Photo: Kim Tunnicliffe / WBZ NewsRadio
MARBLEHEAD, Mass. (WBZ NewsRadio) — A 1939 Mack Fire Truck is back home in Marblehead after the town's fire chief traveled north to purchase it with his own money.
Marblehead Fire Chief Jason Gilliland tells WBZ's Kim Tunnicliffe that he and his family made the trek up to Sunapee, New Hampshire to bring the truck back from an auction. The original Engine 2 was stationed at Franklin Street in Marblehead before it was auctioned off and shipped to a private N.H. resident in 1975. Now, the Firefighters Association of Sunapee looked to sell the truck and Chief Gilliland stepped forward.
"'He goes 'would $1,000 be too much?' and I said 'no, the checks in the mail.' The motor's is in really good shape, the pump is in good shape, the truck is faded from the sun—very minimal surface rust," Gilliland said.
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Gilliland says he's planning on restoring the truck to its former glory, with thoughts to showcase the finished product off in local parades.
"Of course, there's a lot of parades, there's the Topsfield Fair. It's a part of Marblehead's history," Gilliland said.
The Engine 2 was in service for 36 years before it was retired and put to use in parades instead.
WBZ's Kim Tunnicliffe (@KimWBZ) reports.
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