About five or six years ago it was a great privilege to become acquainted with a NASCAR fan and Marblehead Kim Tucker who’s partner Tommie is a fireman. It is a great thrill and honour that the photo’s for today’s Christmas blog come from Kim.

In 1937 the State of California Department Of Forestry (CDF), today known as Cal-Fire purchased today’s featured Dodge fire engine, it was delivered new to CDF/Tulare County Station 10, located in Farmersville, California.

It was later replaced by a modern engine and sold to a church group for their camp in the local Sierra Nevada mountains.

When the Farmersville Volunteer Fire Company heard that the Dodge was no longer being used by the church camp, they made arrangements to trade their 1953 fire engine for the 1937 Dodge to use in muster competitions.

The by now rotten tyres and hose were replaced, the motor rebuilt, and the Dodge was given a fresh paint job; other than that, there has been no restoration.

The 1937 Dodge’s water pump can pump water at the same rate as the pump on the 2014 Dodge Patrol unit that Farmersville Fire Department, now known as Station 83, put into service within the last few months.

The Farmersville Volunteer Fire Company, which is not part of the city government, but was set up to help support Farmersville, use their 1937 Dodge for parades, such as the Farmersville Memorial Day Parade and to transport Santa Claus to the annual Christmas Tree lighting, where the children of the town can see Santa and be given a small gift bag donated by local organizations.

My thanks to Kim Tucker for sharing her photographs and to Pat Taylor, the chap with the big grin driving the Dodge, for sharing his information about the fire engine.

Thanks for joining me on this “Merry Christmas” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow for Ferrari Friday. Don’t for get to come back now !

Wishing all Psycho On Tyres readers a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year !