The images below, taken from Dave Fornell's collection, showcase some fascinating examples of Chicago's Ford C-Series Ward LaFrance engines. These iconic vehicles played a significant role in the firefighting history of the city.
The Ward/Ford canopy pumpers were delivered towards the end of 1969, comprising a total of ten units. They marked the only Ward LaFrance/Ford canopy pumpers ever received by the Chicago Fire Department (CFD). Alongside these, there were several non-canopy versions of Ward/Ford models as well as various other brands like Pierce/Ford, E-One/Ford, and even Seagrave/Ford canopy pumpers supplied to the department.
Interestingly, the Ward LaFrance/Ford engines were assigned to some of the busiest fire stations in the city. These rigs endured heavy usage and were equipped with rear-mounted winches. They were built on Ford C-8000 chassis featuring 175-foot wheelbases. Subsequent models, such as the E-One and Pierce rigs, adopted shorter 153-foot wheelbases, primarily due to the reduced size of the canopy seating area.
Back then, the annual apparatus orders were allocated to vendors with political connections. When these Ward LaFrance/Ford rigs arrived, Schuster Equipment was the designated vendor. Pierces (and Seagraves) came from Illinois FWD Truck and Equipment in Rosemont, owned by Ray Schuster—yes, the brother of Schuster Equipment's owner. Meanwhile, the E-Ones were sourced from Able Fire and Safety.
The photographs illustrate several key moments involving these rigs. One image captures one of the vehicles undergoing acceptance testing near McCormick Place. Another shows Engine 19 shortly after delivery, parked in front of its station. As the years passed, we see Engine 95 and Engine 61 also photographed outside their respective stations.
Notably, Engine 95 operated with 150 feet of 3-inch supply line, with 100 feet carried atop the driver's side compartments and the remaining length stored in the hose bed. This setup foreshadowed the 150 feet of 4-inch lines that would later become standard on Chicago fire trucks.
Another photo highlights an evolution not yet standard at the time—the use of this configuration during a junkyard fire on the city's West Side in the late 1970s. A striking image of Engine 19 in action at a 1977 fire reveals its distinctive three-compartment driver's side body. Legend has it that a careless lawyer crashed into the rig, leading to an insurance settlement that allowed 3D Metals in Wisconsin to replace the original body.
All 1969 Ward/Ford rigs featured two compartments on each side of the body. Later models from E-One, Seagrave, and Pierce incorporated half-height compartments above the lower ones. These Ward/Ford rigs represented the final batch of Ward LaFrance/Ford apparatus delivered to the CFD.
Captain Dave
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Below are additional images from Dave Fornell's collection, offering further glimpses into these remarkable vehicles:
*Dave Fornell collection*
*Dave Fornell collection*
*Dave Fornell collection*
*Dave Fornell collection*
*Dave Fornell collection*
*Dave Fornell collection*
*Dave Fornell collection*
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