The Flood Retires
The Flood sheds a tear.
After 40 years of service, the 1972 Ford tractor that has been used in my hometown of Rossland, British Columbia, to flood the local hockey rink is finally being retired. It’s a sad day, but also a celebration. This was a vehicle that was never supposed to do this job. It was not designed for this, and it was something of a temporary solution. But it ended up doing the job so well that it never got replaced.
On the occasion of its retirement, the astonishing gang at Juicy Studios put together a tribute.
Normally at this point I’d have something more to say. I don’t. Watch the video. It actually brought a tear to my eye, and it’s one of the best automotive movies I’ve ever seen. If we ever manage to scrounge together enough cash decide to put together HooniverseTV, we’re getting Juicy Studios to do the camera work.
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I must be going through a strange emotional phase in my life, 'cos that had tears welling up in the corners of my eyes, and coming dangerously close to overflowing. I'm off to put a kitteh in a fly-press, to try and man up a bit.
I was expecting this to be hyperbole. It wasn't.
The bit about kitten-crushing was, though.
Well, I'm at work so no video for me. But I promise to watch (and cry) when I get home where no one can see me.
In Canada, as in some parts of the northern US, hockey isn't a sport. It's a religion. And this video shows that. There are vehicles performing much more important roles — fire trucks, ambulances, snow plows, road pavers — and yet we don't see tributes to them when they are retired. But, for a small town in Canada, the tractor that tows the ice resurfacer, is not just a tractor. It's not just a tool. It's become woven into the religious fervor of the hockey scene in that town. It gets a sendoff.
And isn't that how it should be? Shouldn't the day we retire any of our vehicles, whether they be a car that faithfully transported us to and from work or a race car that kept us alive even when the roof was on the ground or any other vehicle that plays a significant part of our lives, be a day of farewells and a tinge of sadness? Isn't that part of being a car guy?
I sold my Escort wagon for a dollar…and danced.
Man, I haven't even watched the video yet…
The interesting thing is that I have never, in all the small-towns I've lived, ever seen a fire-truck get retired. Police cars and ambulances, sure, they're just tools. They're specifically bought to be driven hard and thrown away. But a fire-truck, for a tiny rural community, is another special item. They're hugely expensive, so buying one usually entails some fund-raising, donations, planning and community involvement. The whole town buys it, and they buy it together, in much the same way as The Flood was purchased 40 years ago.
As a result, when a fire-truck has reached the end of its useful life, it can't be thrown away. It just can't! It's as much a part of the community as city hall or a tower clock. It's saved lives, it's responded thousands upon thousands of times to emergencies over its life, and the life of many residents. It's been there during many residents' darkest hours, trying to make things right. Many get names. As they get older, and often get gently nudged out of their first-responder duties by newer, faster and more sophisticated vehicles, they're still kept around as backup. And as time goes on, as they gradually start to spend more time on parade duties than on emergency calls, strangely the cheers and applause grow louder each time they lead a marching-band at a walking pace down Main Street. Many adults remember their first parade as a small child, when they recoiled in horror the first time that ear-piercing siren cut through the cheers in front of them. Some cried, but their tears were short-lived when their parents explained that it wasn't something to be afraid of, that this was the truck that came to save their lives when there was a fire. Then, years later, many of those children find themselves explaining the same thing to their children, about the very same truck.
For most small towns, you just can't retire a vehicle like that. In most towns, these trucks never go out of active duty until they receive a place of honour in a museum. They just build another garage bay onto the fire-hall to make sure they still have a place to stay safe and warm until they're needed again.
Many retired fire trucks and ambulances get sent to South America where they are used until the wheels fall off. Supposedly, they pay good prices.
My current town uses a truck from the 40s to pull Santa's sled when they drive around handing out toys. It really is quite a sight. I can only imagine how it feels for someone who grew up here and perhaps saw it in active duty. Perhaps as a youngster doing a tour of the firehouse. We are also home to the county training facility complete with a museum featuring a dozen or so pieces of antique equipment. From horse drawn giant spools of hose to a Model AA truck.
Last time I drove through Matamoris PA, they sere selling a 60s fire truck. I think they wanted $15,000 OBO. A lot of them get retired because no one can drive a stick.
There's another reason a bunch of trucks and ladders got switched in my town in addition to the stick, but dang Dearthair's comment was so SO great, I'm not going to screw with it. One of my first memories was riding next to my grandfather on the fender of his Ford tractor when I was three. I can see so vividly in my mind to this day how freakishly big his feet seemed. Good road little Ford.
That gave me chills. Incredible sendoff to what was supposed to be an un-incredible machine.
Nicely done, video and post alike.
Also, that tractor is in amazing shape!!! It's… beautiful!! Who ever thought I would be going ga-ga over a "survivor" tractor, yet here I am.
I hear ya. I don't fancy myself a tractor guy, but every time I see an old Massey-Harris sitting in a field, I consider finding a spot for it at home so I can restore it.
Shouldn't be hard, right? I mean, it's basic, sturdy, and shares its engine with my '46 Dodge pickup, so I already know where to get mechanical bits.
Nice avatar – that's a card from Mille Bourne, is it not? My family played that a lot when I was a kid… haven't thought about it in years.
/off to ebay
Yessir. "Driving Ace," the card I always coveted when playing, and usually the card my brother (who is a driving ace in his own right) ended up with.
And I still, to this day, go around saying things are "increvable." My wife, who speaks some French, simply rolls her eyes.
They actually still make new copies of the game, though the cards from the old ones are cooler.
That game taught me all the French I need to know but none of the pronunciation.
That makes me laugh. I still throw out a "coup-fourré" whenever appropriate in day to day life. Few people get it so it results in the blank stare.
Keep in mind that most other tractors would be exposed to 40 years of sun and rain and dirt and tree stumps on their way to the gold watch. This one is more of a barn find that's been exercised regularly.
"a barn find that's been exercised regularly"
…which is as common as finding a unicorn holding a gold brick and Carla Ossa's home phone number in its mouth, id'nit?
Reminds me how Rabbi Dennis Prager described his best friend's criteria for a girlfriend: "A Playboy bunny who studies Talmud."
I agree that's exceptional. I was pointing out why it is in such great condition.
"I once gave my phone number to a unicorn. I told him to wisk it off to a handsome prince."
"Ever get a call?"
"No, I think he just ate the slip of paper."
"The unicorn or the prince?"
"I'm not sure I care."
"Just goes to show, you should never waste time waiting for some dickhead prince."
"Or a dickhead horse."
"In this case, literally."
Things do not have minds or hearts, but they can have souls. They have whatever soul we embue them with in our minds and are willing to burden ourselves to carry around in our hearts on their behalf.
Amazing timing, I'm just heading out to put our 69 Ford 3000 to work moving some hay. Here in the PNW they seem to be very popular, that is I know of 2 other 3000's within 2 miles of where I live. The only part I dislike about the tractor is that the clutch pedal is mounted horizontally instead of vertically. Instead of pushing forward, you have to push down, a real pain in tight spots.
Interesting, to see life from the perspective of the Ford 3000… and incredible narrative to have the vision to see it this way. Genius.
I aspire to be on these guys level.
I aspire to aspire to be on these guys' level.
<img src="http://boston.sportsthenandnow.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/Man_Crying.jpg" width="320/">
Beautiful.
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Nice. Saving that one for future use.
Beautiful piece.
So what's happening to it in retirement – surplus equipment auction? Placed on a pedestal in front of the rink?
It's actually going to special event duty, from what I hear. Every winter, Rossland has a series of outdoor hockey tournaments, (or "pond hockey", as they call it) and they're quite a big deal. People come in from all over Western Canada and parts of Washington and that funny-looking pointy state to play. My understanding is that it's going to be given the job of maintaining the rinks for those events. Hence the quip, "Perhaps to another pond somewhere" in the movie.
So yes, a place of honour, in a sense.
Excellent. Much better than just rotting away someplace.
Funny looking pointy state called Idaho? That's what I called home, there, fellar, you'd better watch your words!
Oh really? I didn't know you were from Idaho!
I'll type slower and use smaller words so you can keep up from now on.
/kidding, kidding!
If it wants to retire in a warmer place, it's welcome to share the same shed with my '62 Valmet 60.
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Neat video, I approve. (And not just because my day job is designing yellow machines for the company that still makes blue (and also, red) tractors in that same Basildon factory.)
South Essex folk can always tell themselves that Basildon has produced at least something worthwhile….
"…until they found someone more qualified, possibly an Italian…"
What a lovely, subtle turn of phrase. Great tribute.
That's one of my favourite lines. That and "this ice is my field now, and I harvest dreams" or something to that effect.
Duh! I just got it.
I've only made it to :42 before it stalled out waiting for more download. I gotta grab a tissue, I'll be right back
Yup that's moving. Anybody know how to get El High to see this?
Who's El High?
No, no you're not kidding. There's a reason why I'm from Idaho…