ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 19 ก.ย. 2024
- This video is dedicated in Memory of Herman Wenzel, Assistant Chief and Master Mechanic of the Waterloo Iowa Fire Department, with 44 years of service from 1950 through 1994, February 22, 1925 -- August 23, 2012, and to Ashley Brianne Ahrens, September 5, 1996 -- July 31, 2012.
Prompted by Elgin Firefighter John Tobin's recognition of a rare opportunity, when Herman's 1956 American LaFrance 800 Series arrived in Illinois on July 14th, 2012, and John was working on friend Buck Ahrens truck close by, John wisely suggested taking advantage of the rare photo opportunity of having these two "stable mates" of Herman's. The 1956 American LaFrance 800 Series, Serial 9446, was specified by legendary Waterloo Fire Chief Ray Tiller to look like the 700 Series. Instead of ordering it with the pump panel on the left side, and with rear compartments, as was newly-standard on 800s, Chief Tiller ordered the truck with rear fenders and a right side panel. But time marches on, and Herman Wenzel kept up with it and moved out ahead of it. After he ordered the first diesel engine in a fire truck in the State of Iowa in 1968, a Detroit Diesel 6-71N, age and innovation were making older trucks obsolete. Faced with accident damage and limited funds, Herman made do by taking advantage. Waterloo's 1966 Aerial had its cab damaged in an accident, so it got a new one. Herman took the damaged cab, fixed it, and thus modernized this truck. He used the narrower cab from this truck to then modernize their 1952 Aerial, which had come with a very-cold-in-the-winter open cab. But he didn't stop there. He built compartments of his own design on the back, rebuilt the back end to function like the 900 Series, moved the booster reel from the original tailboard position to above the pump compartment as was then standard, custom-made the dashboard, installed air-over-hydraulic brakes, air horn, and an electronic siren and PA -- and the first diesel engine in a fire truck in the State of Iowa was also moved into this truck when the 1968 got a bigger engine! Ironically, retired Elgin Deputy Chief and retired Crystal Lake Chief Buck Ahrens' 1970 900 Series truck, Serial 12-1-2009, has the SECOND diesel engine ordered in a fire truck in Iowa, another Detroit 6-71, and other innovations specified by Herman ahead of their time, such as an Allison automatic transmission, transmission retarder, front suction, and air brakes. Herman owned the '56 for several years, and I am honored to be its new custodian, as it now becomes the perfectly matched set to the 1952 Aerial which sports its former cab. TO PUT THINGS IN PROPER PERSPECTIVE, THANKS TO HERMAN'S WORK, THAT'S 98 YEARS WORTH OF FIRE TRUCK ROARING DOWN THE STREET AT THE END OF THIS VIDEO.
