Fire Engines Photos

Another odd museum piece. The ladder looks Metz, with its twin chain elevating mechanism. It is also wood, which is very strange if it was built in 1939. My guess is this may perhaps be an older Metz timber ladder remounted on a 1939 KHD chassis. This might make sense given that in 1939 German fire services were preparing for war - and this kind of remount might have made a lot of sense under those circumstances.

Added by Rob Johnson on 09 April 2025.

Particularity this Magirus ladder Type D VI origin 1926 was on a horse carriage and was mounted on the Magirus motored chassis in 1937/38 (2 units in Stuttgart FD). On a funny note, this is a typical Swabian “Schwäbisch“ scrooge saving mentality 

Added by JACQUES PETER on 13 April 2025.

Thanks J-P! I did not know Magirus had the same twin chain elevating mechanism as Metz in the twenties! They adopted their own distinctive single screw design very soon after this ladder was originally built in 1926. I think as early as 1928. I was not surprised that you confirmed that this wooden ladder was a remount, but I was a bit surprised to learn that in 1926 it was originally horse drawn, as by then motor turntable ladders were freely available from both of the German manufacturers on a variety of petrol powered chassis.

In most countries it seems horse drawn fire appliances of all types were being widely replaced by motor trucks in the twenties, except for small town and village fire companies which could not afford to make the changeover.



Added by Rob Johnson on 14 April 2025.

If it would have been a Metz it would have certainly been mounted on a Mercedes-Benz chassis, mainly in Stuttgart the MB CITY!

Added by JACQUES PETER on 16 April 2025.

Bear in mind that in 1938 the municipal fire brigades in Germany were all merged into the national police Feuerschutzpolizei, so local administrations no longer had any say in the specification, procurement or allocation of new or even existing fire trucks. So by 1939 the Stuttgart local authority had no say about being allocated a Magirus ( or any other ) unit, even though their city was indeed the home of Mercedes Benz. At that time, I am pretty sure that they would have done exactly what they were told to do by the national police, just like everybody else in Germany at the time….

Added by Rob Johnson on 16 April 2025.

Further research clarified that the Magirus single screw elevating mechanism was already in production in 1925, one year before this 18 metre wood ladder was built. I think this really does suggest quite strongly that - despite other indications- this 1926 ladder really must have been a Metz. Looking at numerous years of Magirus ladders from 1906 up to the introduction of their hydraulic mechanism in 1959, I have never seen any with this Metz dual chain elevating mechanism.

Added by Rob Johnson on 16 April 2025.

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