By Ron Heal
John Tobin was an Elgin Fire Department firefighter from 1979 to 2014. The “tons of memories” that John has today is a 1975 American LaFrance Century Series, 1,500 gallons-per-minute (gpm), pumper. That rig was the first pumper that John worked on. It was the most beautiful pumper that he laid eyes on.
The rig served as Engine 1 until 1989, then moved to Engine 5, then a reserve, and finished its service at the Elgin Fire Academy. In 2003, Elgin sold the pumper to a private owner. A new owner in Hebron, Illinois purchased the pumper to be a parade truck. For a few short years that was what the rig was used for. The owner’s health issues then found the truck parked.
In 2017, the owner contacted John to see if he had any interest in purchasing the rig. The timing was not right as John had just purchased a 1969 FWD Seagrave Snorkel, that years back had served Palatine, Illinois. John grew up in Palatine and his dad served in that department. That rig had a very special place in John’s heart. There just was no way to afford two vintage fire trucks.
Later the Tobin’s moved to rural Durand, Illinois. Their new home included an outbuilding that was big enough to house a vintage fire truck or two. In the summer of 2021, John checked back for the status of the Century Series pumper. It was still available and was sitting in a barn. Soon negotiations were underway. Keep in mind that the truck had not been run for several years. When John first saw the truck over in Hebron the truck was dirty (very dirty). The head liner in the cab was deteriorated. The fallout was completely covering the doghouse with black soot. Years back the fuel pump had been an issue. A replacement pump had been purchased but never installed. For at least 10 years the fuel system was disassembled and exposed to ambient air, adding to the rust and grime that John found. This might be a good time to point out that for many of the years that John was on the Elgin Fire Department, he often would go in on off days to help out in the fire garage as a mechanic. He also was a sales representative for Seagrave. He certainly was able to put his mechanical skills to good work.
With the replacement fuel pump found and installed and new batteries installed, John was eager to hear the Detroit Diesel come to life. Not so good! He experienced his first “runaway” Detroit Diesel. This would be the start of a long process that he wondered if it would ever end. Stuck fuel injectors holding the fuel rack open was the likely cause of the “runaway”. John found a mechanic that was able to free up three injectors. Following that, the next time the rig was fired up, it was music to John’s ears.
In the spring of 2022, after a series of snafus with the title, the time came to head to Hebron with a lowboy trailer and several fire department friends to bring the rig to Durand. Pressurizing the air system with a portable air compressor, John was able to get the brakes to release and the rig moved. The drive from the barn to the trailer left a trail of oil. Power steering lines had rusted through and had burst. Once home in Durand, new hoses looked after that issue.
Now it was time to get serious about getting the pumper back in shape. Replacing 20-year-old filters required an air chisel and pipe wrenches to finally get the base to spin off. Knuckle busting, dirty, grimy work.
Here is a short list of some of the major needs that were addressed:
- Front split rims reconditioned, repainted and new tires
- Replace parking brake valve
- End panels cracked on extended front bumper were rewelded
- Tow hooks reinstalled
- Suction pump drain valves replaced
- Master pump drain slide assembly seized and was remade
- Heater motor rusted and frozen in place
- Replace defroster duct work
- New preconnect hosebed cover installed
- Multiple lights out and wiring issue addressed
- Repainted interior and exterior areas of the cab and jump seats
- New driver’s seat cover
- Corrosion addressed with Kerosene to stop the rusting process
- Deep clean and polish
- Mount bell donated by a retired fire department member
She lives on!
The first public appearance for the pumper was a funeral for a retired fire chief. On a lighter note the restored pumper was a part of a trunk or treat event this past Halloween. John looks forward to lots of parade duty this coming year.
Owning a vintage fire truck takes a good deal of money, time, and talent. Apparatus enthusiasts appreciate that there are people like John Tobin that bring that enthusiasm and commitment to the restoration and ownership of vintage fire apparatus requires. We thank him for that.
