My friend, Bill Killen, is rather busy now with his revised copy of Firefighting With Henry's Model T. He asks me questions from time to time about Model T Fords that I do not know the answer to or where to find the information.
He recently received this beautiful TT Fire Truck photo from Tavistock, Ontario and will include it in his next edition.
These are Bill's latest questions.
Are those front wheels correct for a Canadian TT Truck?
Could they be the Firestone Rims that I asked about last week on this Forum?
Can anyone help with answers?
I think the answer depends on what you mean by "correct". I do not think those front wheels (perhaps the rears either for that matter) are stock TT wheels, Canadian or otherwise. However, I bet they are an original part of the fire truck set-up, so I would say that they are "correct" for the application.
Anyhow, just my opinion.
Some of our "Southern" friends need to chime in on this one. They have shown several photos of late TT trucks delivered to Australia with wheels very much like that. The Australian Ts and TTs were shipped from Canada.
My guess, they are at least period correct. And I would like to know more about Canadian TTs and their front wheels. I have never seen wheels like those on the front of a U.S. built TT. I have seen a number of heavy duty after-market truck wheels on U.S. TTs. These include cast iron spokes and steel disk on the front, both singles and duals on the rear.
Drive carefully, and enjoy, W2
Jim, most if not all of our Canadian sourced TT's have standard 30x3 1/2 wheels on the front, here in New Zealand anyway. Ill try and find some pictures tonight for you. There is a 1918 (ish) fire truck hidden away in a shed in the town where my work is based. Ill email you in the next day or two when I am not helping Emma changing nappies, sorry, diapers !
Thanks Bede and all. I would most appreciate photos of the hidden fire truck and any details. I might still be able to get it in Bill's book.
Jim, something else, if you google 'model t firetruck ferrymead' , then click on the link called something like 'older cars and trucks.com ' about the second one down, it will take you to a site with pics of quite a few NZ canadian tt fire engines. Ferrymead museum has a 'hall of flame' museum full of old fire appliances. Sorry I cant post the link directly, im checking the forum on my cellphone. Regards, Bede.
In "Ford Trucks since 1905" by James K. Wagner there is a picture of a 1924 Ford-American LaFrance used by Ford at their Pequaming, Mich. wood processing plant. It appears to have similar wheels and tires so I suspect these were part of the conversion. Several of the heavy truck and bus units shown in this book have heavier wheels and tires. 30 x 5 was a common option for rear wheels and other sizes were used as required. Fordson 2 Ton trucks were made briefly in 1926 and were equipped with 32 x 6 Firestone tires. In 1927 this size was made available as a rear wheel option for TT trucks for $35 over base price.
Hi James,
The Tavistock, Ontario, fire truck. I believe it was built in Woodstock,Ontario by the Bickle Fire Truck Company.Tavistock is only about 15 miles north of Woodstock.I believe that the wheels on the truck have been on it since new.
Scott Kramer
Woodstock, Ontario
Dave and Scott, thanks for the additional information. I have seen a few Bickle Fire Trucks, but I did not know they were so close to Tavistock, which I had to look up on the map.
Ford trucks in Australia had tires like the fire engine above. In 1926 -27 they are listed as being 30 x 5 cords on the rear 30 x 3.5 on the front and the 30 x 5 as optional.
We also had 5 different body types one for each main State as well as a Special which had a 26-27 cowl with the fuel tank in it.
Thanks Peter for the additional info.