfab,1000 gal, 840 gpm pumper tanker. It predates the amalgamation of numerous municipalities into the HRM.

2. An independent volunteer organization, Halifax Regional Search and Rescue is one of twenty such ground search groups in Nova Scotia. It operates this Sterling Acterra fitted with a Drake body as a logisitics support unit.    

4. This 1997 Spartan chassis aerial was on sale in Moncton in August.

5. A 1994 Pierce engine was also for sale. Its black over red scheme is similar to that of Chicago.  

6. An unusual Saulsbury unit was also for sale in Moncton.

7. Saulsbury was a highly regarded New York state apparatus manufacturer taken over by Emergency-One in 1998. Best known for its custom rescue units until it was shut down in 2004, and work transferred to E-One's Ocala, FL plant. 

8. La Malbaie, Qc runs this Mack Tibotrac as their front line, number one response engine.

9. It misbehaved one day and had to be towed home, but was back in service within a day or two.

10. The village of Les Eboulements, Qc has a nice engine locked behind closed doors, and this basic tanker, with wonky driver's side mirror frame. (The passenger side mirror can be seen in reflection.) 

11. There is no identification as to the tank builder.

12. The Kennetcook District FD runs this trim looking GMC C8500, with 1050 gpm pumper/ tanker built by Lewis R. Benedict Fabricators of Port Williams, NS in 2002. Now known as LRB Fabricators, the company has been in business since 1978. See http://www.lrbfabricators.ca/ (Be sure to look at the gallery and click on each album to see more photos)

  The Kennetcook rig appears to be in superb condition.

Road Report - Part 2 - Simard Suspensions

My annual trips to Quebec include visits to Simard Suspensions in Baie-St-Paul. An out of the way location perhaps, but it is a bustling enterprise. Initially established to add a second steering axle to trucks, it has branched out into all kinds of additions including special chassis work for transit mixers, dump bodies and dumpsters, and compactors to name a few, air lift axles and steering axles included.
Here is a recent selection:

1. Well known for their fire apparatus, Spartan Motors of Lancing MI, has apparently branched out for this odd rig. Despite checking on it two or three times during the month, I never did get to see it completed- I assume as a transit mixer. 

2. The distinctive one man off centre cab has no room below for the engine which looks quite exposed. Perhaps a hood will be installed to keep the weather out.

3. Speaking of transit mixers this "Red Green" Mack  is ready for delivery. Simard's delivery truck is hooked on behind for the driver to get home.

4. Western Star installs steering axles in its own factory, so this one is a candidate for some other type of work, perhaps a dumspter. The extra long chassis doesn't look like it would be able to handle a dump body or a transit mixer.

5. Colourful International Paystar has received its steering axle, and is ready for the transit mix body. TRP Ready Mix of Moose Creek ON will take delivery of this unit which is already painted in company colours and has Ontairo plates. (Moose Creek is in eastern Ontario, in the area between Ottawa and Cornwall). 

6. High -rise 8x8 Mack MRU-613 was easily the most impressive truck on the lot this summer.

7. The front drives were disconnected for the delivery to Simard.

7. Mack snow plows are not that common, but I guess they are just Volvos now anyway. However it is interesting to see one without the front plow mounted.

8. Don't be distracted by the classic Bluebird school bus in the background! This low rise Peterbilt seems destined for the garbage compactor business. Note the large off side mirror mounted to the front of the cab.

9. This Freightliner has a few extra axles for some kind of important work - not sure what though! There's also a large spread between the drivers.

Road Report- Part 1

I was on the road in August, and saw all sorts of trucks. I will be reporting in installments.

1. This classic White GMC, tombstone rad/low rise was spotted at Dégelis, Qc.  

2. At the same garage, this big Pete has an air lift axle.

3. Newly painted, but as yet unlabelled Freightliner based in La Malbaie, Qc, has an interesting tow. [See a later erport on fire apparatus.]

4. The business end of the rig has some heavy gear..

5. This Ford occupies its spot during daylight hours only at Les Eboulments, QC.   I've never seen it actually move, but it goes somewhere at night! Visibility for right hand turns would be a bit tricky unless they move the ketchup and mustard. French fry wagons were once common in Quebec, but have become a rarity.  

6. A new International Lone Star at Tom Horton's in Woodstock, NB.

Making Tracks

Like this big Fendt tractor, I will be making tracks for the back forty for the next few weeks. I will be travelling and will have no access to computers, e-mail or the internet. I should have a lot to report on my return however, so stay tuned.

Fendt is now in common ownership with that once noble Canadian tractor the Massey Ferguson (formerly Massey Harris Ferguson, Massey Harris and before that just Massey) Both parent Agco and Fendt have their own websites. See:
http://www.fendt.com/us/default.asp
http://www.agcocorp.com/products/fendt_tractors.aspx
For an excellent refresher course in the Massey brand see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Massey_Ferguson
The ins and outs of this world power house involves some famous (and infamous) names and several of the world's largest and best known brands. Fascinating reading!

Volvo camper gets a wet start

This German based Volvo camper is off to a wet start on a North American vacation. However the AWD model 340 with Action Mobil body appears to be ready for anything. It has a sturdy brush bar up front and lots of supplementary lighting. (I count eight extras!)
Mercedes and MAN seem to be the most popular chassis for these 4x4 campers. I think this is the first Volvo I have seen.

From the Horses for Courses Department

The British expression "horses for courses" is rarely heard on this side of the Atlantic, but is does apply to three specialist trucks I spotted this week. Each truck has been prepared to do a specific task, which of course means that it wouldn't be much good at doing some other task. Some horses can run in the mud, others are better at long distances, etc., so here are some examples from the truck world:

1. The neighbourhood crow is stalking this big Cat straight truck parked for a little washdown on the passenger side. Atlantic Cat, the local dealer for Cat trucks (and all other sorts of Cat equipment) has fitted out this rig as a mobile service vehicle. I'll see it again someday and hope to get a better shot, but it serves also as a mobile billboard and demo for the new line of Cat trucks, so it is on the go all over the region.  

2. This single screw Freightliner has been fitted out to haul recreational vehicles, and has "RVLiner" on its hood and a "Not For Hire" sign on the side. It has large tool boxes and a supply of spare tires and rims behind the sleeper. Although set up for light loads, it has lots of fuel capacity in the large stainless tanks.

3. Wireline Well Serices Tunisia will be taking delivery of this International chassis truck, which is being shipped out through Halifax. The shipping label gives a weight of 21,000 kg.

4. Sammy is a specially painted Freightliner plow truck from the Halifax Regional Municipality employed in the off season to promote safety. Sammy does his summer work in parades and at fairs, but when the (shudder) snow flies, he will return to more mundane duties.  (Sammy is one of the few F'liners in the HRM fleet, which is predominantly Volvo).

Internationals on delivery

A trio of new Internationals were parked near a motel in Dartmouth this morning, on delivery to Newfoundland. This is not the first time I have seen truckers staying at this hotel while delivering trucks to Newfoundland. I am not sure why they are here, since Halifax is more than an hour off the Transcanada highway, and not on the direct route to Newfie. (The Rolls Royce sign in the background has nothing to do with the trucks-it is a marine engineering offshoot of the famous car makers. However back in the early 1960s, International Harvester trucks were available with Rolls Royce diesels. I don't think they were successful however.)

The big twin steer unit has its regular headlights blanked off and custom square lights mounted in the bumper. The third unit has a delivery sticker for the City of Corner Brook. The first two units also have their rear windows covered to protect them from flying stones. I'm not sure what the piece is sitting in the middle of the frame.

Delivery is being carried out by Truckmovers of Kansas City MO, and the lead unit has a Missouri plate tie wrapped to the grille. See http://www.truckmovers.com/