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Old Fire Engine Number 31 comes home to West Vancouver

1954 Thibault pumper was bought new by B.C. fire department and repatriated for a full restoration

Alyn Edwards
Jun 26, 2021  •  June 26, 2021  •  3 minute read  •  Join the conversation
The 1954 Thibault pumper No. 13 gets unloaded for what will be a long, and for the volunteers probably very enjoyable, restoration.
The 1954 Thibault pumper No. 13 gets unloaded for what will be a long, and for the volunteers probably very enjoyable, restoration. Photo by Alyn Edwards

Volunteers from the West Vancouver Fire Services Museum were lined up as the flatbed truck backed onto their property hidden behind Sentinel Secondary School. On board was an old fire pumper truck that had been delivered new to West Vancouver 67 years ago.

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The 1954 Thibault pumper had been showcased on the floor of the 1954 Fire Chief’s Convention in Vancouver. West Vancouver Fire Chief Flint McKim bought it on the spot for $26,000. It would go directly to West Van Fire Hall Number 1 in the Public Safety Building at 13th Avenue and Marine Drive. The workhorse would serve the mountainside community putting out structure and brush fires until being decommissioned and sold to Northwood Pulp in Prince George in 1978. The aging pumper truck was donated to the Central BC Railway and Forestry Museum in 2000, where it would rest outside with three other retired fire trucks for the next two decades.

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Last year, museum curator Maria Martins made the decision to sell off the fire trucks and put the word out to fire museums throughout the province. This caught the attention of the mainly retired firefighters at the West Vancouver Fire Museum.

Quebec-based Thibault built only 24 Thibault AWIT models like this pumper in 1954. Sixteen of these fire trucks went to the Canadian military. Records showed that a 1954 Thibault had been sold to the Port Hardy Fire Department, and that would have ended the interest until volunteers started comparing old photos of Number 31 to current photos.

“We noticed that the right front tire had raised lettering that were the same as in a photo taken before the truck was removed from service,” says museum society president Rick Titcomb. “That’s our truck!”

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Negotiations ensued and the Central BC Railway and Forestry Museum made the decision to donate the truck. It would come home to West Vancouver. One-time firefighter Bob Quiring of Quiring Towing stepped up to offer discounted services to move the heavy rig from Prince George to West Vancouver.

A 1978 photo of Old No. 13 shows the lettering on the right front tire that helped identify the 1954 Thibault pumper as the one original purchased by the West Vancouver Fire Service.
A 1978 photo of Old No. 13 shows the lettering on the right front tire that helped identify the 1954 Thibault pumper as the one original purchased by the West Vancouver Fire Service. Photo by Submitted

West Van fire museum volunteers, including 94-year-old electrical mechanic Karl Barth, met the arrival of the weathered and dilapidated pumper truck with much enthusiasm. He spent 25 years with the Lions Bay Volunteer Fire Department and can’t wait to get his hands on the project. “We will restore this truck,” he says. “We’re good at this.”

The West Vancouver Fire Services Museum volunteers have overseen the restoration of many old fire apparatus that have seen local service, including a 1947 Jeep that was used to put out brush fires in West Van since new. They also maintain a 1949 International fire truck purchased new by the department. The museum houses a beautifully restored 1929 LaFrance chemical hose wagon that was originally purchased by the Vancouver Fire Department. The restoration was completed by retired and off-duty West Vancouver firefighters who spent 8,000 hours bringing the 92-year-old classic fire truck back to new condition.

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  1. Volunteers inspect old No. 13 after its delivery to the West Vancouver Fire Museum.
    Volunteers inspect old No. 13 after its delivery to the West Vancouver Fire Museum. Photo by Alyn Edwards
  2. The rust worm has been hard at work on the old No. 13 that was left outside for two decades.
    The rust worm has been hard at work on the old No. 13 that was left outside for two decades. Photo by Alyn Edwards
  3. The weathered open cab of the 1954 Thibault pumper that will be restored by volunteers.
    The weathered open cab of the 1954 Thibault pumper that will be restored by volunteers. Photo by Alyn Edwards
  4. The 1954 Thibault pumper truck is complete with all the features it was delivered with when new.
    The 1954 Thibault pumper truck is complete with all the features it was delivered with when new. Photo by Alyn Edwards
  5. Ninety-four year-old retired electrical mechanic Karl Barth is part of the volunteer team that will restore old No. 13.
    Ninety-four year-old retired electrical mechanic Karl Barth is part of the volunteer team that will restore old No. 13. Photo by Alyn Edwards
  6. The original Waukesha engine that powered the 1954 Thibault pumper hasn’t fired in years.
    The original Waukesha engine that powered the 1954 Thibault pumper hasn’t fired in years. Photo by Alyn Edwards
  7. Old No. 23 arrives back in West Vancouver where the Thibault pumper truck was delivered new in 1954.
    Old No. 23 arrives back in West Vancouver where the Thibault pumper truck was delivered new in 1954. Photo by Alyn Edwards
  8. Equipment that came with old No. 31 will be part of the fire truck’s restoration.
    Equipment that came with old No. 31 will be part of the fire truck’s restoration. Photo by Alyn Edwards
  9. The 1929 LaFrance chemical hose wagon restored by West Vancouver firefighters.
    The 1929 LaFrance chemical hose wagon restored by West Vancouver firefighters. Photo by Alyn Edwards
  10. The imposing front end of the 1929 LaFrance wagon.
    The imposing front end of the 1929 LaFrance wagon. Photo by Alyn Edwards
  11. 0625-drv-alynWV museum crew
    Photo by Alyn Edwards
  12. The Jeep in a parade with another West Van fire truck in 1948.
    The Jeep in a parade with another West Van fire truck in 1948. Photo by Submitted
  13. The West Vancouver Fire Services Jeep photographed in 1948.
    The West Vancouver Fire Services Jeep photographed in 1948. Photo by Submitted
  14. The 1947 Willys Jeep restored by West Vancouver Firefighters with funding from the family of former mayor Art Langley.
    The 1947 Willys Jeep restored by West Vancouver Firefighters with funding from the family of former mayor Art Langley. Photo by Alyn Edwards
  15. The 1947 Willys Jeep.
    The 1947 Willys Jeep. Photo by Alyn Edwards
  16. The 1947 Willys Jeep.
    The 1947 Willys Jeep. Photo by Alyn Edwards
  17. The West Vancouver Fire Services Museum and Archives is hidden away behind Sentinel Secondary School.
    The West Vancouver Fire Services Museum and Archives is hidden away behind Sentinel Secondary School. Photo by Alyn Edwards
  18. The 1954 Thibault pumper truck alongside a newer Thibault at West Vancouver fire hall No. 1 in 1970.
    The 1954 Thibault pumper truck alongside a newer Thibault at West Vancouver fire hall No. 1 in 1970. Photo by Submitted
  19. Fire equipment used in West Vancouver over the past century has been restored by volunteers.
    Fire equipment used in West Vancouver over the past century has been restored by volunteers. Photo by Alyn Edwards
  20. Members of the West Vancouver Fire Museum at the homecoming of the 1954 Thibault pumper No. 13.
    Members of the West Vancouver Fire Museum at the homecoming of the 1954 Thibault pumper No. 13. Photo by Alyn Edwards
  21. The 1954 Thibault pumper as delivered new to West Vancouver Fire Hall number one.
    The 1954 Thibault pumper as delivered new to West Vancouver Fire Hall number one. Photo by Submitted
  22. The West Vancouver Fire Services Museum and Archives is houses fire engines and equipment used to fight fires in the mountainside community over the past 100 years.
    The West Vancouver Fire Services Museum and Archives is houses fire engines and equipment used to fight fires in the mountainside community over the past 100 years. Photo by Alyn Edwards

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Society president Rick Titcomb, who retired after 32 years with West Van Fire, admits the restoration of old Number 13 will be a daunting task. The society is looking for benefactors who will help fund the project.

The Jeep was restored with a donation from the family of Art Langley, who was mayor of West Vancouver from 1971 through 1974.

“We will need at least $50,000 to get started,“ Titcomb says. “We are a good news story because we’re passionate and very protective of our history. We will find a way to do this.”

For more information visit www.wvfiremuseum.com

Alyn Edwards is a classic car enthusiast and partner in Peak Communicators, a Vancouver-based public relations company. aedwards@peakco.com

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