Fire Engines Photos

The rig is a very early Ahrens Fox Continental model double dome piston pumper. There weren't many of these. I have a book I need to look up in the next couple of days which has a picture and more info. I know the rig was first assigned to Engine 18 at Mt. Elliott & Sylvester and later reassigned to another company. I'll follow up with better info later.

Added by Russ Volkert on 03 June 2007.

This is indeed an Ahrens-Fox Model A piston pumper. Engine 18 was Ahrens-Fox Registered Number 502, shipped from the Ahrens-Fox factory in Cincinnati to Detroit on April 18, 1912. Detroit Fire Dept. paid $7781 for this pumper, which was powered by a 6-cylinder Brownell T-head gasoline motor. It went in service at Engine 18 on April 23, 1912, and was assigned Detroit Fire Dept. Repair Shop vehicle number 234. It was traded-in on a new pumper to Seagarave of Columbus, Ohio, in 1937.

Added by Ed Hass on 11 March 2008.

Interesting historical tidbit: the Mr Brownell of Rochester, N.Y., who developed and built the motor that powered this pumper, also developed the highly simplified Brownell Patent camera, which became the famous Kodak "Brownie" (presumably short for Brownell) camera. My dad had a little Brownie 120 mm black-and-white film camera (which took photos of hundreds of fire engines), and I still have his Brownie color movie camera and projector, as well as many reels of fire engine movies he took with it.

By te way, the photo is only the second Ahrens-Fox motorized fire engine built. The first, No. 501, was built for Rockford, Illinois, in 1911. Two of these Ahrens-Fox Model A engines survive, both built in 1913: one is complete and fully original and has been in dead storage since 1958 (I had the privelege to see it in 1971), the other is a huge pile of parts that is slowly being restored but will likely not see sunlight again for many years.

Added by Ed Hass on 09 February 2009.

Update on the 1913 Ahrens-Fox Model A restoration project: the bare chassis has now been hauled to its new home near Dayton, Ohio, where restiration will occur and where it will be displayed when completed. Although I'm not the owner, I'm the one who found it, and I' heading up the search for what's missing. We have the frame, wheels, axles, and chain-drive mechanism, and the double-dome pump; we can get or fabricate all of the body sheet metal. The two most difficult things to find will be the Herschell-Spillman 6-cylinder T-head gasoline engine, and the huge Fedders radiator (a core can be made, but need a shell to fit the core into).

When completed, this will be the first Ahrens-Fox Model A in running condition, on the road and pumping, since 1958. Even better, this is the very same Model A (#516) featured on the US bulk-mail postage stamp!!!

It looked, and will look, very similar to the one Detroit had in this photo.



Added by Ed Hass on 17 April 2009.

I came accross this site Looking for past information about my late Grand father who was a Detroit Fire Fighter(Captain Edward Mitten)the year died in the line of duty on 2/13/1939.
I never had a chance to meet my Grampa, and would like to find out any information I can about service.
He died in the line of duty when my mother was very young and I have limited knowledge about his servive with DFD.
I do know that his name is inscribed on the Fire fighters memorial in Michigan.
I would like to be able to pass any information about him along to my son(his Great Grandson), who is tring to follow along in his profession.
My son served in the US Marines in Iraq as a Fire/Crash/Rescue specialist, and now that he has served his his term in the service, is trying be hired as a fire fighter in the Metro Detroit Area.
Thanks for any information or help you may be able to offer.

Added by Edward Titus on 08 April 2011.

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