What an absolute gift it is to have this gentleman doing what he does. He is living his destiny. We all appreciate your dedication to this craft. He needs his own show, which is probably the last thing he would want…
“I’m rich in a lot of other ways.” He certainly is! What a great episode. I could listen endlessly to people like him who are so passionate and knowledgeable.
I think everybody agrees that this could be an hour or two long and nobody would click off. So much more to see, and damnit, now i'm into old fire engines!
Everyone loves fire engines... they and the firemen that operate them, are superheros! Thank you Andy for saving the heroic machinery and its history, that saved so many of us from unimaginable losses. And by the way... thats a truely spectacular Christmas tree stand. Thanx Tom for sharing Andy and his wondrous collection of superheros... I want to go play in his backyard now... too much fun! Thanx! ✌😎👍
When I was a teenager in the 80's the town I live in still had 2 old chain driven American LaFrance fire engines from the 1920's that were used as back ups if more firetrucks were needed and until about 10 years ago they were still using a 1949 American LaFrance as a primary fire engine.
I for one would love to see Tom return and give us that 8 hour documentary of this gentlemans' establishment - the world needs all the documentation of the work of such GREAT stewards such as Andy as it can get!!! What do you say, Hagerty? Want to do something truly NOBLE here? *Fund that documentary!* - Ed on the Ridge
@17:32 My dad was in the Nat'l Guard in '47 & was at that fire on Mt. Desert Isle. He probably saw that truck! He's the thinking man's car guy. Very refreshing. AMAZING place. Love how he keeps the original paint. Thanks for the video!
really enjoyed this video and have lots of respect for this man,,,my father painted fire trucks at the factory in Elmira NY..many years ago American LA France
Thank you for finding this gem of a story. I would love to see you come back soon to gather and document more about this amazing man and the legacy he is going to leave.
I've had the privilege of riding quite a few miles out on the road in a 1921 American LaFrance, and that 800+ cubic inch straight six, straight cut crash box, and dual chain drive are mechanical symphony. I also got to experience a 1941 Seagraves with that beautiful V12 with 5 inch exhaust and open cockpit like the LaFrance. These machines are heaven for the true gear head !!
This gentleman is a wealth of knowledge on these beautiful engines. My career in the fire service helped me to adore these powerhouses. It would be so great to have more videos on these.
Great episode! Mr. Swift is a treasure. I used to build firetrucks for a living at the beginning of the 70's and it was the best job I ever had. Thank you for stirring up a lot of great memories.
I have 38 years in the fire service.I love this video I would hope that you would do a whole segment just on fire department vehicles.Especially the old ones thank you for this
My neighbor bought an old Crosley fire truck that was at Idora theme park in Youngstown Ohio. I should have never let him sell it or bought it myself. History can be so cool. I also knew a guy that serviced and repaired fire trucks, even though I serviced all kinds of equipment for years, talking with him I realized that field is another world. Awesome thanks
Andy sure has a lot of knowledge,and glad to see he is still going ,working on all these machines at age 71.I am the same age and my body is falling apart.You need to do another visit there.
Sounds like Tom will be stopping by some of the other, many other fire museums. Reliance Fire Museum in Estes Park, Colorado has an all up restoration shop as well as a museum.
An absolute gem of a show , Tom. How you found this artisan AND got him to agree to your interview is beyond me! The thought that any $$ he gets, automatically goes into helping these beautiful 'ol girls back on their feet speaks his dedication in volumes. Thanks Tom...another Home Run!
Thank you SO much for opening your doors to us guys out here in UA-camland - wow - what a program - I would LOVE to see more content from HIM and his shop - amazing.
I’m 50. My grandfather was born in 1910. His scariest childhood memory was after playing with matches & having started a fire the sound of those horses pulling that fire engine scared him straight
My dad had a 31 international with a lafrance body. It was a retired Jaycees parade vehicle in it's second life. It had the dual rear wheels and a pumper. It was open top no windshield and a large truck about 28 feet long. He never lived long enough to restore it, but i remember on rare occasions he'd get it going and take us for a ride. He called it Armstrong steering, because iit was manual steering. Thanks for the great memories...
Started on a volunteer fire department in 1976, rural area north of Oklahoma City. Our first fire engine was a Boardman built in Oklahoma City. 50s Ford flat head chassis. It came off of the airport in Oklahoma City. I was an auto mechanic by trade, had to replace one of the water pumps on the flat head, they were also the front motor mount.
That was absolutely fascinating! Who doesn’t like a fire engine!? I could spend at least a full day looking at all the cool equipment that he has there! Thank you for posting this. 🚒
This is awesome. My grandfather was captain of the tiny fire department in a little town in Texas. When I was 5 or 6 I got to ride around in the old fire engine with him and whir the siren. I can still remember the smell of the leather in the cab and feel the feeling of the wheel and stuff. I've long wished I could find that truck, but sadly it was sold off decades ago.
My dad was fire chief for 27 years in our hometown in ga! As a little boy the truck they had was a 1941 chevrolet with an American Lawrence open cab With windshield and body! He used to get in out a drive it to keep batteries charged and drove it in local parades! I was always in there with him! She was named Maggie! She was sold about 15 years ago to someone in a town about 50 miles away for around $1500! I sure hope he is either gonna restore it or save it for the scrapyard! Great memories!
Grew up in Rockland, very familiar with the Owls Head Transportation museum. That train caboose looks really familiar but I cant remember where it was on the property. Museum has changed over the years
I LOVE this! Urbex of the automotive/firefighting world... Tom, if you're ever in New Zealand again, please get in touch. I'd love to pick up some slack if you need a second.
Hey, R H here in Columbus, Ga. I was a teenager in the late 60’s early 70’s and have a definite love of the muscle cars of that era. With that said, I love your videos and wanted to give you a tip on some of those cars here in Columbus. This man has numerous used car dealerships and has invested in cars of that era. They are actually on display at his main showroom, Gils auto sales. Come to Columbus and see for yourself. I think that would be a great video because they are all showroom clean.
What a gem of a true American, I think Jay Leno would agree. His knowledge is unmeasurable. I hope these time capsules live on for another 100 years in his name.
Back when I was a little kid in the early 1960"s a girl my age dad was a firefighter in Peoria Illinois at our neighborhood station. It was one of the smaller satellite stations but it dated to the 1880's and we got to tour it a couple of times. They still had the original steam pumper ( unused of course ) and the hayloft still had hay in it. That ignited my love for firefighting that I got into it working on a volunteer department. It's something you either love or hate. I loved it and it still is the most fun and satisfying thing I ever did.
Great video Tom. There is so much history not only in the fire service but also in the fire apparatus industry that you would have to do multiple videos just to cover the basics. Andy is a gift to all of us that have served and appreciate the unrecognized value in these historic pieces. Thanks for posting and if you can please do more. PS, if you can please try to convince the folks at the Greenwich Concourse to start to include these pieces of automotive history at their event. I know of plenty in the area that would qualify.
Tom always interesting finds, always interesting stories and always interesting people sharing their lives and passions with your audience. Thanks for finding and sharing these collections, owners and stories.
You should visit the Salty Dog Museum near Middletown, OH. Not only do they have over a dozen fire engines from hand pumpers to the 1950s, they also have a warehouse full of Model As and Ts as well as other old cars. It’s definitely worth a look!
I know a guy here in Minnesota that rebuilds steam engines of all types. Sometimes he has no choice but to build new from scratch. Massive amounts of skill/passion/focus and a touch of madness needed to preserve the past.
I wasn't aware until I saw this episode that ALF made Sedan pumpers. I would love to see this one restored or at least road worthy. The Seagrave Sedans are beautiful rigs. Detroit (Mi) used many of them for decades.
Wow what a treasure hidden away in Maine. Around the country there are the same kinds of people with the passion. My Dept was Mack, then American LaFrance. They were some of the greatest engines ever produced. You should check out some of the companies carrying on an American made craft around the country. Great find thank you
A great episode that's different. Our mutual pal Gary Wales in So Cal takes those AF chain drives and makes them in to driving boat tail cars! FYI: The business behind me is the Swab Wagon co. They have been in the fire truck and rescue business since 1868. They are the nations oldest continually operated transportation co. I have there original blacksmith shop where I restore cars so we share the same parking lot. They do one of these old trucks at least once a yr . Thank you for another great episode.
The industrial design of that pressure gage, look at the needle.. everything back then was functional and beautiful.. today, it's disposable plastic . Things back then were made with beauty in mind ...
About 35 years ago a friend of mine purchased a fire truck from the 50’s for $2000 from a company that sold fire trucks. It was perfect and came with all the equipment including hoses. The only reason it was so cheap is that it did not meet any modern standards for use as a fire fighting tool.
Tom, ya missed a segway into another topic. Andy said Speedsters. You take one of those old fire trucks. Pare it down to a frame. Use the giant torque monster of an engine. Make your own car body. And it’s off to the races!
After the Baltimore fire of 1904, when a lot of fire trucks showed up from Philly and DC with hoses that couldn't attach to local equipment, fire hoses were standardized across the United States.
What an absolute gift it is to have this gentleman doing what he does. He is living his destiny. We all appreciate your dedication to this craft. He needs his own show, which is probably the last thing he would want…
@@Tmrfe0962 Andy is the real deal, just as he seems.
“I’m rich in a lot of other ways.” He certainly is! What a great episode. I could listen endlessly to people like him who are so passionate and knowledgeable.
I like this kind of wealth over the money type. This guy is a salt of the earth dude.
I think everybody agrees that this could be an hour or two long and nobody would click off. So much more to see, and damnit, now i'm into old fire engines!
I need to Retire to keep up with all this stuff
'What's wrong with you?!" ... "Nothing now!" That brought a smile to my face. Tom is a true gentleman.
This fellow is a good neighbor--I've always been really impressed with his knowledge and workmanship--great guy too
Next to Camden? Just curious - what town? Rockport or Warren maybe?
DVB - Portland
Edit: Town of Hope. I looked it up. 👋😁
Seems like a great guy.
Everyone loves fire engines... they and the firemen that operate them, are superheros! Thank you Andy for saving the heroic machinery and its history, that saved so many of us from unimaginable losses. And by the way... thats a truely spectacular Christmas tree stand. Thanx Tom for sharing Andy and his wondrous collection of superheros... I want to go play in his backyard now... too much fun! Thanx! ✌😎👍
As a native Mainer, thank you for showcasing my state’s car culture
This is a very cool guy with a whole history of stories to tell thank you for sharing would love to hear more from him
When I was a teenager in the 80's the town I live in still had 2 old chain driven American LaFrance fire engines from the 1920's that were used as back ups if more firetrucks were needed and until about 10 years ago they were still using a 1949 American LaFrance as a primary fire engine.
I for one would love to see Tom return and give us that 8 hour documentary of this gentlemans'
establishment - the world needs all the documentation of the work of such GREAT stewards such
as Andy as it can get!!!
What do you say, Hagerty? Want to do something truly NOBLE here? *Fund that documentary!*
- Ed on the Ridge
@17:32 My dad was in the Nat'l Guard in '47 & was at that fire on Mt. Desert Isle.
He probably saw that truck!
He's the thinking man's car guy. Very refreshing. AMAZING place. Love how he keeps the original paint.
Thanks for the video!
really enjoyed this video and have lots of respect for this man,,,my father painted fire trucks at the factory in Elmira NY..many years ago American LA France
Thank you for finding this gem of a story. I would love to see you come back soon to gather and document more about this amazing man and the legacy he is going to leave.
Just bought a 1955 F800 Big Job fire engine and in the process of getting back on the road. This was a great episode, that guy is my hero!
The styling on some of those trucks the grills Fender's running boards even the rake of the windscreen,s and cabs ....so much cool and unusual ❤
This should & ranks No. 1 in Barn Find Hunter history...The best ever video & interview!! I was really educated about Fire Engines!
My favorite episode ever, as I knew nothing about fire engines!
I truly believe that machines have souls. Thank you to this kind man for letting them tell their stories in their original skins.
Hope this guy lives another 71 years.
What a gem.
Wow, what a collection man. History at its finest.
The passion and commitment second to none
Real people real life!
What a gem of a place
The craftsmanship just beautiful! Thanks
Incredible collection. Hats off to all those trucks and firemen that have saved so many. Thank you
I've had the privilege of riding quite a few miles out on the road in a 1921 American LaFrance, and that 800+ cubic inch straight six, straight cut crash box, and dual chain drive are mechanical symphony. I also got to experience a 1941 Seagraves with that beautiful V12 with 5 inch exhaust and open cockpit like the LaFrance. These machines are heaven for the true gear head !!
This gentleman is a wealth of knowledge on these beautiful engines. My career in the fire service helped me to adore these powerhouses. It would be so great to have more videos on these.
Awesome episode, you got lucky with this one to just happen on it !!!
This guy has lived a life !!! And 71 ! Damn !
Great episode! Mr. Swift is a treasure. I used to build firetrucks for a living at the beginning of the 70's and it was the best job I ever had. Thank you for stirring up a lot of great memories.
That was a short visit, Tom, but a good one. Cheers 🇨🇦
I have 38 years in the fire service.I love this video I would hope that you would do a whole segment just on fire department vehicles.Especially the old ones thank you for this
My neighbor bought an old Crosley fire truck that was at Idora theme park in Youngstown Ohio. I should have never let him sell it or bought it myself. History can be so cool. I also knew a guy that serviced and repaired fire trucks, even though I serviced all kinds of equipment for years, talking with him I realized that field is another world. Awesome thanks
I really appreciated this video, so much genuine love and passion are refreshing.
Andy sure has a lot of knowledge,and glad to see he is still going ,working on all these machines at age 71.I am the same age and my body is falling apart.You need to do another visit there.
An absolute national historical treasure trove. Unparalleled!
Andy, thank you for sharing the pieces of your life, "rich in other ways", I appreciate that.
Sounds like Tom will be stopping by some of the other, many other fire museums. Reliance Fire Museum in Estes Park, Colorado has an all up restoration shop as well as a museum.
So Cool. Awesome collection of life saving vehichles of the past. This guy is a legend. Thanks Tom for showing us.
An absolute gem of a show , Tom. How you found this artisan AND got him to agree to your interview is beyond me!
The thought that any $$ he gets, automatically goes into helping these beautiful 'ol girls back on their feet speaks his dedication in volumes.
Thanks Tom...another Home Run!
Tom, I don’t know what’s been more interesting over the years: the vehicles or the people! ( I’m going with people, and this man is near the top!)
Happy Birthday early Andy, thank you & all those who keep the hobby alive! :-) Jamey Topeka, Ks
Thank you SO much for opening your doors to us guys out here in UA-camland - wow - what a program - I would LOVE to see more content from HIM and his shop - amazing.
I’m 50. My grandfather was born in 1910. His scariest childhood memory was after playing with matches & having started a fire the sound of those horses pulling that fire engine scared him straight
My dad had a 31 international with a lafrance body. It was a retired Jaycees parade vehicle in it's second life. It had the dual rear wheels and a pumper. It was open top no windshield and a large truck about 28 feet long. He never lived long enough to restore it, but i remember on rare occasions he'd get it going and take us for a ride. He called it Armstrong steering, because iit was manual steering.
Thanks for the great memories...
Tks Andy for telling us ur stories about those old souls that saved many lives an homes in their day.
Started on a volunteer fire department in 1976, rural area north of Oklahoma City. Our first fire engine was a Boardman built in Oklahoma City. 50s Ford flat head chassis. It came off of the airport in Oklahoma City. I was an auto mechanic by trade, had to replace one of the water pumps on the flat head, they were also the front motor mount.
One of the best episodes. That is one hell of a collection. Thank you so much for sharing!
That was absolutely fascinating! Who doesn’t like a fire engine!? I could spend at least a full day looking at all the cool equipment that he has there! Thank you for posting this. 🚒
Simply awesome!!! Thank you!
Some people have such a full life
What an incredible amount of historical stuff he has 👍👍🇦🇺
What a gent, you could go back and talk fire apparatus for weeks - your mind be blown daily. Those old steamers are just gorgeous, amazing stuff.
This is awesome. My grandfather was captain of the tiny fire department in a little town in Texas. When I was 5 or 6 I got to ride around in the old fire engine with him and whir the siren. I can still remember the smell of the leather in the cab and feel the feeling of the wheel and stuff. I've long wished I could find that truck, but sadly it was sold off decades ago.
My dad was fire chief for 27 years in our hometown in ga! As a little boy the truck they had was a 1941 chevrolet with an American Lawrence open cab With windshield and body! He used to get in out a drive it to keep batteries charged and drove it in local parades! I was always in there with him! She was named Maggie! She was sold about 15 years ago to someone in a town about 50 miles away for around $1500! I sure hope he is either gonna restore it or save it for the scrapyard! Great memories!
Grew up in Rockland, very familiar with the Owls Head Transportation museum. That train caboose looks really familiar but I cant remember where it was on the property. Museum has changed over the years
@@jeffm234 It was the snackbar.
Love when you do a show on a shop or collection in my home state! Maine is a great place with hard working, creative, and thrifty people!
I LOVE this! Urbex of the automotive/firefighting world... Tom, if you're ever in New Zealand again, please get in touch. I'd love to pick up some slack if you need a second.
Hey, R H here in Columbus, Ga. I was a teenager in the late 60’s early 70’s and have a definite love of the muscle cars of that era. With that said, I love your videos and wanted to give you a tip on some of those cars here in Columbus. This man has numerous used car dealerships and has invested in cars of that era. They are actually on display at his main showroom, Gils auto sales. Come to Columbus and see for yourself. I think that would be a great video because they are all showroom clean.
Andy's a really nice guy , been in there a few times
What a gem of a true American, I think Jay Leno would agree. His knowledge is unmeasurable. I hope these time capsules live on for another 100 years in his name.
Wow this is more than a Barn Find type of video, this is a lesson in history!!!! Awesome!!!
Back when I was a little kid in the early 1960"s a girl my age dad was a firefighter in Peoria Illinois at our neighborhood station. It was one of the smaller satellite stations but it dated to the 1880's and we got to tour it a couple of times. They still had the original steam pumper ( unused of course ) and the hayloft still had hay in it. That ignited my love for firefighting that I got into it working on a volunteer department. It's something you either love or hate. I loved it and it still is the most fun and satisfying thing I ever did.
Great video Tom. There is so much history not only in the fire service but also in the fire apparatus industry that you would have to do multiple videos just to cover the basics. Andy is a gift to all of us that have served and appreciate the unrecognized value in these historic pieces. Thanks for posting and if you can please do more. PS, if you can please try to convince the folks at the Greenwich Concourse to start to include these pieces of automotive history at their event. I know of plenty in the area that would qualify.
Good to see Tom ! Man half of that stuff should be in a museum!
I could watch ALL of this 10 part series.!! Please make it!
Awesome video and great information.
Wow, how cool is that collection?!?!?
Keep visiting Maine! There's so much to see!!
Tom always interesting finds, always interesting stories and always interesting people sharing their lives and passions with your audience. Thanks for finding and sharing these collections, owners and stories.
My favorite series on YT, by far. Been watching you for many years, Tom!
Thanks for the memories and for bringing us along for the ride :-)
You should visit the Salty Dog Museum near Middletown, OH. Not only do they have over a dozen fire engines from hand pumpers to the 1950s, they also have a warehouse full of Model As and Ts as well as other old cars. It’s definitely worth a look!
40 years ago I was hired to replace the solid oak rear deck on a 1932 fire truck
What an awesome episode Tom.
I know a guy here in Minnesota that rebuilds steam engines of all types. Sometimes he has no choice but to build new from scratch. Massive amounts of skill/passion/focus and a touch of madness needed to preserve the past.
What a wealth of information. Well done.
Great episode!
I wasn't aware until I saw this episode that ALF made Sedan pumpers. I would love to see this one restored or at least road worthy. The Seagrave Sedans are beautiful rigs. Detroit (Mi) used many of them for decades.
Very interesting, what a great collection and a cool workshop.
Wow what a treasure hidden away in Maine. Around the country there are the same kinds of people with the passion. My Dept was Mack, then American LaFrance. They were some of the greatest engines ever produced. You should check out some of the companies carrying on an American made craft around the country. Great find thank you
23:50 Marvelous video Gentleman. I also know more now about Fire engines than before. I'm also into old motorcycle. That was a nice old BMW.
Awesome video Tom. If you're ever in Washington (state) you should visit a huge (rare) fire engine collection in Olympia.
I think there should be another episode with more information. There’s a lot going on there. We need to see it.
The fire musters and the professional car club shows are fun to go to. I highly suggest going to their meets.
I'd love to work with him saving these . Thanks great video.
That was cool, thanks for sharing!
Tom you are the best!
A great episode that's different. Our mutual pal Gary Wales in So Cal takes those AF chain drives and makes them in to driving boat tail cars! FYI: The business behind me is the Swab Wagon co. They have been in the fire truck and rescue business since 1868. They are the nations oldest continually operated transportation co. I have there original blacksmith shop where I restore cars so we share the same parking lot. They do one of these old trucks at least once a yr . Thank you for another great episode.
Thank you for “educating us “!
A gem of a Video!
That was a really good one. I've always had a thing about fire engines.
The industrial design of that pressure gage, look at the needle.. everything back then was functional and beautiful.. today, it's disposable plastic . Things back then were made with beauty in mind ...
About 35 years ago a friend of mine purchased a fire truck from the 50’s for $2000 from a company that sold fire trucks.
It was perfect and came with all the equipment including hoses.
The only reason it was so cheap is that it did not meet any modern standards for use as a fire fighting tool.
Definitely one of my favourite episodes.
Tom, ya missed a segway into another topic.
Andy said Speedsters.
You take one of those old fire trucks. Pare it down to a frame. Use the giant torque monster of an engine.
Make your own car body. And it’s off to the races!
Thanks for saving this stuff!!!
Very Cool. Thanks. Keep them coming.
Very cool episode!!!
This is so AWESOME! Thank you so much!
Wow. What a collection this guy could do his own show.
First time I heard mention of Kurt Vonnegut on a car video !
This guy *IS* the Jay Leno of fire engines... So much knowledge and skill will be lost once he's not around anymore. Very cool. 💙
After the Baltimore fire of 1904, when a lot of fire trucks showed up from Philly and DC with hoses that couldn't attach to local equipment, fire hoses were standardized across the United States.
This would make a great car/Truck restoration show
Wonderful collection
you def need to do more with this guy