In October of 1994, the Manhasset-Lakeville Fire Department went to Hawthorne, New York to pick up their old pumper, which had been sitting in the woods for ten years.

Engine 8750 was originally purchased in the winter of 1948 as the first new piece of equipment for Company #5, which was organized just three years earlier. This Class "A" Pumper was bought to serve the south-side of the district, which after World War II was expanding southward toward New Hyde Park. The Engine served Company #5 until 1963 when a 1500GPM Young Pumper on a Ford Chassis replaced it. Instead of being placed into retirement, the engine was sent over to Company #4 where it was used as their second due engine until 1968, when it was replaced by a 1500GPM Hahn Pumper.

In that year it was sold to Floral Park Center, where it was in service until the early 1980's. When they put it out of service, it was purchased by Deputy Chief Joe Geiman from Company #5 and used for his personal use. When a home and monies were unavailable for the restoration it needed, Joe sold it to Firefighter Charles Ledig. When Charlie retired he took the Engine with him upstate.

The Engine was parked in Charlie's backyard where it sat until the fall of 1994 when Mrs. Ledig called down to inform us she wanted to get rid of it, asking if we would like it before she called a junk yard. So our journey began with the help of the Great Neck Alert Fire Company. With their cooperation and the use of their tractor-trailer, we headed north to pull old Engine 8750 out of the woods and trailer her home to Manhasset.

Upon arrival back in our district, we unloaded and parked the Engine in the rear of Company #4's firehouse. The Engine was made to run and be driven to our main plant where the Fire Commissioners gave us a garage to work in.

Like any restoration, pictures were taken for reference and the long process began. With the exception of refinishing the chrome and rebuilding the alternator, all the work was done in house. With a half a dozen members the job was slowly completed although we always found something else to do.

From October 1994 until the present, extensive restoration work has been performed. We now are still working on the Engine and are continually cleaning it, and keeping it in prime condition for all the shows which our committee attends annually.

We hope you like what work we have done with this antique, and hope to see you at the next show!

Members of the M-LFD Antique Truck Committee:

Frank Bridges
Chairman

Robert DeVito
Neil Hicks Sr.
Patrick McGrath
John Boesch
Scott Garrigan
William Mazurkiewicz
Jonathan Staller
Alex Sequiera

Before Photographs: