Featured Rig
May-June 2003
1966 Crown Firecoach
Pumper
owned by CFE member Bill
Speeg
Article and research by Mike
Britt
(Click on photos to see bigger images)
Above, Crown F1450, in the
1970s running as 9222.
Note the Federal Rotoray "gumball" and hose reels.
Original Owner: Orange County (CA) Fire
Department
Manufacturer: Crown Coach, Los Angeles, CA
Model:
Firecoach pumper (CP-125-109)
Year: 1966
Serial No.: F1450
Orange
County Shop Number: 5155
Powerplant: Detroit Diesel 6V92
Original
Powerplant: 1091 Hall-Scott gasoline
Transmission: Spicer 5-speed
manual
Pump: Waterous centrifugal, rated at 1250 gpm
Tank Capacity:
500 gallons
Above left, As OCFD reserve Engine 933, in Apritl, 1995. Above right,
in the yard at Ken Porter Auction Company, Torrance, CA, in August, 2001
.
This Crown Firecoach
was one of an order of seven identical pumpers delivered to the Orange
County Fire Department in 1966. It was given shop number 5155, and
assigned to fire station 22 in Laguna Hills. It served as first-out
engine company "9122" until 1972 at which time Engine 22 received a new
Crown. At that time this pumper became the second-out engine company
"9222" until 1979, when it was put into relief service. In 1982 it was
sent to West Coast Power in Anaheim, disassembled down to the frame, and
completely refurbished and repowered from gasoline to diesel. At this
time the hose reels and high pressure booster pump were removed and the
lightbar was added. When completed, it was assigned to station 2 in Los
Alamitos where it served as ORC E2 for several years until going back
into relief service, first as ORC E73 and finally as ORC E933. In 2001
this Crown was declared surplus and sent to auction by the Orange County Fire Authority (OCFA). It was acquired by its
current owner in 2002.
Above left, at Children's Hospital of Los Angeles following the Code
3 Toy Run, December, 2001. Above right, in Culver City, CA during the
Alicia Ann Ruch Burn Run, August, 2002.
Above left, with other Crowns at the Valley Center Fire Safety Expo,
October, 2002. Above right, parading down Main Street at the Orange
empire Railway Museum, Perris, CA, as part of the CFE Pump-In, April,
2003.
