Engine 51 of "Emergency!" Returns to LA County Fire Museum

The fire engine that starred in the 1970s television show "Emergency!" will soon occupy a place of honor at the new County of Los Angeles Fire Museum in the City of Bellflower. Though the engine is known by viewers around the world as "Engine 51," it is referred to as "Old Engine 7" by the Yosemite Village Fire Department, who currently owns it. The engine, a P-80 Ambassador model pumper, was built in 1973 by the Ward LaFrance Truck Company in New York. After a coast-to-coast promotional tour, it went straight to work at Universal Studios, replacing the show's original Engine 51, a 1965 open-cab Crown Firecoach. When its TV days ended, the engine was assigned to a fire station in Universal Studios. Then in 1987, MCA (which owned both Universal Studios and Yosemite Park's concessionaire company) needed to replace a 1937 Seagrave pumper at the Yosemite Village fire station. Engine 51 was transported to Yosemite with the agreement that it would be turned over to the Museum at the end of its service. Now that it will be replaced by a 1991 Pierce Arrow pumper that delivers nearly double the gallon per minute capability, the old engine will be hauled to its new home. Fire Captain and Museum Vice President Joe Woyjeck says the engine will receive some minor restoration before it goes on display, adding, "We want to make it look just like it did when it was on TV." However, even during its Yosemite years, it never shed its TV ties; the engine still has ID labels inside dating from its Universal Studios days. "It's awesome to have it back," says Woyjeck. "In our mind, the Museum is where it belongs." Pictured are Yosemite National Park Rangers taking a look at the soon-to-depart Old Engine 7. (Photo by Tomas Ovalle)