Leonard W. Williams
1940 Seagrave 85' Tractor Drawn Aerial
The 1940 Seagrave prepares to run in the 100th anniversary of the Sausalito, California F.D. parade.
Bakersfield, California's current population is about 700,000 people. In 1940 when this rig went in service the population of the Kern County (Bakersfield is in Kern County) was 135,124 people.
This rig was assigned as Truck Co.#1 and remained in service for many years until being purchased by the current owner, Len Williams.
Len and his buddies retrieved the truck in December 1978. They drove it back home to Sunnyvale, California some 300 miles without a problem. Outstanding!
This picture was taken in 1998 at the Santa Clara F.D. where it was part of that years Firefighters' Burn Relay benefiting a charity known as Alisha Ann Ruck Burn Foundation. This organization operates a camp for kids who have been burned by fire. Len states, " my aerial has participated every year since the San Francisco Peninsula ran its first in 1990.
Photographed in 1976 while in reserve.
Notice the waterfall grille and the firefighter seating behind the cab seat. The State of California and the City of Detroit, MI were some of the first departments to insure the safety of firefighters by taking them off the running boards and providing secure seating.
With this rigs 200 + horsepower V12 it had some real get up and go!
Click on photo to enlarge.
Len Williams is an avid fire buff and dedicated preservationist. He currently owns a wide variety of antique fire apparatus.
1938 Seagrave Safety Sedan D.F.D. Eng 31
Photo-Matt Lee "Detroit Fire Department Apparatus History" (copyright 1989)
Yup, I know, but it is a great rig. 1922 Ahrens Fox Detroit Fire Department "High Pressure" currently being restored.
Coast Fire Apparatus.
Len Williams is a wealth of knowledge and information. He has written a recent article in "The Visiting Fireman" (2003) telling his tale of being a boy in Detroit, MI chasing after so many Seagrave fire apparatus. Len also runs his own professional accounting firm and in his free time sits on the Board of Directors as Treasurer for the SPAAMFAA organization (see link to SPAAMFAA on links page). Len can be seen at almost all National SPAAMFAA events as well as local events. Len is planning on presenting apparatus at the 2004 National meet in Frankenmuth, MI.
