Local band "The Rovin' Flames--Ready for Action" on the Lowry Park fire truck.
Sept. 1, 1966 photo from  newspaper clipping at Garage Hangover.
Click to see the whole article.

Another article, from the Oct. 7, 1966 Chamberlain High School newspaper "Chieftain."
(In new window, click the article to see full size.)
 


Beginning sometime around the 1950s and possibly earlier, there were around FIVE different fire trucks at various locations in the Lowry Park area.   Four of the trucks were worn out so badly over the years by children playing on them that the city had to remove them and torch them for scrap.  

Thanks to P. Harding and her mom, and Mike Morris, for sharing their knowledge of the trucks with Kimi Lau-Costanzo and to Kimi for sharing with TampaPix!

 

Thanks to Bill Townsend of "Tampa's Bravest" and "Tampa Firefighters Museum" who says the truck in the Rovin' Flames photo is a 1941 LaFrance with 100 ft. TDA (tractor drawn aerial.)

There was a 500 series and 600 series:

1. Squared-off front grille with 5 slots in 3 sections.
2. Thin windshield frame.
Indicates this was a 600 series.

3. Fender at rear wheel of the cab.
4. Squared-off fender of ladder trailer.
By all appearances, the truck below may be the same truck.


Thanks to Kermit Nelson and Kimi Lau-Costanzo for info on the 500 & 600 series differences and newspaper photo.

 

~1944 Photo of a 1941 American LaFrance ~ 100' Tractor Drawn Ladder ~ In front of Old Firehouse #5, Tampa~ Firefighters Museum at "Aerials/Ladders" TampasBravest.com courtesy of Bill Townsend.
Photo by Robertson & Fresh
See more photos of this station here at Tampa's Bravest

 

~August 3, 1944 ~ Ladder #1 ~ 1941 American LaFrance / 100ft. Tractor Drawn Ladder~
Courtesy of Tampa"s Bravest.com by Burgert Bros. at Tampa-Hillsborough County Public Library System
This building is now the location of the Tampa Firefighters Museum

 

A 100-ft. TDA with a 1941 LaFrance series 500
Notice curved grille at fender and thick windshield frame.
Horicon, Wis.

 


OLD FIRE TRUCK IN ZEPHYRHILLS
 


Photos by Kimi Lau-Costanzo
May 27, 2017


This truck doesn't appear to be the same one in the Rovin' Flames photo.
 

 

The two aerial photos above show the  the fire truck and the "Zephyrhills Express," the former Lowry Park/Sol Walker "Choo-choo train," not far down the road.



The fire truck and the venue at Festival Park for the Zephyrhills Auto Events.


 

 


Photos by Kimi Lau-Costanzo
May 27, 2017

 

 

 

 

Oh no!  Too bad!  It's not from Lowry Park.   Tampa businessman and owner of this truck and property. Mike Sierra, purchased it as a leftover from an auction and it was operable at the time so it was driven to its final resting place.  No chance this came from Lowry Park, since one from the park would not have been operable.  

 


 


Beginning around 1960, Lowry Park - Fairyland brochures mention a "Fire Engine" and use the above clip art. Miss Muffet and Humpty Dumpty are very accurate depictions of the original character figures at Fairyland. The fire truck bears an amazing resemblance to the one below, which is being used on a playground at Florida Ave. & Sligh, very near to today's Lowry Park.


 This small fire truck now sits at the playground of the American Legion Park (NE corner of Florida Ave and Sligh - 6925 N Florida Ave). Though it is yet to be confirmed that it was ever affiliated with the park or part of Fairyland, it is a 1925 American LaFrance model and was in use in its time. The truck was converted for use on the playground at Spencer Memorial Baptist (Sligh and Florida) by a Mr. Dixon who got it from a Mr. Morris at TFD in either 1969 or 1970 for the kids to play on.
 

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