Detroit Fire Department
1920 Pumping Engine
X-Engine 40
This is a 1920 Seagrave with a 750 gallons per minute pump and chemical tank system. The engine is a Seagrave F Series motor. It was purchased new by the Detroit Fire Department and operated at Station 40 until being placed in reserve status.
This engine is remark-ably original.
Having come from recent storage with mostly original paint and patina.
Station 40 originated at 12th & Labelle in November 1919. It was designed by the Architectural firm of Spier and Cehrke and constructed by Max Bartholomaie & Sons Company for a sum of $87,193.20. Ladder 17 also responded from house #40 starting December 1920. Apparatus floor space was a slim 8,651 square feet.
Powered by the immense "F" series motor and rated at 80 horses the engine moves along at about 20 miles per hour. The motor runs a single dual magneto set up and this allows the rig to be started on battery and then switched to magneto 1 or 2 if the driver, officer, or department required.
The small cups on the sides of the cylinders are for cold weather starting. When weather was at its worst the chauffer would add a small amount of gasoline into each of these cups and open the pet-cock and allow fuel to enter directly into the cylinder. The motor does have a choke, but when these rigs needed gas it sometimes wasn't enough.
It has a magneto but very surprising no generator. The department only used the battery for starting the rig and then would switch to the magneto once the engine was started.
Thanks to Hal Fillinger. Hal's web site link www.halfillinger.com
