Steamers

[District5]

This is Washington PA.'s 1872 Silsby steamer #361 in storage at Station Two. (Sep. 2002)

[Box 2565]

Springfield, Ohio purchased a pair of LaFrance steamers in 1902,  This is the machine assigned to Engine #2.

Photo from eBay.

[District5]

Engine 16 in Los Angeles really putting some smoke out of the stack.

This steamer and crew may be from the St. Paul, Minnesota F.D.
Photos via eBay.

[daysleeper47]

A horse-drawn steamer from the 1900's. Unknown department or city.

[District5]

Cicero, Illinois with their beautiful steamer.

In some cases the smoke that was being produced by a steam fire engine is far worse than the fire!  If you look down the steeet it appears that the building has been lost, but the steamer is still going strong.  this scene is from Decatur, Illinois

[Box 2565]

Another complete mystery is Engine 1 that is shown in this photo!

[daysleeper47]

This photo is of an unknown Ahrens-Fox Continental steamer pumping beside quarters of Engine 43, Spring Grove Avenue and Alfred Street, Cincinnati, one block down the hill from the Ahrens factory at Alfred and Cook Streets.

Source: http://www.geocities.com/ahrens_continental/ahrens_continental.html

[daysleeper47]

Registered Number GGG
1908 Ahrens Continental steamer with ALF tractor

2nd size Double Crane Neck Continental, horse drawn, wood wheels. Radial water tube boiler. 4-3/4" x 8" pumps, 700 GPM, air chamber ornament, bell atop pump. 8" x 8" steam cylinders. Length 13'6" (23'11" with pole). Height 9'3". 59" track. Weight 7800#.

1908: In service as Engine 1, Covington, KY.

1914: Motorized with 2-wheel American-LaFrance tractor serial #713, Type 22.

March 25, 1930: Traded-in to Ahrens-Fox on new pumper #3385. Resold to Bluefield, WV.

Source: http://www.geocities.com/ahrens_continental/ahrens_continental.html

[Box 2565]

The Rotary Pump & Engine Manufacturing Company was located at 3rd & Philadelphia Streets in Covington, Kentucky.  This advertising broadside dates to around 1860 and shows a steam fire engine they were offering for sale.  It is not known if the company actually built any steamers.

[Box 2565]

Loveland, Ohio
1894 American
Serial #2252
 

[Box 2565]

The cover page and centerfold of a Silsby pamphlet.

[Box 2565]

Letterhead from Amoskeag of Manchester, New Hampshire.

[RDW]

Independent Fire Company of Charlestown West Virginia

The writing on the sign reads as follows:
Idella #169
built 1872, rebuilt 1885
first fire engine of Independent Steam Fire Company

[RDW]

Independent Fire Company Charlestown West Virginia

Independent has moved from their station downtown into a former warehouse, I believe. Recently they built this addition onto their station, to house their steamer.
The photos were taken on May 5th, 2006

[Box 2565]

The whole crew is in the photo of this steam pumper at Milwaukee, Wisconsin.