Frank,
Info on all of those Kennett Square shots:
1925 Hale, Type 4, open cab, 400 GPM, type S pump, two chemical tanks, pump no. 903, job no. 902, delivered 3/27/25. It was housed on 6/13/25. It had a front suction, which was unusual for that era. The pump was rebuilt on 5/14/30 with a Dreadnaught type MOD. It was traded in for $575 in 1937. It was later bought by Hockessin Fire Company (New Castle County, Deleware) in 8/37. It was privately owned by 1955.
1931 Ahrens Fox, Model N-T-4, Reg. #3405, Motor #3206, 1000 GPM front-mounted pump. It was delivered on 9/1/31 at a cost of $13,000 and housed on 11/14/31 with no windshield. During the 1970's it was sold to a local farmer by the name of Ben Reynolds in Avondale. The company purchased it back after Mr. Reynolds passed away. This is the pride and joy of the company which still ownes it to this day.
1937 White W-Series/U.S. Fire Apparatus, full cab, 500/200. It was housed on 6/11/38 for $4,730. It was utilized for out of town calls primarily-for this reason it had an enclosed cab because of the distance traveled on many of the calls. When purchased-the only one in Chester County like this. In 1942 a new hose reel was added. Completely overhauled in 1943. By 1956 it was overloaded and the pump did not work well. A portable pump was installed for $520, and it was converted to a field piece. Replaced in 1963.
1951 GMC/Bruco, six-man cab, 750 GPM. The chassis was purchased from the McCord Motor Company of Kennett Square, pump mounted in center of cab, broad plated front bumper, single compartment behind rear wheels, this type of cab was not standard offering of the manufacture at the time – it had to have been built aftermarket by a specialty builder. It was housed on 9/29/51 at a cost of $18,000. In 10/64 a motorized hose reel was purchased.
1956 Beck/Ahrens Fox, Model ECB-750, Motor #1021063, canopy cab, 750/500. It was delivered on 7/30/56 at a cost of $19,794 and housed on 10/11/56, serial no. 2003, 455 CI Waukesha gas motor, 5-speed manual transmission. This is one of only two built by Beck/Ahrens-Fox with fully enclosed forward cabs. It was the first canopy cab in the company and in the county. It was sold to the St. John's University in St. Cloud-Minnasota in 1977. In 1996, owned by Dwight Perkins, MA.
1964 Dodge Power Wagon WM300/Bruco, full cab, 250/300, 4x4, diamond plate covered body, PTO pump, 5 ton winch, 251 CI straight 6 cyl., 4-speed manual transmission, sold in 1976 to Orangeville (Columbia County) for $8,000, sold to an individual in Boynton Beach, FL in mid 2003, sold on E-Bay for $16,885 in ‘01/04 to an individual.
1969 American LaFrance, 900 Series Spartan, canopy cab, 1000/1000, 6-71 Detroit diesel, sold in May of 1974 to the Union Fire Company-Carlise (Cumberland County) for $29,000, classified as the rural pumper because the pumper the borough purchased for the company could not leave the borough, repainted RW later, sold by them in 1992 to the Tigerville FC (Greenville County, SC), repurchased back by Union in 2005, needs restoration.
1954 Seagrave 70th Anniversary Series, semi-cab tractor with tiller trailer - 100 ft steel ladder. It was purchased used from Milwaukee, Wi. The tractor was replaced with a 1972 Ford C and it was last seen sitting in Abel Brothers Towing yard on Rt. 29 in Malvern, PA.
1972 Ford C-900/Seagrave tiller trailer, full cab, 100 ft steel ladder. The trailer is a 1954 which was purchased used from the Milwaukee Fire Department, WI. It was sent to Bruco in 1989 for a total refurb. The 1954 ladder was replaced with a 1965 Seagrave ladder from Clark, NV. It finally came back in 1991 with high side compartments on the tiller trailer with roll-up doors, 7.5 KW generator. The ladder was out of service at the end of 1994 and the most of 1995 due to the bearings being shot in the turntable. It was finally sent out for repair in 10/95. The tractor has a 477 CI gas engine, automatic. It was finally taken out of service in 12/2000, would not pass ladder certification, company did not want to put anymore money into it. Sold in 09/03 out of the fire service to Tom Quinn of West Grove. [b]For sale on E-Bay right now !.
1974 Ford C-900/Bruco, canopy tilt-COE, 1000/750, rear fenders and compartments are all diamond plate, 534 CI gas engine, automatic, 4 KW generator. It was refurbed and repainted by the company in 1994. The pump burned up in late 2000, was repaired. Sold in 12/05 to a company member for $2,000 who wants to refurb it and give it back to the company.
1975 Ford CT-900/Bruco, std. tilt-COE, 1000/2100, pumper-tanker, tandem rear axle, rear fenders and compartments are all diamond plate, 534 CI gas engine, automatic, stainless steel tank, 4.5 KW Onan generator, 12,000 lb. winch in front bumper. It was refurbed in late 1997-early 1998 with a $10,000 grant from the state by the company members who rewired it and added additional emergency lights. It was the sent out to a local vendor to be repainted. Ran only 5 calls in 2000. By 10/02 it was OOS, no longer road worthy. Sold in mid 2003 to a fire company in NM.
Info on all of those Kennett Square shots:
1925 Hale, Type 4, open cab, 400 GPM, type S pump, two chemical tanks, pump no. 903, job no. 902, delivered 3/27/25. It was housed on 6/13/25. It had a front suction, which was unusual for that era. The pump was rebuilt on 5/14/30 with a Dreadnaught type MOD. It was traded in for $575 in 1937. It was later bought by Hockessin Fire Company (New Castle County, Deleware) in 8/37. It was privately owned by 1955.
1931 Ahrens Fox, Model N-T-4, Reg. #3405, Motor #3206, 1000 GPM front-mounted pump. It was delivered on 9/1/31 at a cost of $13,000 and housed on 11/14/31 with no windshield. During the 1970's it was sold to a local farmer by the name of Ben Reynolds in Avondale. The company purchased it back after Mr. Reynolds passed away. This is the pride and joy of the company which still ownes it to this day.
1937 White W-Series/U.S. Fire Apparatus, full cab, 500/200. It was housed on 6/11/38 for $4,730. It was utilized for out of town calls primarily-for this reason it had an enclosed cab because of the distance traveled on many of the calls. When purchased-the only one in Chester County like this. In 1942 a new hose reel was added. Completely overhauled in 1943. By 1956 it was overloaded and the pump did not work well. A portable pump was installed for $520, and it was converted to a field piece. Replaced in 1963.
1951 GMC/Bruco, six-man cab, 750 GPM. The chassis was purchased from the McCord Motor Company of Kennett Square, pump mounted in center of cab, broad plated front bumper, single compartment behind rear wheels, this type of cab was not standard offering of the manufacture at the time – it had to have been built aftermarket by a specialty builder. It was housed on 9/29/51 at a cost of $18,000. In 10/64 a motorized hose reel was purchased.
1956 Beck/Ahrens Fox, Model ECB-750, Motor #1021063, canopy cab, 750/500. It was delivered on 7/30/56 at a cost of $19,794 and housed on 10/11/56, serial no. 2003, 455 CI Waukesha gas motor, 5-speed manual transmission. This is one of only two built by Beck/Ahrens-Fox with fully enclosed forward cabs. It was the first canopy cab in the company and in the county. It was sold to the St. John's University in St. Cloud-Minnasota in 1977. In 1996, owned by Dwight Perkins, MA.
1964 Dodge Power Wagon WM300/Bruco, full cab, 250/300, 4x4, diamond plate covered body, PTO pump, 5 ton winch, 251 CI straight 6 cyl., 4-speed manual transmission, sold in 1976 to Orangeville (Columbia County) for $8,000, sold to an individual in Boynton Beach, FL in mid 2003, sold on E-Bay for $16,885 in ‘01/04 to an individual.
1969 American LaFrance, 900 Series Spartan, canopy cab, 1000/1000, 6-71 Detroit diesel, sold in May of 1974 to the Union Fire Company-Carlise (Cumberland County) for $29,000, classified as the rural pumper because the pumper the borough purchased for the company could not leave the borough, repainted RW later, sold by them in 1992 to the Tigerville FC (Greenville County, SC), repurchased back by Union in 2005, needs restoration.
1954 Seagrave 70th Anniversary Series, semi-cab tractor with tiller trailer - 100 ft steel ladder. It was purchased used from Milwaukee, Wi. The tractor was replaced with a 1972 Ford C and it was last seen sitting in Abel Brothers Towing yard on Rt. 29 in Malvern, PA.
1972 Ford C-900/Seagrave tiller trailer, full cab, 100 ft steel ladder. The trailer is a 1954 which was purchased used from the Milwaukee Fire Department, WI. It was sent to Bruco in 1989 for a total refurb. The 1954 ladder was replaced with a 1965 Seagrave ladder from Clark, NV. It finally came back in 1991 with high side compartments on the tiller trailer with roll-up doors, 7.5 KW generator. The ladder was out of service at the end of 1994 and the most of 1995 due to the bearings being shot in the turntable. It was finally sent out for repair in 10/95. The tractor has a 477 CI gas engine, automatic. It was finally taken out of service in 12/2000, would not pass ladder certification, company did not want to put anymore money into it. Sold in 09/03 out of the fire service to Tom Quinn of West Grove. [b]For sale on E-Bay right now !.
1974 Ford C-900/Bruco, canopy tilt-COE, 1000/750, rear fenders and compartments are all diamond plate, 534 CI gas engine, automatic, 4 KW generator. It was refurbed and repainted by the company in 1994. The pump burned up in late 2000, was repaired. Sold in 12/05 to a company member for $2,000 who wants to refurb it and give it back to the company.
1975 Ford CT-900/Bruco, std. tilt-COE, 1000/2100, pumper-tanker, tandem rear axle, rear fenders and compartments are all diamond plate, 534 CI gas engine, automatic, stainless steel tank, 4.5 KW Onan generator, 12,000 lb. winch in front bumper. It was refurbed in late 1997-early 1998 with a $10,000 grant from the state by the company members who rewired it and added additional emergency lights. It was the sent out to a local vendor to be repainted. Ran only 5 calls in 2000. By 10/02 it was OOS, no longer road worthy. Sold in mid 2003 to a fire company in NM.
Bruce W. Anderson
Historian
Southeastern PA Region
Historian
Southeastern PA Region
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