Times Advocate, 1997-12-03, Page 151•
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Second Section - December 3, 1997
Restoring history atLucan-Biddulph Fire Dept.
- Lucln-Biddulph firefighters
Din Campbell, left, chief
John Riddell and Bruce
Cornish, hope to have the
1928 REO Slieedwagon fire
engine seen behind.them .
restored to its original glory
by the summer.
At right, Lucan=Biddulph Fire
Department's 1928 REO
Speedwagon as it looked during
its 30 year regular use life span.
Below, The REO as it looked
before Lucan-Biddulph firefighter
Dan Campbell started stripping
the fire engine down to start its
restoration.
By Craig Bradford
T -A Reporter •
LUCAN - Lucan-Biddulph firefighter Dan Campbell's dream could become a reality
with a little help from the public. -
That dream is to restore the department's 1928 REO Speedwagon pumper that sits
stripped down to bare metal in his workshop to its original bright red glory.
The 19 -year veteran of thefire department started the job of restoring the pumper
about a year and a half ago by stripping the pumper's numerous coats of paint off and
removing - its worn out parts. A lot of work needs to be done on the unit that served
Lucan-Biddulph residents from 1928 (when it was bought for58,500) to 1958.
"She was quite a model in her day," Campbell said while looking with pride on the
old pumper.
New pumpers cost between $150,000-$200,000, Fire Chief John Riddell said.
"Back when I first started it was designated as a back-up unit," Riddell, a 28 -year
department vet, recalled.
The last time the REO was used to help fight a fire was in 1962 when it relayed water .
from the creek to a major blaze downtown, Riddell said. After that the old pumper was
used only in practice training.
Harry Lankin was fire chief when the REO was first put to use and former chiefs
Sandy Young and Bert Chowen also deployed the well used pumper during its tenure.
But getting the Speedwagon back to tip top shape will take much work and much
expense. When soliciting quotes for a professional restoration job, the number boggled
the firefighters' minds — 514,000.
. That's when Campbell and his cohorts decided to go another route. The department's
25 members come from various Walks of life with many working as welders, electri-
cians, carpenters and. other tradespeople.
• "We can do this," Campbell said -he thought a year and a half ago. "We can put it
together."
- But the department's 52,500 budget falls far short of the cash that's needed to get the
job done. To refurbish the 11 pieces of brass and chrome alone will cost 51,200; the
primer needed costs 5100 per gallon; the upholstery needs to be entirely replaced; all the
oak woodworking needs to be redone; the engine needs to be rebuilt; and those
expenses are only the beginning.
Where is the money going to come from? The fire department doesn't plan to ,
- approach the'villagenrtownship'for-any-funding and haven't -contacted any service '-
clubs
clubs vet.
."We're looking at not being a hinderance or burden to the taxpayers of Lucan,"
Cornish said.
That's where the public comes in,.department public relations co-ordinator Bruce
Cornish said: Donations can be dropped off at the Lucan municipal office on Main St. or
v ou.can call Cornish at 2.27-4380 to find out more about the project.
When asked on why -go to all the expense and effort to restore the pumper, especially
in these days of -stifling government penny-pinching„Wpth Campbell and Cornish
quickly came to the project's defence. -
"There isn't many of them around," Campbell said of the REO.
"It's history;" Cornish countered.
Riddell said he can see the REO serving an important role.
"I think it'll be,a good P.R. tool," he said. "It's Lucan's first motorized fire truck.
There's a sense of pride."
It isn't common today tor &tire truck to spehd its entire lite span in one community,
Campbell explained.
"The amazing thing is this truck is 70 years old," he said. "It started in Lucan, is still
here and will die here."
Campbell hopes the project will be completed by the summer so the pumper can rep-
resent Lucan-Biddulph during the 25th annual REO Club convention in London from
July 16-19. After that the pumper will tour the regon in parades and other events.
Campbell has another pet project he hopes to get to after the REO is finished — restor-
ing the department's 1851 hand pumper. But that ambitious project will wait till the
REO shines bright red in the summer sun again.
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