Lady Aidan - Bantam Engine 5 Retired

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..

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.

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.

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!

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!