WPBFD History

Truck 41 with tiller driver at rear was difficult to handle. He had to duck to avoid hitting truck room door.

and protect it from the elements," says City Manager Frank Lawler. "It already has an an- tique value which will only increase with the years." . . . Any private citizen

The effort to find a buyer for T-41 got nationwide attention when the January Kiplinger Newsletter carried a short blurb on the $15,500 truck. Florida Trend maga- zine then carried a full page story

featuring a picture of Chief Sloan at the wheel and City Manager Frank Lawler manning the tiller. "Old 41" was finally sold to a fire department in the Bahama Islands. It did not get its prom- ised retirement, but again went into service. Years later it was purchased by an antique fire buff in England and given royal treat- ment. Today it has been fully restored and looks as it did when it first came to West Palm Beach in 1926. 1964 In November of 1964 a West Palm Beach fireman took part in a good will ceremony in Merida, Yucatan, Mexico. John Beverly presented a United States flag and a State of Florida flag to Mr. Javier Gutierrez Vargas of the

who thinks he might want to purchase Old 41 from the city for a second family car can forget it. In the first place he'd need a garage at least 12 feet high, 8 feet wide, and 57 feet long to house it. Secondly, he'd require a specially trained co-pilot to man the rear tiller wheel in order to drive it around corners. And he'd need a fat bank- roll to operate it. Old 41 only gets one mile to the gallon. . . . At any rate, Old 41 is now dispossessed and stands in desperate need of a home and protection from the ele- ments. West Palm Beach city fathers must decide its fate soon, and are open to suggestions from all sources.

Charles Griffin with the old MSA (Mine Safety Appli- ances) canister mask that remained in service into the early 1970s. 2