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Old maps and atlasses (like Sanborns) are great for placing and dating  old photos, as are reference books and the www; but the best tool often not credited is one's memory.

Westbound, on Surf Ave, tall building in left distance is Half Moon Hotel at Boardwalk & West 29th Street, projects to right. Washington Baths shown at left was on West 21st Street between Surf Ave and the Boardwalk. Note everyone on backstep had the Midwestern rubber coats, pretty standard...

There is a building at 257 Bay Ridge Avenue (69th Street) Brooklyn that was once the New Utrecht Fireman's Hall - now a church.  Carvings of frontpieces of Brooklyn Volunteer Companies are above the windows.  Scroll down at the ForgottenNewYork website...

A while ago a friend sent photos of two rigs stored outdoors on the NAS property, one was a 700 series ALF pumper from Chevron, Perth Amboy, the other was the 193? tractor and trailer of the Jersey City ALF Water Tower in pretty poor condition.  (Delivery photo attached). Anyone have an idea...

The other notable "High Ladder" job was the Jewish Theological Seminary Library at Broadway & West 122 St on 4/18/1966. Ladder 119 was special called from Brooklyn to this Second Alarm. Photo and a complete article is in WNYF 2/1966. There is no mention on the serviceability or location of the...

This clip is from Gus Johnson's "Handbook..." of the Ladder 119 High Ladder job in Brooklyn, 12/30/1966.

This 1937 photo shows a lot of buildings on Austin Street, the firehouse is pretty much alone on Queens Boulevard.

For a thorugh story on the 1983 fire see WNYF 3/1984

New E168 qtrs. is a pleasant looking utilitarian building.  Unlike the other recent concoctions which seem designed solely to line an architects pocket with their  avant-garde "designs" namely Rescue 3, Engine 277, Marine 1.

4 Truck's old quarters was originally Volunteer Empire H&L 8 (1848-1865) Batt 8's old quarters was originally Volunteer Index Hose 32 (1852-1865)

For those wondering where the term "wagons" originated, back in the horse drawn era generally all engine companies were "two-piece" companies. They were composed of the horse-drawn steam engine (or pumper) with a separate piece, known as the wagon, that carried the hose (loaded much as it is...

Bresnan distributor works on the same principle as a lawn sprinkler.  Orifices are aligned so together they force the head to revolve in the same direction (similiar to the ancient Hero's Aeolipile - look it up).  The typical 2 1/2" Bresnan had 9 orifices and its total output was equal to a...

319 and JK: I just sent you both a PM about the area we were discussing

When it was the Medical Office, could have been a Dr car there.  Nowadays, who knows who puts up in that house besides 20 Truck?  (Marshals? Manhattan Boro?) 13 Engine did berth there for a few months before being disbanded in 1974, but that was a long time ago.

319: Years ago, I was told that the exterior scene of houses at the start of "All in the Family (Archie Bunker)" was filmed along Booth Street about where you say the Wetherole Street scenes were filmed. Then someone else remarked that it was along Cooper Ave.  As JK says, Coopers was bought by...

From what I remember, because of assignments of trucks, this Flatbush Ave fire (Third Alarm on arrival, late 1970s) had two or three ladder pipes working early in the operation. Trucks in this photo are L113, L132, L147.

Brooklyn C O , 2010

The faster you went, and the harder you pulled the chain, the louder it got.  I don't remember wearing out any tires like chief did, but one time I was "responding" down the block from the local firehouse so fast, and pulling so hard, I lost control and crashed the bike sending me skidding along...