New engine in service 22-FEB-2017

Engine 384 was put into service tonight. It's the newest release by HD Manufacturing. HD Engine-1 is the chassis and even though it is the latest & greatest by creator Lares Carter it's a vintage engine. It's based on the old cab over Fords on the 60's, 70's, and early 80's.

Firelands RFD Engine 384

While it's official designation here at the Firelands RFD is "Engine 384" it's unofficial nickname is "Olde 38" in honor of the very first fire truck I ever learned to operate. As a young cadet on a volunteer fire department I learned on a 1969 FMC with an old John Bean high pressure pump. No booster reels. These were legitimate high pressure reels.

Equipped with an open 5-man cab 384 can still function as a first out engine. Note the safety bars for the open cab. In real life these were retro fit kits for departments that couldn't afford new apparatus yet but still remain in compliance.

384 has been equipped to function as a first due engine. 1000 feet of 5" hose fills the hose bed. Two one hundred foot cross lays / pre-connects are available up near the pump panel and can be drawn from either side of the truck.

The pump operator's panel has been retro fitted to modern (circa the 1990's) liquid filled gauges. While looking a bit out of place, the modern "Christmas tree" tank level indicator was a pretty standard upgrade back during the 1980's.

The interior of these types of trucks was usually pretty spartan. Basic gauges and lots of old light up rocker switches for the emergency lights. Most departments chose one of two types of sirens. Both made by Federal Signal Corp. The old standard electronic PA-50 or the immensely popular Fed-Q.

Fortunately, HD equipped this baby with both.