New Tillers

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According to FDNYtrucks.com, both 151 & 173 received rear mounts in 2001. I'm pretty sure it was before 9/11.
 
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don't understand the no bids thing, but realistically, l'm sure they will be Seagraves.

Seagrave was the only bidder on the bid for new rear mounts.. Ferrara and KME have gotten burned on their contracts, and seem to have had enough. FDNY's very stringent specs and warranty requirements scare most manufacturers off.
 
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I think 110 was a tiller into the 80's and 108
held onto their tiller as long as they could
 
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EdMc, L 27 did not have a tiller when I arrived in 82 and they haven't had one since, my shop L 38 also was a tiller before they switched over in the 70's to a RM. All FDNY Ladder companies were tillers before the RM and TL came out early 70's and most of the tillers were replaced with either a RM or TL. RM came out so that they could fit into firehouses as a 2nd section. As far as L 59, They were originally TCU 712, that was disbanded and became L 59 photo below, their original rig, circa 1972 don't know about a tiller.
20190623_164243-1.jpg
 
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BC Calderone's Seagrave Tillers of the FDNY shows L59 having SL7407 after it served in L110 and then SL8032 which then went to CTS. Perhaps they were short stints? L27 had SL8039 which went to L39.
 
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Ladder 31 in Da Bronx was a tiller in the late 70's when they landlords were burning the Da Bronx for insunrance payments. Not 31 is a TL
 
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OK, thanks Lebby, I stand corrected, they must have been short stints, wierder things have happened. I'm surprised about L 59 especially, but MikeindaBronx would know.
 
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OK, thanks Lebby, I stand corrected, they must have been short stints.

Agreed looks that way. I couldn't even find pictures of them (I was trying to double check as your memory is as we've seen is sharp as a tack and I figured I may have missed something or misread).
 
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Lebby, when you read the serial number, a tiller rig would have a "T" on the end. For example first Seagrave tiller purchased in 1983 would be "SL8301T". Does Calderones book note the T with the tillers?
 
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Ladder 31 in Da Bronx was a tiller in the late 70's when they landlords were burning the Da Bronx for insunrance payments. Not 31 is a TL

I used to ride on L 31 tiller's from 1970- early 1973. I had heard they were about to get a new TL. Guys weren't too happy about it, but they received their rig in 1973. Below is L 31 and L 59 when L 31 was a tiller, and below the original TL 31 that was about a year old.
20200816_143746-1-1.jpg
20190729_195316-1.jpg
 
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Lebby, when you read the serial number, a tiller rig would have a "T" on the end. For example first Seagrave tiller purchased in 1983 would be "SL8301T". Does Calderones book note the T with the tillers?
Unfortunately not
 

gym

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Not sure how a 100ft RM would do but I recall L-49's 110ft RM having to go in reverse to avoid an el train pillar when responding from L-143's quarters.
 
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Pittsburgh used to have tillers, they got rid of them I want to say mid '90s but that was because they had to reconfigure the rear end of the tiller and it didn't work out so they got rid of them after paying a ton of money on them. Personally I think they should have a couple especially for downtown
 
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Seagrave was the only bidder on the bid for new rear mounts.. Ferrara and KME have gotten burned on their contracts, and seem to have had enough. FDNY's very stringent specs and warranty requirements scare most manufacturers off.
I wonder what would happen if there were no bidders? It used to be there had to be at least two bidders, but I guess that has changed. Sooner or later the "stringent specs and warranty requirements" might result in no bidders. It will be interesting to see what happens then.
 
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Great snap Mike, I think you captured the equivalent of "The Loch Ness Monster or Big Foot!"

I sure agree Johnny. A great photo (as so many of Mike's Classic photos are).

In that photo is of course Ladder 59.

Also I can see what looks like Field Comm in the distant right, and those solid, tough Mack Pumpers and Tower Ladders that performed overwhelming well beyond any limits, during those Tough, Busy, FDNY War Years.

As a side note, some places like Providence, RI and Chelsea, Mass put them back to work into some of their busiest companies after some rehab work.

Regarding Ladder 27, I started hanging out around that firehouse in the early 1970s and at that time, Ladder 27 was already a Rear mount.

I guess when a young "Johnny Gage" was only One Year Old, it was around that time that a young, handsome, slim, merry mailman, named Willy D was one of the many buffs hanging out on that very famous Intervale Ave chasing fire trucks. As that handsome Merry Mailman remembers, then (1972-73) Ladder 31 was already a Mack Tower Ladder.

It was either 46/27 or 82/31 where the buff mobile spent most of it's time during those busy fire activity days.
 
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I suspect the lack of bids may have been Seagrave having an issue with the wording or something along those lines. As they were and probably will be the only bidder they can probably refuse it within reason knowing that they'll get thier way eventually.
 
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