Chicago Ward LaFrance/Ranger/EONE (part 2)

In 1990, X-Engine 8 (D-374) and its sister rig, X-Engine 106 (D-375), were part of the second batch of rigs sent for refurbishment. They returned in June of that year. Both D-374 and D-375 were leased to the production company behind the movie *Backdraft*. D-374 was marked as Engine 17 from July 1990 to February 1991 and as Engine 51 from October 1990 to February 1991 (the rig whose hose bed appeared "in action" inside Engine 8's house). During filming, most of the interior shots and many of the exterior scenes featuring Engine 17 were done using X-Engine 8. X-Engine 106 was also marked as Engine 17 during specific scenes. One way to distinguish between them is that Engine 8's interior had diamond plate and was painted glossy black, while Engine 106 featured a flat black interior without diamond plate. Additionally, X-Engine 106 had its siren speaker mounted higher up in front of the windshield glass.

Once filming wrapped, D-374 was assigned to Engine 69 at 4017 N. Tripp Ave. Engine 69 was involved in pumping out the basement of City Hall during the Great Flood of 1992. It was part of Chicago's short-lived super-pumper program, carrying four hard suction lines and 1000 feet of 5-inch LDH. Its 140-gallon foam tank was designed with expressway responses in mind. Engine 69 was decommissioned on June 13, 1995. To keep Engine 34 operational after their transmission/PTO boxes blew out, Engine 69's transmission was removed. On August 28, 1996, Engine 69 was sold at auction and purchased by Erickson Trucks-n-Parts. First sent to their yard in Sturtevant, WI, it eventually ended up in their Jackson, MN junkyard in 1997. It was rediscovered there by its current owner in 1999 and bought in 2003 to begin its restoration journey.

After filming, X-Engine 106 (D-375) was assigned to Engine 113. Like Engine 69, it too was sold at auction to Erickson Trucks-n-Parts and found itself in the Jackson, MN junkyard next to Engine 69. Engine 113 is now owned by a friend of Engine 69's current owner but is in rough condition and may end up as a parts rig for the Engine 17 project. Engine 14 (X-E113) also wound up in Jackson, MN. It was completely stripped of salvageable parts, had its cab cut off, and was eventually shredded.

Engine 34 (X-Engine 49), which never appeared in *Backdraft*, was converted into an Engine 17 replica before being sold in 1999 or 2000 to the East Norwegian Twp. PA FD, where it had been mistakenly advertised as authentic until recently. This rig was spotted online a few years ago stripped of its markings, and its current location remains unknown.