CROWN FIRECOACH 1951-1985 Photo Archive, Chuck Madderom, 2001
Follow the history of Crown Firecoach from its beginnings in 1951 until the company ceased building fire trucks in 1983.
One of the pioneers of cab forward rigs, Crown's fire apparatus had a very distinctive appearance that collectors and restorers appreciate today.
Large format photographs show a representative cross section of the full line of Crown, including pumpers, rear mount and tractor drawn aerials, snorkels, brush rigs and tractor transports.
While Crown rigs were sold primarily in Southern California, with LA city being the company's largest customer, fire enthusiasts everywhere will want to own this important piece of fire apparatus history.
About the Author:
Chuck Madderom has been interested in fire apparatus since he was a child growing up in Milwaukee, where he was fascinated by the noise of the sirens, the flashing red lights, the powerful sounding motors and the ornate gold leaf stripping on the old fire apparatus.
As a teenager Chuck realized that many of rigs he had seen responding to fires when he was a kid were among the first motorized rigs purchased by the Milwaukee Fire Department. This peaked his interest in the history of motorized fire apparatus. Chuck increased his knowledge by talking to firemen and reading as much as possible, and he stays abreast of the industry by continuing that practice today.
Chuck is a member of SPAAMFAA, the Crown Firecoach Enthusiasts, and he is also a contributing editor for Fire Apparatus Journal.
10 1/4" x 8 ½", 128 pages, 125 B&W photos, ISBN 1-58388-047-X, BC9010 / $29.95