The Last Wood Aerial

On February 28, 1930, the Seattle Fire Department took delivery of this Mack 85-foot tillered
aerial ladder truck, at a cost of $16,500. Its most unique feature for its day, was the mechanically
raised heavy wood bed ladder through a power take-off from the truck’s engine. Up until this time
Seattle Fire Department aerial ladder trucks either had a spring-raised bed ladder or were completely
hand-operated. The turntable and fly ladder extension still remained hand-operated. Although the
fly ladder section has been condemned for climbing for many years, the hoisting mechanism operates
perfectly to this day.

In 1937, its original 60 horsepower Mack engine was replaced with a new model 177 Hall-Scott
engine, developing 215 horsepower, and an SFD shop-built cab was installed.

http://www.lastresortfd.org/1929-mack-aerial.htm