West End Fire & Rescue, Co 15, Previous Engines and Tankers
<BGSOUND SRC="https://wefr15.tripod.com/f_truck4.wav">











Engine 15-2 is a 1989 Emergency One pumper with a Hurricane 6 man cab. It has a 1500 Gpm Hale pump and a 750 gallon tank. It was placed in service December 9, 1989 at a cost of $190.000. It was placed out of service April 17, 2006 and sold to Carsonville Fire Company, Dauphin County Company 19 on May 3, 2006.



1968 Mack CF 600 pumper, 1000 GPM Waterous pump and a 500 gallon tank. This unit was owned by a company member and was used as a reserve pumper. It was sold November 2002 to another private collector.




1973 Mack CF Engine
In Service 1981 thru 1995

Purchased from the Bryn Mawr Fire Company, Pa. for $56,000 in March 1981. The company repiped, expand the tank, add two 2" mattydale cross lays, paint and letter. 1,000 gpm two stage pump and 750 gallons of water. The engine carried the radio designation Engine 15-1/154 until December 1989 when it was changed to Engine 15-2/254. The engine was put up for sale in August 1994 asking price $35,000. The engine was replaced with a 1995 Pierce engine.




1968 Mack CF Engine
In Service 1976 thru 1989

Purchased from the Cresson Fire Company, Pa. for $35,000 in October 1976. The company spent approximately $4,767.60 to repipe, change the transmission, paint and letter, obtain a cross lay box, lights and equipment. Company members did most of the work. The engine was placed in service December 30, 1976. The engine was equipped with a 673 diesel engine, 160-inch wheelbase, 1,000 gpm two stage pump and 500 gallons of water. The engine carried the radio designation 15-1/154 until June 1981 when it was changed to 15-2/254. This was the company's first diesel. The engine was put up for sale in June 1989 for $22,000. At the time it has 48,000 miles and 1903 engine hours. The unit was sold to the Citizens Fire Company Jersey Shore, Pa. at an unknown date. The engine was replaced with a 1989 E-One engine. In January 1995 Jersey Shore put the engine up for sale for $15,000. At the time the engine had 55,600 miles and needed body work. It is unknown what happened to the engine after that.





Totaled in Accident 12/80

1973 International, Bruco Engine
In Service 1973 to 1980

The International chassis was purchased August 1972 for $10,600 and delivered to Brumbaugh Body Company, Altoona, Pa. in February 1973 to be custom built to company specifications. The completed engine was delivered August 18, 1973. The unit was equipped with a 1,000-gpm pump, 1000 Gallon tank, two electric booster reels, six pre-connected hand lines, a five man crew cab and a 2,000-watt transformer. This was the company's first new piece of fire apparatus and the first to be painted orange and white. Changing the company colors was no easy task. At an August meeting the company voted to paint the unit all white, the vote was white 9, red 6, lime 1 and red and white 1. In September 1972 the color was again brought up but tabled. On October 10, 1972 another vote was taken and it was moved to paint the engine all red. At the May 8, 1973 meeting the issue was again brought up. On a David Commerer/Bill Strite motion, the membership agreed to paint the engine orange and white. The engine carried the radio designation engine 15-2 and 254. In September 1977 the motor was blown rendering the unit out of service. A Cummins diesel with a 15 speed manual transmission was installed. On May 15, 1978 the company paid off the engine. On Wednesday December 3, 1980 the engine was destroyed in an auto accident on the old Scotland Road at the 1-81 overpass, Southampton Franklin at 1520 hours. The engine was driven by Ron Elliott, riding the unit at the time was Randy O'Donnell and Charles Westcott. The driver allegedly lost control of the truck as he was attempting to bring the engine back onto the road, the engine skidded across the highway where it struck an 1-81 overpass abutment and flipped over several times before coming to rest on its roof in the middle of the road. No one was injured in the accident although Charlie Westcott was confined to the cab and had to be freed with the Hurst tool. After being examined by two insurance agencies the rig was declared a total loss. It was insured by the Borough's fleet policy for $40,000. On January 16, 1981 the company accepted a check from J. Paul Fogelsanger insurance agency in the amount of $45,143.00 for the engine and equipment. A 1973 CF Mack engine was purchased to replace the unit.




1950 Ford Engine
In Service 1972 to 1976

Purchased December 1972 from the Delaware City Fire Company for $1,200. The unit was painted red and carried the radio designation 15-3. The engine had a 500 gpm front mount pump and 750 gallon tank. The company used the engine in many pumping contest winning many trophies. The engine was sold to Baker Heights West Virginia September 7, 1976 for an unknown amount of money. The unit was replaced with a 1968 CF Mack engine. It is not known what happened to the unit after that. This was the last red piece of fire apparatus owned by the company.




1953 GMC Barton-American Engine
In Service 1969 to 1972

On January 20,1969 the company approved the purchase of the engine at a special meeting. In Order to purchase the unit six members pledged $ 1,1 00 interest free. It was purchased from the Berwyn Heights Fire Department, Prince Georges County, Maryland for $2,000. The unit had a 200 horsepower GMC 503 cu. Inch engine, 750 gpm two-stage pump, 400 gallons of water and Barton super fog equipment with two electric rewind reels. The engine was painted red and to be used for borough alarms only. The unit carried the radio designation 15-4. When it arrived in Shippensburg the company had no room to store it so it was housed at the C.V. Hose Co. and later at the Railway express building all the time being in service. In November 1972 the company sold the engine to the Panama Fire Equipment Company for $5,000. It is unknown what happened to the engine after that.




1949 International R-196 Tank Truck
In Service 1968 to 1972

Purchased from Marion, Pa. in February 1968 for $1,000. At the time of purchase the unit had 7,169 miles on it. The tanker carried 1,000 gallons of water and had a "U' shaped tailboard. It was painted red and carried the radio designation 15-3. The Vigilant Hose Company originally purchased the tanker new in December 1949 from the American Equipment Company in Mechanicsburg (it was a demonstrator). The Vigilant's paid $7,000 plus a trade of their 1936 Reo/Seagrave engine. It was sold to Marion in August 1953 for $5,000. West End put the rig up for sale in August 1972. In November 1972 it was sold to the Silver Springs Community Fire Company,Cumberland County for $2,800. It is unknown what happened to the tanker after that.




1950 Ford Maxim Engine
In Service 1965 to 1974

Purchased in 1965 for $3,000 and the company took possession of the unit in mid September 1965. It is unknown whom the company purchased it from. The unit was painted red and carried the radio designation 154 and 15-1. The engine had a 500-gpm pump and carried 750 gallons of water. In February 1974 it was sold to J. T. MaGee of Panama City Fire Equipment for $3,500.




1946 Dodge Tank Truck
In Service 1961 to 1968

Purchased from Dillsburg, Pa. possibly in 1961, exact date and the amount of money paid are unknown. The unit was painted red and carried the radio designation 15-1. The pump and tank size are unknown. In February 1968 the motor went bad responding to a grass fire. A car was purchased for $75.00 and the motor was used to replace the one in the tanker, the unit was back in service by March. At the same time the brakes and tires were deteriorating also. In April 1968 the tanker was sold to Six Mile Run, Pa. for $1,500. It was replaced with the 1949 International tank truck.




1945 Diamond T Engine
In Service 1961 to 1965 ?

Not much is known about the rig other than the fact that older members all agree that it was not very well liked. It may have been purchased from Hollidaysburg, Pa. between 1960 and 1962. The company had the unit by June of 1962 and still had it in May 1963. The engine carried the radio designation 15-1. It was painted all red. It is believed the engine replaced the 1951 Ford Oren. When the company sold the rig and to whom is unknown.




1951 Ford Oren Engine
In Service 1958 to 1961 ?

In October 1958 the company purchased the engine from the Delta Cardiff Volunteer Fire Company, York County, Pa. for $3,000. The engine was equipped with a 250-gpm-power take off Hale pump and carried 800 gallons of water. The unit was painted red at the time of purchase and remained that way with just minor changes to the lettering. The rig had two booster reels with 200 feet of booster line each, a 60-watt radio, and generator for lighting and carried foam. The engine carried the radio designation 15-1. At an unknown date believed to be between 1960 and 1962 the company sold the engine to the newly formed North Middleton Fire Company, Cumberland County, Pa. Some years later North Middleton rolled the engine responding to an alarm and destroyed it.









1935 International Engine
In Service 1957 to ?? 1995 to Present

The engine was purchased in November 1957 from the Upland Fire Company in Pennsylvania. The amount paid for the unit has not been confirmed but members remember paying $300 for it. Galen Smith, Ray Lehman and William Montague drove the engine back to Shippensburg. The engine was equipped with a 400 gpm Hale pump. Upland purchased the IH chassis from Williamson Oldsmobile, 9th and Loyd Streets, Chester. It was fitted on a former horse drawn chemical wagon from the Philadelphia Fire Department. It became Upland's second motorized piece of fire apparatus and was known as "Old Bessie". At a unknown date the company sold the to Walnut, Pa. Louis Shoemaker acquired the engine from Walnut in exchange for fire equipment at an unknown date. Around 1985 the engine was given to Granville, Pa. by Louis Shoemaker, they used the engine very little. Granville gave the engine to Jack Knox in exchange for his services at an unknown date. In July 1995 members of WEFR noticed a photo of the engine in a calendar while attending the Pennsylvania Pump Primers muster in Harrisburg. After numerous phone calls the unit was located just outside Lewistown, Pa in the possession of Jack Knox. In October 1995 the pumper was back in Shippensburg after long time member Ray Lehman volunteered to pay $500 for the unit. A contract was signed with Ivan Bretzman of Mount Holly Springs for $11,000 to do a restoration. After soliciting funds most of which came from Company members Ivan began work on the engine. Restoration was completed in 1998 and the engine is now setting proudly back where it belongs at the West End Fire and Rescue Company.




1948 International Tank Truck
In Service 1957 to 1958

Sometime in 1957 the company purchased a truck from a gas company in Chambersburg. The unit was taken to H & H Chevrolet and a pump was installed off an old Cumberland Valley Hose Company engine. The vehicle was painted red and lettered for the company. The tanker carried 1,500 gallons of water. This was the company's first tank truck and first unit with a pump. In September 1958 the tanker was sold to the Union Fire Company, Carlisle, Pa. for $1,700. The Union Fire Company sold the tanker to Mount Alto Fire Company, Franklin County, Pa. in 1962. It is unknown what happened to the unit after that.



A very special thanks to Brad Myers, Tower 2, Harrisburg Bureau Of Fire and Historian, Shippensburg Fire Department for the histories of each apparatus and finding a lot of the old pictures.

Visitors: