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Lady Aidan - Bantam Engine 5 Retired, Woonsocket, RI (2026)

05/10/2026

One thing is for certain.. this truck has a very impressive history of unfortunate surprises. For starters I was not aware that there were actually four bleeder valves at the front end of the truck, two on each side one forward and one back. Was under the impression that the forward bleeder valves were the only ones in the front of the truck so once I found these I prepared to bleed them also and imagine my surprise when the bleeder valve rear of the officer side steer turned freely... Not a good sign at all! Pulled it out and observed that it was fairly stripped. Now this can be either an easy fix or a problematic one as I do not know if the cylinder is stripped as well. Even more weird was there was no sign of this particular bleeder valve leaking as we were bleeding the other valves. Have already spent two weekends trying to get these brakes in order and seeing this development it was time for me to step back and consult with the professionals in addition to looking for any nearby heavy truck repair facilities close to where the truck is currently quartered. Anyone in the Central MA area who knows of any such facilities or a mobile repair unit please feel free to help a brother out. I want her to make her first appearance of the season in Webster so the faster I get this fixed the better we will be. Thank you in advance..

05/03/2026

With the summer parade and muster season drawing ever closer and the pace quickening to get the old lady ready to partake in such events, the question that is always at the heart of this endeavor begs to be answered and that is when is Engine 5 going to return home to Bantam? I for one have been looking for that answer ever since I rescued the rig and every time I felt that we were getting close, she would come up with another excuse as to why she is unwilling to do so. Truly a very long and complicated relationship to say the least. But now I do feel that not only is she close to making that happen but l will go so far as to say she may be ready to make that journey and I for one am looking forward to finally fulfilling the promise made long ago.

Before that can happen however, I am faced with something that I had not considered in all of this.. the journey itself. For starters, northwestern Connecticut is a region that I have never experienced let alone traversed. So in the interest of pre-planning I did a thing.. l took the journey to see with thy own eyes the borough that Engine 5 proudly served. The plan was to travel to Bantam first by secondary roads and to return back via the interstate to see what would be the preferred route the truck will take. This was done in the hopes of finding a route that will be easier on a 55-year-old Maxim. One thing I learned very quickly during this trip was that Bantam is not an easy place to get to, especially on the secondary route part of the trip. Lots of hills, some a bit steeper than others. I encountered a hill along the route after leaving Hartford with a 10% grade that pretty much killed the idea of the truck traveling that stretch. Moderate to heavy traffic also factored in the decision. With that question now answered I proceeded on, arriving around 1:00 that afternoon. The first stop I made upon my arrival was the cemetery paying respects to the departed Brothers. It was followed quickly with visitations first to the BFC's former and current firehouses. Perfect bookends to Engine 5's history of service to Bantam. It was a pretty neat experience!

I was in Bantam for about a half hour before making the return back home, this time returning via the interstate highway system and although there were some hilly sections they were not as bad and as such the highway route will be the preferred choice when the truck makes the trip out west. It will be the longest journey I will be making with her and it will be yet another challenge to meet head on but given the many milestones she has achieved so far I have every confidence that she will succeed in this endeavor and that time is fast approaching. Stay tuned as we have something cooking up that you don't want to miss.

04/17/2026

Back at it... The clutch is now working but I'm going to need some extra hands to help me to bleed the brake lines. That is really the only thing that is holding up the rig from moving and once that's rectified I can get the other projects planned for her going. More importantly, we need to get her rolling as soon as possible as she has a very important milestone to achieve in the coming months. More to follow.

04/15/2026

A quick update... With the fine weather now upon us I found time to get up to the truck to get some work in. In the course of trying to rectify one problem I discovered another.. it appears that the clutch was another component that needed attention with regards to fluid as she was not even trying to shift into gear. Was able to roll the truck onto level ground and from there began the process of getting fluid into the clutch. It took some time but finally I was able to reach the point where I can engage the clutch safely and crisis averted. Will be back this weekend to continue to add more to the system as well as do the same with the brakes until all are functioning. Once completed we will get the truck down to Providence to have the experts sign off on my work and deemed the truck safe for the road. Stay tuned for more updates in the coming weeks.

04/13/2026

Welcome to Spring 2026...

Hello to our friends, supporters and followers. After a hard and brutal winter that has tested our very frayed nerves of sanity, I had concerns about what I was going to find of my temperamental Maxim. When we last left the old girl she was dead set on not participating in any of the Christmas events this past November/December 2025 due to an apparent leak of some kind involving her brakes. As the seasonal weather was changing rapidly not to mention it was downright getting cold, I unfortunately had to shut her down for the season. Of course disappointment notwithstanding this was yet another instance of another failed moment happening at the most inopportune time. At that point I was not going to try and figure it out and decided to wait until Spring to see what solutions can be had. The only solace I can take from this is that this came shortly after concluding what was deemed a very successful parade and muster season where a lot of core memories were created and the truck functioned as expected. Many firsts have occured, among them was her return back to Connecticut for the first time since her retirement from the Bantam Fire Company in 2001. Those small steps are the building blocks that I hope in 2026 will lead to a return to Bantam and finally fulfilling a promise made. Before that can happen we need to bring it back to today..

Now here we are in early April.. time to awaken the old lady from her winter slumber and I was extremely surprised that despite the winter and how bitterly cold it was, she turned over at the first push of the start button! That in and of itself was probably the second greatest thing to happen today along with the Red Sox finally bringing the bats to the game after a 2 and 8 start. Put on the warning lights and with the exception of the right flasher (which was repaired soon after) all appear to be in working order. The single noise maker (Q) was also in working order as well as the spot lights. The tires and rims minus the driver side steer which was a bit low held up. In short she really needs some TLC in terms of the cosmetics, specifically a nice deep cleaning and detailing inside and out. The diamond plate needs a fresh coat of paint and that will be part of the weekend projects that will take place leading up to her first outing of the season in Webster, MA for the 2026 Tri-State fireman's muster.

As mentioned we have a few projects in the works for her and some of them will be "new to her" additions and improvements. Once the brake situation is rectified she will be scheduled to receive a long overdue oil/fluid change followed by a switch out of her original wheels with wheels and tires acquired last year after the former Jamestown, R.l. Ladder 1, a Maxim F Model mid mount received brand new wheels and tires. Granted they are split rims and yes I know they are completely out of favor. That being said they are in far better condition than the current rims and tires not to mention that the tires are much suited for city and highway travel as opposed to her current tires that are more applicable for off-road. Certainly I'm looking forward to a far more comfortable and quiet ride as opposed to hearing a loud droning whine. She will also receive a first... a diamond plate deck spanning the hose bed behind the pump area to mount the deck gun. Additional changes being considered are the replacement of the whelen strobe light bar with either a single Federal Signal beacon(as she was originally equipped) or a Federal Signal aerodynic light bar in addition to mini rota rays to replace the rear strobes. At the moment we're kind of leaning towards the idea of the aerodynic as the strobe light bar currently mounted is showing its age and the light output is not as great as it was when it was newer. More than anything we want the truck to be seen and we want warning lights that will reflect that mindset. As the upgrades continue we will advise if and when those changes are made. We will also be replacing all of the four-inch supply lines in the hose bed with five-inch as that was the upgrade that Bantam had given her later in her career. And of course, no fire engine is complete without a bell! It is the one thing that the youngest granddaughter has specifically requested and that request will be more than honored.

These are but a few of the plans that we are working on to continue the preservation of Engine 5 and we are looking forward to building on her success of the previous season. She is definitely a head turner for being a plain Jane Maxim and it is the hope that with these upcoming additions and improvements she will continue to shine as the old, cranky but graceful lady that she is. And she has already been successful in that endeavor just by simply starting up earlier today and that in and of itself is a victory. Let's get this ride going.. the season awaits!

12/25/2025

On behalf of Gail Marie, the Crew and myself, we want to wish all of our friends and supporters a very happy, safe and prosperous Christmas. We want to thank you for offering support and encouragement to this noble endeavor to keep an old and cranky Maxim on the road and despite her not wanting to join the rest of us in the Christmas spirit she did have a good year in the parade and muster circuit and we will be looking for more of the same in 2026. Once again, thank you all for the support and encouragement and hopefully she can truly make it past the finish line a year from now at about this time.

11/30/2025

Well... I am beginning to think that this rig is not into the Christmas spirit as she has decided that she was done for the season.

Yeah I know, so what happened? To tell you the truth I'm not even sure considering that two months ago she participated in our annual chapter's fire truck show and she was working great then. I expected her to close out the season in Grand style. In the end my expectations went down as quickly as me depressing the brake pedal and not stopping. Yet another issue with the braking system. It could be anything at this point.. a wheel seal, the brake shoes finally needing replacing, more hydraulic brake fluid perhaps? I can't really speculate, all I know is that someone who is far more verse and miles above my pay grade needs to take a look and see what needs to be corrected. At this point I'm already planning for 2026, something that will now come sooner rather than later. I was extremely fortunate that the problem was discovered before I went deeper out on the road for a test run and it was by God's grace that I was able to make it back to where she is temporarily being kept.

A lot of hard work went into making this 2025 season a success, the trophies that she had brought home this year can attest to that. That being said, she again demonstrated why she is so very fickle and temperamental to the point that even doing nice things for her is not enough. At least this time around I did not threaten to roll her off of a cliff like I did three years prior. It is becoming very disappointing that the one time that I wanted her to shine all year long and she has yet to cross that finish line. The other parades that would have followed Medway are great events but in terms of wanting to be seen, Medway was my ultimate goal and once again failure was the order of the day. As I said in an earlier post... Dressed up and nowhere to go. Even as I tried to make every and all attempts to rectify the problem, it did not escape my notice that there were plenty of Fire apparatus making their way east to be a part of a special Christmas tradition in our area. All I can do was simply stare in disbelief at a truck that was not going to be a part of that tradition for this year.

I understand breakdowns happen to the best of us but for a truck that had managed to make it all the way up to this point and then simply stop working is now becoming a slap to my pride and as God is my witness, this obscenity will no longer be tolerated. If I am going to continue to be part of this enterprise, some long-range solutions are going to have to be devised for the old girl whether she likes it or not. I have plenty to think about over the winter, for the moment the aim is to get her ready for the 2026 parade and muster season and the first order of business is to get her into a shop so I will be making inquiries to make that happen. She will run next year no question even if I have to push.

I do want to take this moment of reflection to thank everyone who through their support and encouragement made this season an awesome experience. I specifically want to thank Gail Marie, Brandi, Tanya and the grandkids Jaelyn, Kassedy, TJ and Mackenzie for helping create the beginnings of a family tradition. So many new core memories were created and I do want that to continue. We will make it to Christmas 2026 on board Engine 5 so that we can finally have that moment that so far has eluded us. You guys rock and it was an honor and a privilege to have shared this experience with you.

With that, time to take a bit of a break but come January, the work begins anew. Yes I am disappointed but at the same time I am also determined. The truck has given this old soul a challenge ever since she came home in 2018. And needless to say as I have done before and since.. challenge accepted!

11/27/2025

Engine 5 will be a busy gal this coming weekend with her first-ever appearance at the Medway Christmas Parade followed by a return to the annual Santa Parade in North Attleborough. The following weekend she will attend the All Lit Up Parade in Smithfield and will be closing out the season in Milford for the Milford Christmas Parade.

11/17/2025

Nine years ago today.. I took a chance with this rig. Nine years later.. you completed your first full season in the parade and muster circuit and are preparing to close out the year with the Christmas parades coming up in late November/early December. The Christmas lights and decorations will be pulled out of storage this coming weekend... Time for you to get dressed up and show your shine!

We have come a very long way.. let us finish in Grand style!

09/14/2025

Been a while but back on the road after some time off. Engine 5 attended the 2025 RIAFAS annual antique fire truck show in Johnston, RI. She will leave the event with more hardware to add to the collection earning the President's Choice award.

Time to consider getting a trophy case at this rate.

Lady Aidan - Bantam Engine 5 Retired

05/10/2026

05/03/2026

04/17/2026

04/15/2026

04/13/2026

12/25/2025

11/30/2025

11/27/2025

11/17/2025

09/14/2025

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