1925 Buffalo Model 50 Fire Truck
This is a a Type 50 1925 Buffalo fire truck with a main 500 gallon water tank and a 75 gallon booster tank. (It was mysteriously mis-labeled as a 1924 but original paperwork found by the Alamo Heights FD indicates it is a 1925.) It is one of the busiest and most popular items at the Texas Transportation Museum. We use it to give rides around our large property plus it is a regular in parades large and small across San Antonio. This fire fighting ladder truck was built by the Buffalo Fire Appliance Corporation of Buffalo, NY, which went out of business in 1931. It is based on a GMC truck chassis and may have had a GMC drive train originally but it now has an inline 6 cylinder continental engine. t chassis, it was purchased by the Alamo Heights Fire Department in late 1927 for $6,125.00, the equivalent of $76,221.81 in today's money. You might say the AFFD got their money's worth, however. It stayed in active service until the early 1970's when a Texas law was passed forbidding such ancient equipment. Fitted with an in line six cylinder engine, with four forward gears and reverse, almost certainly not it's original engine, it was donated to the museum not long after. While it has had any number of modifications over the years, including diamond plate steel bumpers, it still has its original two (rear) wheel mechanical brakes. It gets about 3 MPG. It also has its original "arm strong" unassisted steering, and a four speed manual transmission without synchromesh, which makes driving the old girl quite a workout.
1925 Buffalo Fire Truck at Alamo Heights Fire Department
1925 Buffalo Fire Truck at Texas Transportation Museum
Brake Repairs - 2012
It became obvious during the 2011 parade season that the Buffalo's brakes needed attention. The vehicle only has brakes on its rear wheels, which are mechanically operated as opposed to hydraulic. A preliminary inspection suggested that oil had leaked from the axle into the brake drum on one side, effectively reducing the braking effort to just one wheel. Finding a place that would even consider taking on the project was daunting in itself. Our friends at SMT had a look but realized that the project had the potential to drag on almost indefinitely, hogging up one of their busy repair bays for an unacceptably long period of time. Fortunately, museum member Clint Bitterly found International Brake and Clutch in Kirby was willing to "git 'er done, and the vehicle was transferred to their facility in December 2011. The big problem turned out to be simply removing the hub from the axle. TTM chairman, Pat Halpin, finally set the guys at IB & C straight: "Don't force it. Use a bigger hammer." In other words, it took an inordinate amount of brute force to even get the hub to begin to move. Once the hubs were off, it was relatively plain sailing from then on. As often happens when vehicles are in the shop, a couple of "might-as-well" projects crept into the mix. It's quite likely the hubs had not been off the wheel in at least forty years. "Might-as-well" make sure everything, such as the bearings, were tip top, because it just might be another forty years before they come off again. Clint Bitterly drove the truck back to the museum at the beginning of March 2012. he has also volunteered to drive it in the upcoming "Battle of Flowers" parade. In the mean time, it's wonderful to able to give the public rides around the museum once more.
