Fire/Police/Industry Vehicles Research Archives

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1951 Ringling Barnum Circus Jeeps 3, 4 & 5

• CATEGORIES: Features, Fire/Police/Industry Vehicles, Old Images • TAGS: This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

The Milner Library at Illinois State University has a collection of Circus Memorabilia, including a nice digital archive. I’ve selected a couple of images that show jeeps Numbers 3, 4, and 5 from the Ringling Barnum Circus.

As you can see below, No 3 is working hard holding up Carmen Barrigon, while No. 4 lazily watches.

http://digital.library.illinoisstate.edu/cdm/singleitem/collection/circus/id/1166/rec/4

1951-circus-jeep-milner-library2

Meanwhile, No. 5 is doing all the heavily lifting. The photographer, Sverre O. Braathen, calls this a Ford Jeep, but it looks like a CJ-3A the way the bumper is bolted onto the frame, though it also has a CJ-2A windshield. The rear PTO is raising the platforms for seating. My circus book has a good shot of the PTO setup from the rear, but I haven’t had a chance to scan that.

http://digital.library.illinoisstate.edu/cdm/singleitem/collection/circus/id/2021/rec/1

1951-circus-jeep-milner-library

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1972 CJ-5 Brush Truck Youngstown, OH **SOLD**

• CATEGORIES: CJ5, Fire/Police/Industry Vehicles • TAGS: This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

UPDATE: **SOLD* Was  on eBay.

(12/19/2012) This looks good.

“For sale is a 1972 jeep cj5. It was purchased new by the canfield fire department in ohio and was used as a brush truck. It has a 304 V8 in it with a 3 speed, runs and drives perfect choke and everything still works fires right up. has like new tires on it with probably less than 200 miles on them. it has a warn 8000lb planetary drive type winch on the front of it which cost 2000 alone and it is still equipped with the light on top the radio the siren, and tank and pump in the back that runs perfect. it is 100% rust free and original minus the paint it was originally yellow the fire department had it painted red when they bought it and it still looks great, still even has windshield washer bag, and a working e-brake also still has the original brakelines too. i have the original service manual for it as well as all the maintnence records, overall a very nicely kept jeep that would make a collector a fine addition. or restore, keep in mind that this was used for brush fires and such therefore it has minor dings and dents mostly just the front fenders it isnt perfect but it is nice for its age. if you need any more details about it just ask so you know 100% what you are bidding on… (odometer shows 4370 miles and i was told this is accurate by the fire department and that is what the title says however the speedo quit on me while on my way to work about a week ago so it will need fixed i even found someone that does it, but you can tell just from driving it that it is extremely tight (even the manual steering that is known to always be sloppy on these jeeps and the transfer case is almost silent when in 4wd so i 100 percent believe the mileage.”

1972-cj5-bruchtruck-youngstown-oh

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More on Circus Jeeps

• CATEGORIES: Features, Fire/Police/Industry Vehicles • TAGS: This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

Yesterday I received a book I purchased earlier this month called “Circus and Carnival Trucks 1923-2000″.  Though mostly about trucks, the book includes several pictures of jeeps.  One of the pictures shows a jeep modified into a performance  prop called the “Little Red School House”.  Essentially, it’s a mobile school house that can be brought into a performance and then quickly driven away.

Trying to find other examples of this, I discovered a great thread from the CJ-2A Page about a jeep ownerwho managed to track down the history of a early CJ-2A his father bought from the Ringling Brothers Circus.  After some help from the forum and some research, he discovered several photos of his jeep all dressed up as “Lilliput”.

The Illinois State University has some pictures of Lilliput.  Here are a couple.  You can view more pics and the entire thread related to the re-discovery of Lilliput at the CJ-2A Page.


1) http://digital.library.illinoisstate.edu/cdm/singleitem/collection/circus/id/1073/rec/119

lilliput-cj2a-ringlingbrothers-3

2) http://digital.library.illinoisstate.edu/cdm/singleitem/collection/circus/id/908/rec/109 (you can just see the pto bar sticking out from the rear of the jeep).

lilliput-cj2a-ringlingbrothers-4

Here’s another example of a performance jeep.  This is the “Little Red School House”. The picture is from the side.  The second looks more like a jeep.

3) http://digital.library.illinoisstate.edu/cdm/singleitem/collection/circus/id/2651/rec/1

lilliput-cj2a-ringlingbrothers-5

4) This picture is on page 50 of the book I mentioned at the beginning of this post.

lilliput-cj2a-ringlingbrothers-6

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1940s CJ-2A Howe Fire Truck Brochure on eBay

• CATEGORIES: Advertising & Brochures, Features, Fire/Police/Industry Vehicles This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

I would imagine this is an early Howe brochure.

“This auction is for a rare vintage dealer brochure for the CJ2A fire jeep conversion. Was from Cutler Motors in Mora MN. The brochure comes with a matching envelope.”

View all the information on eBay

1940s-jeep-howe-firetruck-brochure1 1940s-jeep-howe-firetruck-brochure3 1940s-jeep-howe-firetruck-brochure2

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Craig’s Pic of the Week

• CATEGORIES: Craigs Pic of the Week, Features, Fire/Police/Industry Vehicles • TAGS: , This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

Craig from the FCConnection has offered to send a few non-FC pics our way from old editions of Jeep News and Willys News. After a minute of great deliberation and exhaustive thinking, I decided to call his weekly feature ‘Craig’s Pic of the Week’. Brilliant, yeah? Today’s pic comes from a 1964 issue of Jeep News.

In March of 2012, Mike was trying to track down the one pictured here.  It sure looks like it could have been one of the trucks shown above.

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Ringling Barnum Circus Uses PTO to Build Grandstands

• CATEGORIES: Features, Fire/Police/Industry Vehicles, Old Images, Unusual • TAGS: This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

I spotted this 1950 picture on the Buckles Blog, a blog that presents circus history from all over the world.  I with this picture was bigger.  According the blog post, “Here we see a Jeep with a power take-off in the process of raising the sides of each seat wagon. The outer corners were supported with long braces and then the front end of each vehicle would be lowered to form a grand stand.”

 

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China MS-884 windup Fire Jeep on eBay

• CATEGORIES: Features, Fire/Police/Industry Vehicles, toys This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

This is located in the Netherlands.

“Herewith we offer you a Very Rare and Hard to find, vintage mid to late `60ties produced Chinese Tin Wind-Up Toy Car, which was made after the famous Willys Jeep of WWII. This version depicts an wonderful, bright colored Fire Chief Support car!. Its an odd and very sought after model. The model is Wind Up operated! It has been tested and it works great! Like if it was made yesterday! The driver has a medium soft vinyl head. The Bell at the back really rings when the car moves! A lovely and cute looking collectible! An awesome addition within any Jeep, Tin Toy, Or vintage Chinese Toy collection!. Be keen on this treasure! The model comes in Top Mint Condition! Very clean, bright and shining, as if it was made yesterday! No wear at all!. The bottom is like new too!.”

View all the information on eBay

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1968 M-715 Yale, OK **SOLD**

• CATEGORIES: Fire/Police/Industry Vehicles This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

UPDATE: **SOLD** Was eBay

This sports custom Yale Fire Department seats.  It’s just a nice little extra on a M-715 Fire truck that needs restoration.

“1 & 1/4 ton Jeep Kaiser with a Mercury 350 engine (yes it is a converted boat motor with headers). It was in running condition when parked two years ago. 1968 model. Originally purchased new by an Oklahoma Fire department and has been in their possession ever since then. Was still used periodically until two years ago when parked (indoors). Will likely need a battery, new fuel, some brake work…..not really sure what else. Tires have a lot of tread and are holding air just fine. I heard the engine turn over with a jump just the other day but it wouldn’t stay running. Needs maintenance before running well on it’s own again. It was said that this could compete with the best rock crawlers around. I haven’t personally seen it in action or driven it myself, just re-selling it to pay some bills. I’m sorry in advance, I don’t have any historical mechanical maintenance information for it and won’t be able to answer any technical questions. You’re basically buying what you see in the photos. You likely know more about these than I do….”

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