Diversity is the name of the game here at Barn Finds. Recently I posted an article about a 1968 Morris Mini. Hailing from the same year is a vehicle that is the complete polar opposite to the Mini. Possessing a clear title and located in Bensalem, Pennsylvania is this 1968 Peter Pirsch Aerial 85′ Ladder. This leviathan can be found listed here on eBay. Bidding is set to open at $3,850 but there currently aren’t any bids.
Peter Pirsch is an oft overlooked pioneer of fire-fighting in the USA. In 1899 he patented a compound trussed extension ladder. This marked the beginning of a life devoted to the development of fire-fighting appliances that was continued by his company well after his death in 1954. Our featured appliance was designed and built by Pirsch and Sons in 1968, and judging by the supplied images it remains a formidable piece of equipment half a century later.
When you first see a listing like this it can be very tempting to play the whole thing for laughs. However, this vehicle represents an important part of local history for the area in which it was located. Its competent operation probably resulted in the saving of many lives and thousand, if not millions of dollars in property and possessions. That is something that you simply can’t joke about. One thing that I will say is that it’s big. Total vehicle length is 42′ so it certainly has presence.
Hiding away in the engine bay is a mighty Cummins diesel. The seller states that it is a Cummins 300 naturally aspirated. This is backed by what they refer to as a “standard transmission” which means a manual transmission. The seller states that it runs well and features air brakes. They do recommend that the vehicle be serviced before a long trip is undertaken. One plus with former emergency services vehicles is that throughout their operational lives they are always maintained to the highest standard. Judging by the appearance of this one, it is no exception to that rule.
When talking about a vehicle like this it feels strange to discuss the interior. I mean, what is so special about an interior that would be regarded as “utilitarian”? With an open top it is no surprise that all of the surfaces are hard-wearing and weatherproof. The seller doesn’t state how long this one has been out of service, but given the fact that he states that the ladder hasn’t been up for 11 years, then it’s been a while. This truck has been garage-kept for its entire life. and the condition of the interior certainly attests to the fact that it has been well cared for. Look at the shine on those painted surfaces. That’s amazing and a credit to those that have cared for this for the last 50 years.
This is the business end of the deal. These are the controls for the ladder. Depending on what purpose you were buying this for, you may or may not want to have the ladder serviced. I would want to have the whole rig thoroughly checked and serviced before I even considered extending this. I would also want to undergo some very meticulous training. Given that the ladder extends to 85′ there is plenty scope for things to turn ugly very quickly if you make a mistake.
So, it’s 42′ long and judging by the appearance has been well maintained. Is this a vehicle that is suitable for a static display, or is there a legitimate use for a former hero of the emergency services. I’ve always felt that looking at vehicles like this in a museum is like looking at stuffed animals in a museum. They’ve lost their life, their spark and their purpose. I hope that someone can find a new purpose for this one. It deserves it.
Watched lots of these sell on online auction sites, always shocking how little they bring compared to what they cost new. Tried to come up with something useful they could do on the farm,no good ideas yet. Wind mill repair came to mind but I don’t climb towers any more let alone one of these long, tall monsters.
Oh yeah?? We saw a no-bull hook and ladder running down the road in Dubuque last week. The one that required two drivers. It was an early ’50s unit and looked well preserved.
Too bad that drones have taken over the picture duties at concerts and sports events as, this one would be perfect for brave photogs.
Here we go… I wish this one was closer. We could use it here on the ranch, and, keep it in shape for the volunteer fire dept. Silo fires seem to be a problem from time-to-time around here.
KS, I’m sure that you remember the elevator explosion in Topeka a few decades back. Still happens. Or, how ’bout rescuing the neighbor kid’s cat from 80 feet up? If nothing else, this is the ultimate roadster.
May this one find a new home in the climate controlled garage of the “911 Sign Company”.
Good heavens, looks like a Cummins 903 boat anchor. Not really, the 903 was an ok motor, no way 300 hp without a turbo, more like 270. Better suited for marine or industrial use than a road unit. With the cost of new fire engines today something like this should be donated to a small town or overseas where money is tight. Nothing wrong with it, aside from a bit out of date, but in a small town, as often as they are used, it would be fine.
Only problem is, small towns have no high rise buildings and don’t need 85′ ladders. This is a big city fire engine.
I was going to say the same thing ! Thanks for saying it tho my father was a firefighter for 40 years pro and volunteer and I can attest that MANY small volunteer companies would LOVE to have this in their arsenal !!
Actually, Howard, horsepower ratings as high as 301 hp @ 2600 rpm w/o turbo. I get the pumps in off of Massey Ferguson and Versatile tractors and they’re usually set at 260 but there’s a code to bring them up to 301. While the boat anchor moniker seems to be commonplace for lot of 903 engines, there are some people who have a lot of faith in them. I do some contract fuel system work for the military and there’s a 903 that’s rated at 750hp@2800. It’s twin-turbo’d and aftercooled. I don’t know how they expect it to last but I get half a dozen fuel systems a year.
And FYI…..fire trucks are ALWAYS considered Apparatus….never appliance….that will get you doing a quick 50 push ups or latrine duty for an extended tour…😂🤣😃👍
My bad. Sorry about that. Please don’t make me do 50 push ups. I’m too young to die!
I’m sweating at St 2 tonight……all good we all laughed w you..🤣😂🤣😂👍😉
Does one forget the “Buffalo Fire Appliance Corp.”?? They made some pretty and pretty big rigs until 1948…..
The ladder can be modified to make it shorter.
Fashion an enclosure for the cab, remove the ladder & it’s controls. Build a body on the previous spot of the ladder for a very unusual RV, than go see the USA.
You must keep in mind that this gets about 2mpg of gas.
Way back when a guy in my home town bought one of these to take his grandson on excursions around town; the problem was where to keep it-he stored it outside at a body shop for a few years then had to get rid of it.
No silos around here, round bales only. Agree with all comments so far. Cat up the tree made me smile . At least 30 years back kids cat got stuck and wife wouldn’t give up till I made an effort. Climbed up and spent a lot of effort extracting said feline with a long stick,all survived the ordeal.
Mike Smith of Johnson, Kansas could use a crop duster to get cats out of trees. He was one incredible warbird pilot/crop duster/ Bonanza mod engineer.
Unless you’re doing it, nobody understands how much a round bale costs after you replace broken parts on your equipment.
Cats can be replaced quite easily.
I lived in a small town in N.E. Texas, They had a problem with insurance on older fire trucks. They had to sell them for cheap and buy new stuff to keep insurance. Ranches and farms sometimes bought them for private use, but they would be for sale for a long time usually bringing very little money.In the meantime I’ll stick with my 64 Riviera “Sexual Battery”.