Eng 3 1959 ALF 900, Unit 13 is seen working a garage fire on Emery Street in the mid-seventies.
When I was a young lad of 10, we moved into the Wortley Village area. I had always been fascinated by fire trucks, like most kids. While exploring the new area one day I came across Station 3 on Bruce Street. The crew were sitting at the back of the apparatus floor listening to a ball game. The Captain threw me a quarter and sent me to buy some Popsicles at the variety store at Wortley and Bruce. As they were a nickel each, it did not take me long to figure that out.
On one visit, the bells hit and they got a run to the Wellington Square Mall downtown. Old Unit 13 (now known as Engine 3) roared out the door and turned right. It made a brief trip the wrong way up Bruce Street and then disappeared up Wortley Rd. The Captain was standing up in the open cab and was holding on to the top of the windshield frame while he put on his turnout coat. Meanwhile the driver was manhandling the massive steering wheel and shifting gears. No power steering or automatic transmission in those days. The only “modern” concession was an electronic siren on the nose of the pump, and it was at full song.
LFD Unit 13
These two memories are the catalyst for what became my hobby of fire buffing. Unit 13 was a 1959 La France 900 series pumper with an 840 IGPM pump and 300 gal tank. It was one of 4 such rigs on the LFD roster in the sixties. Units 13 and 15 were built in 1959 and two more were delivered in 1961 (Units 17 and 18) Also in 1961 a 100′ service aerial was delivered. It ran as Unit 21 (Truck 1) and as Unit 22 (Truck 2 ) . But Unit 13 was and always will be my absolute favorite fire truck. Rick Loiselle
