Seagrave
One of America's best-known manufacturers of fire apparatus, Seagrave's first motorized vehicles were powered by a 4-cylinder air-cooled engines; the first three were delivered to Vancouver, B.C. late in 1907. Two years later came the AC90 tractor, also with 4-cylinder air-cooled engine, for articulated ladder trucks, while in 1911 came the first fire engines with water cooling. These centrifugal pumpers carried their 6-cylinder engines under a long hood, though the air-cooled driver-over-engine 'buckboards' were made up to 1914. All Seagraves had chain drive up to 1922.
1915 saw a fwd conversion for 65, 75 and 85 ft. ladder trucks, the Model K with 4- or 6-cylinder engine. Seagrave also used Couple Gear electric chassis for their ladder trucks. In 1917 came the first motor water tower, and in 1922 a shaft-drive pumper with rounded hood, artillery or disc wheels which supplemented the older chain-drive models with Mercedes-type gabled hood, though the latter continued for six years longer. In 1923 a smaller pumper, the 350 gpm Suburbanite with 6-cylinder Continental engine appeared, and there were also larger pumpers of 750 to 1,300 gpm. A wide variety of fire apparatus including articulated ladder trucks were made in the 1920s.
In 1932 appeared Seagrave's 240 hp V-12 engine, designed to counter American La France's V-12 which had come in 1931. A smaller V-12, based on Pierce-Arrow's passenger car unit, was added in 1935, and the still smaller Seagraves such as the Continental-powered Suburbanite were still made. Very few Seagraves used commercial truck chassis, but some were built on Ford and Reo chassis in the 1930s because of the Depression. In 1935 new styling with a V-radiator grille was adopted, and this lasted until 1951. The first limousine "Safety Sedan Pumper" came in 1936, also smaller pumper series called Sentry, of 500 to 600 gpm capacity. Articulated ladder trucks with both open and closed cabs were still made during the 1930s and 1940s.
In 1951 came the 70th Anniversary Series, completely restyled with the siren built into the center of the radiator grille; this lasted until 1970 and was used in a wide variety of apparatus, pumpers, rigid and articulated ladder trucks, with open and closed cabs. The big V-12 engine was retained and a new model with 300 hp came in 1955. Seagrave equipment was offered on a number of commercial chassis in the 1950s including Ford and International. In 1959 came the first cab-forward models, though conventionals continued until 1970. Seagrave was the first major fire engine builder to offer an aerial platform (snorkel) in 65 and 85 ft. sizes, in 1961. The following year Waukesha and Hall-Scott engines were available; production of the V-12 dwindled during the 1960s. The company was sold to FWD in 1963; the Columbus plant was gradually run down and production transferred to Clintonville.
Seagrave had introduced the Rear Admiral, a rear-mounted turntable designed for the new cab-forward chassis, but because of the move to Clintonville none were delivered for several years. Seagrave fire engines were made at Clintonville alongside FWD's own Tractioneer cab-forward pumpers. In 1969 a new company was formed in Columbus to make fire equipment on commercial chassis, sold under the name Seagrave Commercial - by Timpco.
The last conventional pumper of the 70th Anniversary Series was delivered to Jackson, Mich. in 1970. In 1972 Seagrave introduced a new custom cab-forward range with Detroit Diesel engines, made in combination pumper and articulated ladder truck form. They also built chassis for the Pierce Mfg. Co. of Appleton, Wisconsin.
From Coachbuilt