BALTIMORE ENGINES OF THE 1970's
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..The 1970's started with the delivery of the first fully enclosed four door cab pumpers for Baltimore City. Six of these Seagrave units built in 1970-1971 went in service, being assigned to Engine Companies 10, 19, 25, 35, 41, and 58. 10's was reassigned to Engine 32 in 1980. Depicted is Engine 25's, a 1971 model. Units were 1,000 gpm., powered by a Detroit 6-71 diesel with a 300 gallon tank. These were the last engines delivered with the old traditional Baltimore red and white paint scheme. Transmission was still 5 speed manual.
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.. In 1973, Baltimore placed six of these American LaFrance Pacemaker cab pumpers in service, being assigned to Engine Companies 7, 13, 14, 21, 24, and 31. They were 1,000 gpm. powered by a Detroit 6-71 diesel with a 300 gallon tank. These engines were the first to be received with an automatic transmission, including a built in retarder, and the first to have an experimental orange paint scheme. The “fluorescent orange” was only used on this group, with “Omaha orange” being applied to the next order of pumpers, and all other orange apparatus thereafter. They were also the last engines to come with the traditional bell.
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..By the mid 1970's a number of Engine Companies in Baltimore were still running with apparatus from the 1940's, and 50's. The normal apparatus replacement program was not keeping up with the needs and in 1974 twenty-seven new pumpers were placed in service. Twenty-three of these were from Seagrave, on the largest apparatus order in the Department's history. These pumpers broke with the previous orders, and reverted back to the canopy cab, and manual transmission. They were 1,000 gpm. powered by a Detroit 6-71 diesel and now came with a 500 gallon tank. They were the first engine's to have the "Omaha Orange" paint applied, that would be the standard for the next 19 years. These units were assigned to Engine Companies 1, 4, 15, 17, 20, 22, 23, 28, 29, 30, 33, 36, 38, 42, 44, 45, 46, 50, 51, 54, 55, 57, and 59. When disbanded, 15's went to 6, and 59's went to 11.
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..The remainder of the 1974 engine order for Baltimore consisted of four of these Ward LaFrance pumpers. The specs were the same as the Seagraves, with canopy cab, 1,000 gpm., Detroit 6-71 diesel, 500 gallon tank, and manual transmission. They were assigned to Engine Companies 3, 8, 27, and 52.
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..During 1977-1978 the last pumpers of the 1970's were received by Baltimore City. Five Seagraves were placed in service with Engine Companies 5, 18, 26, 47, and 56. Units were equipped with automatic transmission, except the one 1977 model assigned to Engine 5, that still had a manual one. They were 1,000 gpm. and the first pumpers to be equipped with a single stage pump. They were powered by Detroit 6-71 diesels, and had a 500 gallon tank.
