Ahrens – Fox Model N fire engine
Ex - North Tarrytown, NY. Ahrens - Fox Type N Fire Engine. 1931.Don Hale restored this large piston pumper to its original condition in 1990. It served for almost 25 years with the Rescue Hose Volunteer Fire Company of North Tarrytown, New York. Ahrens-Fox fire engines were highly regarded by firefighters. Their massive piston pumps could draft water from ponds or rivers with great efficiency – a handy capability for towns and cities with harbors or riverfronts. learn More
Mack Model AC / Holloway
City service ladder truck. Ex - Baltimore, MD. Mack / Holloway Ladder and Chemical Truck. 1922. Acquired in 1988.The Baltimore Fire Department bought several Mack “Bulldog” trucks from the Army after World War I. In 1922 the Department’s Maintenance Shops matched this 1919 Type AC Mack with a Holloway horse drawn ladder/chemical wagon built around 1885. The truck went into service at Ladder Company 24 in 1923 and remained in use until 1952. learn More
Merryweather Fire Engine
English. Ca. 1913. Braidwood body style fire engine. Ex - Lima, PeruThis English engine employs a novel three cylinder piston pump that was used on English fire engines as late as 1940. It was sold to the city of Lima, Peru in 1920, where it joined the International Engine Company 14. Retired in 1957, it came to the United States in 1979. The Museum acquired the rig in 1984, and it was restored by Don Hale in 1985. learn More
American La France
Type 400 Senior fire engine used in Burlington, IA.1938 American La France Type 400 Triple Combination Fire Engine.The earliest motorized American fire engines, which appeared around 1910, used an engine called the T-Head: a single row of four to six pistons which were cast in sets of two in the shape of a large “T”. One side of the T contained valves for the fuel intake, and the other side had valves for the exhaust. learn More
American La France Type 700 fire engine
Built 1951. Acquired 2000.American La France introduced the model 700 in 1946. The cab forward / midship engine model increased maneuverability, allowed easy access to the pump and engine, and seated a full engine company. This made it unnecessary for crewmen to ride to the fire on running boards or the rear “step”, a practice which killed hundreds of firemen. Soon all American manufacturers copied the “cab forward” style. learn More
Gallery II
In Gallery II are about 25 motorized rigs dating from 1914 to 1948. One of these pieces, a 1952 American La France fire engine from Miami, Arizona, is available for boarding by visitors. There is a massive 1919 Mack “bulldog” ladder truck from Baltimore, Maryland; a majestic 1931 Ahrens – Fox pumper from North Tarrytown, New York; and a pair of American La France Metropolitan fire engines commonly regarded as the most attractive American fire engines a=ever made. Another visitor favorite is a 1913 Merryweather fire engine built in London and used by the fire department of Lima, Peru for over 30 years. All of the pieces on display are fully restored.
