| FIRE TRUCKS AT WAR |
| Class 100 |
| The first Class 100 Crash Truck was produced at the Quartermaster Depot, Fort Holabird in Baltimore, MD. It was built on a 1 1/2 ton, 4x4 chassis and was powered by a 73 HP Franklin Engine. The truck was equipped with a small capacity rotary gear pump and held 100 gals. of water. Cans of foam powder were carried atop the vehicle and a mechanical foam maker was mounted on the right running board. Foam was produced by adding the powdered foam mixture into the foam maker. The truck carried a small number of tools for rescue work. Records indicate that only two of these small trucks were built. W-503 and W-504. Number 503 was assigned to the Carlisile Barracks in PA while number 504 saw service at the Randolf Army Air Field, TX |
| 1932 Holabird built Early Class 100 Crash Truck USA W-503 |
| The second version of the Class 100 Crash Truck was also built in 1932 at the QMC Depot in Baltimore. Special provisions were made for producing effective foam and carbon dioxide gas for fighting gasoline and oil fires involving aircraft. It was built on a special 6x4 chassis and was powered by a 130 hp. motor. The 100 gpm. single stage centrifugal pump was mounted on the chassis and operated through a power take-off from the motor. The water tank held 300 gals. Foam was produced through special foam making aspirating nozzles, supplied from a 30 gal. foam tank or a powder type foam maker. Four fifty pound carbon dioxide cylinders were mounted in the body of the vehicle and attached to a hose reel carrying 100 ft. of 1/2 in. high pressure hose attached to a discharge nozzle. Four types of portable fire extinguishers along with numberous hand rescue tools were also carried. There are no records on just how many of these rigs were built. Over 30 have been documented from pictures and Army Service Command records. |
| U.S. Army Publication Photos |
| 1939 Class 100 Holabird 6x4 Crash Truck |
| Class 110 |
U.S. Army Publication Photos
| Class 110 Holabird built Crash Truck |
| Class 125 |
| The Class 125 Crash Truck was built on the Chevrolet, Dodge, Ford, International and Mack 4x2 Chassis. Bodies were manufactured by Mack, Seagrave, General Pacific, John Bean and General. It was equipped with a special midship mounted mulit-cylinder piston pump having a capacity of 50-60 gpm. at 600 lbs. pump pressure. The water tank held 300 gals. and the foam tank held 20 gals. Three 100 ft. 3/4 in. high pressure lines were stored in the rear of the vehicle or on reels atop the hose body. The truck was equipped with hand tools for rescue work. Unofficial records and research indicated about 999 Class 125's were produced |
| 1942 Chevrlet-Mack |
J. Calderone Collection
| 1942 International-Bean |
| 1942 Ford-General |
| 1942 Dodge-Bean |
| 1942 Mack-Mack |
| Comments and Suggestions Are Always Welcomed milfireguy@comcast.net |
J. Calderone Collection
| The Class 100 crash truck was built on the Chevrolet 4x4 chassis. It was equipped with a 100 gpm centrifugal power take-off pump and carried 250 gals of water with foam premixed in the tank. Four fifty-pound carbon dioxide cylinders were mounted in the body of the truck and attached to a hose reel mounted at the rear of the vehicle. The hose reel carried 100 feet of 1/2 inch high pressure hose and was attached to a discharge horn. The Class 110 was equipped with numberous tools for rescue work. |
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