Firefighters ladders

[atferrari]

My modelist brother is interested to know how these ladders were used. Basically as a stand alone unit or linked to the truck all the time?

I could not find anything close to it in the Web. Any idea?

 

[shortbus=]

I'd say they are permanently part of the truck. The large spoked wheels are how the ladder was extended. These are from before hydraulics were made small enough to be used like they are today. Turning the wheels by hand would move cable/ropes that extended the sections of the ladder. The truck looks to be from the late 1920's or early 1930's.

 

[tunedwolf]

Nope, they used to roll em off the back of the truck, down the street and into place against a burning building. They used ropes to extend them, I think the later ones had a hand crank on them too

 

[JimB]

Have a look here:

Ladders on wheels!

JimB

 

[atferrari]

Good finding Jim. Now I know.

Gracias for that.

 

[atferrari]

Hola Jim

My brother says (he speaks no English): ¡Muchas gracias!

 

[Nigel Goodwin]

You need to watch the old B&W silent films, such as Buster Keeton etc. - they often had sketches with those old ladders on wheels.

 

[JimB]

Hola ATF,

JimB says in his broken Spanish:

De nada.
Buen assuertes a su hermano i son jugettes de bomberos.

JimB

 

[atferrari]

You need to watch the old B&W silent films, such as Buster Keeton etc. - they often had sketches with those old ladders on wheels.

Yes, I recall watching some, precisely from BK, involving quite often cars and trains.

BTW, a ladder on wheels, nowadays, would be banned simply for the sake of safety.

 

[atferrari]

Hola ATF,

JimB says in his broken Spanish:

De nada.
Buen assuertes a su hermano i son jugettes de bomberos.

JimB

Good enough to understand. I'll pass the message.

Thanks again.