In the 1960s, the expansion of the use of reaction engines (popularly known as turbines) saw the application of this type of equipment in common vehicles, at least in tests, such as trucks and buses. Turbines were already used in industries, but the use in vehicles used on a day-to-day basis is another story.
First of all, it is important to point out that, unlike airplanes, the engines moved the vehicles through the shaft attached to the turbine and not through the exhaustion of gases that generate the necessary thrust to make the aircraft fly. In a way, similar to a turboprop.
Between the 1960s and 1950s, Boeing increased its market base and started to produce its own jet engines as well. And one of those engines ended up being used in three fire trucks.
During the 1960 International Convention of Fire Chiefs, the North American company American La, one of the largest fire fighting vehicle manufacturers of all time, presented a Series 900 self-pumping truck equipped with a Boeing 502- 10MA, with a power of 325shp.
Through modifications carried out by Boeing, the turbine could use gasoline or diesel. Jet engines used in aircraft use aviation kerosene. The vehicle, called the American La/Boeing Turbo Chief, was acquired by the San Francisco Fire Department. The following year, the Seattle Fire Department acquired a Turbo Chief Tiller Ladder.
Tiller vehicles are common in the US and are a tractor pulling a trailer equipped with a 100-foot (30,5-meter) mechanical ladder. At the end of the trailer, a fireman maneuvers the cart with a steering wheel. The vehicle was purchased for US$ 52. In the same year, firefighters in Mount Vernon, a small town in Virginia, received a Turbo Chief self-pump.
Visually, the Turbo Chief's biggest difference from other fire trucks was a large chrome exhaust pipe mounted just behind the cab. The air intake for the engine was at the bottom of the vehicle, which still received two boosters. The Turbo Chief's biggest highlight was its acceleration, reaching 80 km/h in 31 seconds. Some sources highlight the silence regarding diesel engines.
However, the maintenance of the vehicles ended the use of the turbines. The Turbo Chief was great for climbing the endless hills of Seattle and San Francisco, the problem was the descent. The high speed and lack of turbine compression brought premature wear to the trucks' brakes, even with reinforced shoes and drums.
Maintenance costs became prohibitive and the Boeing engines were retired and replaced with diesel engines at no cost. The Seattle car received a 323hp Hall-Scott engine and was returned to the city's fire department on 27/11/1962.
The Mount Vernon firefighters “suffered” a little more, as every time they had problems with the turbine, a Boeing mechanic traveled to the city from Seattle. The 502-10MA was replaced by a straight-six Continental. The Turbo Chief of San Francisco also had its engine changed, but today it is preserved.
In the end, the use of reaction engines in vehicles for daily use in the city did not work out. American La vehicles remained in service for many years, but with conventional engines. The manufacturer, which even sold vehicles to Brazil, closed its doors in 2014. Boeing concentrated on producing aircraft, ending engine production in 1966.
Via Last Resort FD, Trucks Planet, Bangshift, Firefighter Nation, Hemmings.
