Vintage Ambulances & Hearses of SW Virginia - VIDEOS

Darryl Thompson

PCS Life Member
During my morning rituals of surfing the WWW, I came across a ton of archival footage from a local news station. Video after video I just sat in amazement of actually seeing these old rigs at work, not at play like we see them now. The main thing that had me was the variety of unique coaches that had served my area.

I hope all enjoy these as much as I did, it took some good effort to capture the streams so that I could upload them to Youtube to share. LOL :D


http://youtu.be/I-A6ikGM-DI - The Chatham Volunteer Emergency Ambulance Service Inc


[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cuDMFbPCXT8"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cuDMFbPCXT8[/ame] - Two men injured in car wreck in Roanoke Va


[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WRR2MQelJ7A"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WRR2MQelJ7A[/ame] - Two injured in three car accident in Roanoke Va


[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rasdu3TbHZw"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rasdu3TbHZw[/ame] - Roanoke Life Saving and First Aid Crew celebrate 40th anniversary with tour of headquarters


[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ctuoVwcTVbM"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ctuoVwcTVbM[/ame] - Roanoke detectives are investigating a homicide suicide


[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=azedw_mxLg4"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=azedw_mxLg4[/ame] - Patients of Roanoke Va elder care facility move to new location



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[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iuSs4omYCfE"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iuSs4omYCfE[/ame]


[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h70fNA4aWM4"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h70fNA4aWM4[/ame]


[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WKaW6wMEuRo"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WKaW6wMEuRo[/ame]
 
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RvlTquxoCpE"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RvlTquxoCpE[/ame]


[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wpGNsenlH78"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wpGNsenlH78[/ame]


[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4b5qK6ucqm8"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4b5qK6ucqm8[/ame]
 
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZHEExui-7ag"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZHEExui-7ag[/ame]

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1IcUchdzLt4"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1IcUchdzLt4[/ame]

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EubhFspXHCM"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EubhFspXHCM[/ame]
 
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pdom1qxFtzM"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pdom1qxFtzM[/ame]

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=idtBBSTTF3c"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=idtBBSTTF3c[/ame]

More to come as I get time to dig further into the server!
 
Very cool Darryl! I love this stuff and appreciate all of your effort to post it for the rest of us to see!
 
the nice part of the old film is you get to see them used the equipment. in all of these how many times did you see the gurney let down? easer just to carry that 30 then go up and down with it
 
Darryl, thanks for all of your hard work in putting this together. Great stuff, and much of it is from an era that I wish I had more experience in. I was fortunate enough to drive these procars for about 7 years, but would have liked to experience some of the earlier days. But then again, I'd be dead by now, so I guess I can't complain!!
 
nothing but fleeting glimpse as the new footage is focused on the accident. but man I would love to see a good shot of that comet
 
The 1956 Oldsmobile coach in Post #2 first video and post #5 first video are a believed a Dixie Coach. Note drip rail over door and rear door upholstery in video compared to 1956 Dixie Coach photos below. Not sure about ambulance grilles in first noted video. Keep in mind the 1956 Comet Oldsmobile's and 1956 Dixie Oldsmobile's were both very similar and shared many components.

The two 1956 Dixie photos- Jeremy D. Ledford collection.
Comet photo- unsure, Rocky F or Atti?
 

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Froze some still shots from video for comparison.
 

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Jeremy, my guess is the Olds coach you brought to light is the '56 Dixie that was owned by Stone FH in Martinsville, which later split FH and ambulance services into separate businesses. Plate partial visible enough anywhere in video to match up?

attachment.php
 
Couldn't see a plate to do a positive ID on but I had the same thoughts to as the coach belonging to Stone's. I need to look back in my Dixie name plate records and see if they made a set of Stone plates in about 1956! Totally gong on styling/craftsman ship queues on the ID on this one as there where only very suttle differences between Dixie and Comet in 1956! As for the ambulance grilles any ideas? I'm pretty sure those aren't Dixie.
 
hard to say I noticed the glass etching and it looked superior to me. never seen that on a comet. but it was defiantly a Olds not a Pocho. the back door upholstery looks spot on for the Dixie. here is my screen shot of it. the other car pictures is a 57 or 58 superior. in the ladder accident.

you got to love the load and go. you see vary few people with any packaging at all all most no neck restraints or back boarding. just grab them by the shoulders and knees and put them on the gurney. 4 guys grab the gurney and carry it to the car.
 

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