Images from Dave Fornell’s collection showcasing Chicago’s Ford C-Series Ward LaFrance engines. The Ward/Ford canopy pumpers were delivered in late 1969, with a total of 10 units in the order. These were the only Ward LaFrance/Ford canopy pumpers ever supplied to the Chicago Fire Department (CFD). There were several non-canopy Ward/Fords as well as Pierce/Ford and E-One/Ford units, and even a few Seagrave/Ford canopy pumpers made their way into service. These Ward LaFrance/Fords were assigned to some of the busiest fire companies in the city, where they were put through intense use. All of them featured rear-mounted winches and were built on Ford C-8000 chassis with a 175-inch wheelbase. Later models from E-One and Pierce had shorter 153-inch wheelbases, largely due to the reduced size of the canopy seating area. Back in those days, apparatus orders were often distributed among vendors with strong political connections. When these units arrived, Schuster Equipment was the designated supplier. Pierces and Seagraves came from Illinois FWD Truck and Equipment in Rosemont, owned by Ray Schuster—yes, the brother of the owner of Schuster Equipment—and later E-One rigs were sourced from Able Fire and Safety. The photos in this collection depict: A side view of one of the rigs being tested on the lake near McCormick Place. Engine 19's rig shortly after delivery, standing in front of its station. Engine 95 and Engine 61 shown in front of their stations as the years went by. Note that Engine 95 was operating with 150 feet of 3-inch supply line, with 100 feet carried on top of the driver’s side compartments and the remaining 50 feet in the hose bed. This setup was an early version of the 150-foot 4-inch lines now mounted on the front bumpers of modern Chicago rigs. One photo captures this evolution in action at a junkyard fire on the West Side in the late 1970s—something that wasn’t standard in the CFD at the time. Another image shows Engine 19 in action during a fire in 1977, featuring a three-compartment body on the driver’s side. According to local lore, a wealthy lawyer crashed into the engine, and the insurance payout was enough for 3D Metals in Wisconsin to replace the original body. All the 1969 Ward/Fords had a two-compartment design on each side. Later models from E-One, Seagrave, and Pierce featured half-height compartments stacked above the lower ones. These rigs marked the end of the line for Ward/Ford fire engines in Chicago. Capt. Dave Dave Fornell collection Dave Fornell collection Dave Fornell collection Dave Fornell collection Dave Fornell collection Dave Fornell collection Dave Fornell collection Electric Vehicle,8Seater Electric Sightseeing Car,Country Classic Cars,Electric Classic Cars Shaanxi Green Enjoyment New Energy Technology Co., Ltd. , https://www.greenjoyev.com