Antique Apparatus

Horse Drawn Hose Cart: (Currently on Display)

While most fire departments in our area are lucky to have saved one of their antique pieces of apparatus, we in North Syracuse have the privilege of saving three. We have the first piece of fire apparatus that was in service when the fire department was formed in 1913, and they purchased a 1913 hose cart. The maker is unknown, but probably made by a carriage company around the early 1900's. It still is in original condition, and is displayed for fire education events.

Engine #11: (Currently under Restoration)

The second piece of antique apparatus was a 1923 American LaFrance 750 G.P.M. Pumper. It was manufactured south of Syracuse, in Elmira New York, and caries a registration number of #4155. This pumper was originally made for the City of Syracuse Fire Department and is very special because it has a drive shaft, and is not chain driven, as all of the early 20's American LaFrance apparatus were. The City of Syracuse had ordered 3 of these unique pumpers, and #4155 is the only one left. The other two were sold as scrap during the 2nd World War. Each of the 750 G.P.M. rotary pumps have 750 pounds of brass in them, and were in big demand for scrap during the war.

Engine #4155 was stationed and designated as Engine Company 11 during the beginning of its stay in the Syracuse Fire Department and it covered the East side of the city. It was sold to the North Syracuse Fire Department on December 5th, 1955 for the sum of $275.00. At the time of the sale, the 1923 American LaFrance was stationed and designated as Engine Company 16, located on South State Street.

NSFSD Engine #13 Specs:
1923 American LaFrance Type 75 Pumper
Serial Number 4155, Motor Number 2571
170 G.P.M. Midship Rotary Mount Pump at 120psi
Equipped with a 6 cylinder American LaFrance "T" head engine
72.6 Horse Power

The North Syracuse Fire Department designated it as Engine #13. It protected North Syracuse until July 1963 when it was donated to the Rail City Fire Department located in Sandy Creek, New York. In 1980 it was returned to the North Syracuse Fireman's Association. Since then it has changed ownership many times.  In the year 2000, Engine 13 once again found a home with the North Syracuse Fireman's Association which is funding its restoration project.

Engine #2: (In Service as a Parade Piece)

Our third antique is a 1943 Chevrolet/ Buffalo 500 G.P.M. pumper, built for the U.S. Navy. There are many of these war time fire apparatus still around. This one never saw any combat, but it was Navy grey and loaded with cosmoline when the fire department received it from the Corps of Engineers. It was painted red and used by the North Syracuse Fire Department until the late 1960's. It has been restored by the North Syracuse Fireman's Association. The restoration began in 1996 and was completed in 1998. It is used for Association activities, parades, and fire prevention.

Featured at the National S.P.A.A.M.F.A.A. Convention in Syracuse 1999.

"THE DUCE"

1943 Chevrolet/ Buffalo
6 cylinder Chevrolet engine
4 speed manual transmission
500 G.P.M. Hale Centrifugal Pump