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FeedOct 4, 201111:12 AM
A Mystery Photo. Is It a French Fire Engine? A French Locomotive? And What Is It Doing in Memphis?
This intriguing photo was circulating on eBay for a long time, so I finally bought it because it puzzled me. The seller's description claimed it was a vintage photograph of a "French fire engine in Memphis, Tennessee." But — well, I just don't know what it is.
For starters, if it's a fire engine at all, it's a very unusual one — lacking ladders, hoses, axes, and other gear that is normally used to battle fires. It does have a driver, but he's in the shadows, so I can't tell if he's wearing any sort of fireman's gear, or a uniform of any kind. And what manner of vehicle is this, anyway? The bulbous front end looks vaguely like that of an old-timey steam-powered locomotive, while the back end looks like — well, I just don't know what it looks like.
And if it's a locomotive, then why does it have regular tires? Where are the tracks?
Then let's ponder the French wording painted on the side, which only deepens the mystery. "Le Chemin de Fer du Sud" translates into "Southern Railroad." "La Societe des 40 Hommes et 8 Chevaux" means "The Society of 40 Men and 8 Horses." On the side of the cab, "Voiture Locale 418" simply means "Local Car 418."
And "Memphis, Tenn" means — I'm pretty sure about this — "Memphis, Tenn."
So, let's see. We have local car 480 of the Southern Railroad, which is somehow involved with 40 men and eight horses. It boggles the mind.
I do know this photo was taken in Memphis because if you look carefully at the second-floor window of the nice building behind this contraption, you can read "Laird Dancing School" painted on the glass. In the 1940s, city directories confirm that Thomas Laird operated a dancing school on the second floor of a building at the northwest corner of Third and Court. For a while, he lived upstairs with his wife, Esther. So this photo shows that intersection in the 1940s, looking north. Most of the other buildings in the photo have since been demolished, but the brick building that houses the dancing school is still standing — relatively unchanged — and, the last time I wandered by there, was home to a chiropractic clinic.
But that's all I can tell you. Even with my vast resources, I can only do so much. What this vehicle was, and why it was in Memphis, is a mystery to me.
Ask Vance is the blog of Vance Lauderdale, the award-winning columnist of Memphis magazine and MBQ: Inside Memphis Business. Vance is the author of two books: Ask Vance: The Best Questions and Answers from Memphis Magazine's History and Trivia Expert (2003), as well as Ask Vance: More Questions and Answers from Memphis Magazine's History Expert (2011). He is also the recipient of quite a few nice awards, the creator of several eye-catching wall calendars, and the only person we know with a vintage shock-treatment machine in his den. 
Read here...on the side bar... http://leestraveller.homestead.com/110228.html
La Societe des Quarante Hommes at Huit Chevaux, popularly known as the Forty and Eight, is an independent Fraternal Organization of Veterans and was organized in 1920 by American Legionnaires as a fun and honor society.
The Forty and Eight is composed of Veterans of both World War I, World War II, and the Korean, Vietnam and Desert Storm conflicts.
The Forty and Eight has nearly 50,000 members in over 900 Voitures Locale (local units) located throughout the United States, Germany, Mexico, and France.
Perhaps it was pulling a float in a parade and deliberately made to LOOK like a stream train? Even though by those decades it was probably just a regular truck underneath. Maybe the "Chemin Du Fer Du Sud" was their French joke?Perhaps that fit in well with whatever it was pulling? Kind of like the weevil truck you see around town. My $$$ (or Francs, nowadays Euros) is on it pulling a float
The train idea came from WWII when soldiers were transported on trains. Read the info at the link above, it has everything. The truck was probably used it parades.
I believe it was used in parades at the time as well. heres a link with a little more knowledge:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forty_and_Eight_veterans_organization
duhhh I completely missed the link from Don G at the top, sorry.... now we know! I feel smarterer already!
This is actually a photo of Memphis' first pimp-mobile, and quite successful it was.
Look what I found here:
http://arcadiasbest.com/2011/06/300-plus-in-july-2-parade/
More specifically, this photo:
http://arcadiasbest.com/wp-content/uploads/AmericanLegionLocomotive.gif
The Society of Forty and Eight has been a generous donor to St. Jude Hospital.
See:
http://www.fortyandeight.org/history-of-the-408/