Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Model I-K-2 piston pumper/hose car. Ahrens-Fox chassis, 156 wheelbase. 4 cyl. Ahrens-Fox Improved T-head motor #930, 5-7/8" x
7", 55.22 ALAM horsepower, 80 brake horsepower, dual exhaust valves. 20" cone clutch. 40-gallon gasoline tank. 20" steering wheel.
700 GPM Ahrens-Fox front-mount piston pump, 4-3/8" x 6" major (1.515 gallons per revolution), 3-3/4" x 6 minor side (1.101
GPR). Gear ratio, engine to pump, 56-15 (3.73 to 1). Hosebed capacity 1250 of 2-1/2 hose. 12" bell, 20 extension and 12 roof
ladder (folding hooks).
July 20, 1918: Bid proposal. Salesman J. Gossner, Ahrens-Fox export agent, Imperial Export Co., 15-25 Whitehall St., New York,
NY.
March 3, 1920: Fire & Water Engineering magazine, page 501HAKODATE CITY PURCHSES AMERICAN PUMPER. Hakodate
City, Japan, recently purchased an Ahrens-Fox pumper, and the illustration on this page shows the group present at the official test at
the Lotus Pond of the Imperial Palace in Tokyo. The group consists of the purchasing committee and the authorities of the Tokyo fire
department as follows: 1, Mr. T. Ninagawa, Sales Manager, Japan Automobile Co. (J.A.C.); 2, Mr. Qwasaki, treasurer, Hakodate City;
3, Mr. Y. Kasai, Chief Engineer of Tokyo fire department; 4, Mr. D. Suyewaga, vice-mayor, Hakodate; 5, Mr. Kochi, sales dept.,
J.A.C.; 6, Mr. Y. Katsuta, Chief of Hakodate fire department; 7, Mr. Shida, captain of Tokyo fire department; 8, Mr. Umemura,
assistant engineer, J.A.C.; 9, Mr. Shibato, engineer, J.A.C.; 10, Mr. Schimidzu, Captain, Tokyo fire department.
Caption for above photo, from March 3, 1920 Fire & Water Engineering magazine, page 501: Pumper Purchased by Hakodate City,
After Test In Front of Lotus Pond, of Imperial Palace, Tokio, Japan.
1920: Citizens of Hakodate contributed another 56,000 yen (approximately $19,600) to buy two more Ahrens-Fox Model
I-K-2 piston pumpers (#789 and #1101) and give to the fire department.
Hakodate 1919 Ahrens-Fox I-K-2 #764 as it looks today in museum at Hakodate firehouse.
Email: fd-hakodate@city.hakodate.hokkaido.jp
Hakodate 1919 Ahrens-Fox I-K-2 #764
Received Aug 1919 replaced an 1879 steamer made in England
Cost 28,000 yen (roughly $9800) gift of the citizens of Hakodate, first of its kind in Japan
Had a crew of ten
Could throw a stream of water to a distance of 46.2 meters (approximately 1516)
2,838 liters (750 gallons) per minutes
Length 6m 36cm (about 209)
Width 2m 7cm (about 610)
Height 2m 45cm (about 8 feet, presumably to top of spotlight)
Weight 7 tons fully equipped
Wrecked Ahrens-Fox #789 at March 1934 fire in Hakodate, Japan; below is another pumper of unknown make responding through
the flames, rubble, 70 MPH winds, and flying embers.
1921 Ahrens-Fox I-K-4 #796, rebuild of wrecked 1921 I-K-2 #788 built for Hakodate, Japan, at SPAAMFAA antique fire engine
muster, Liverpool, NY, 1971 (Bob Ward photo)
The paint may be faded and the upholstery tattered, but the City Seal of Stoughton, MA, is still on the seat riser! (Ed Hass photo, at
Valhalla, NY, June, 1973)
Line of Ahrens-Fox piston pumpers at antique fire engine muster, Kensico Dam, Valhalla, NY, June, 1973. Cal Pixleys 1921 I-K-4
#796 is in foreground. Next in line are Halesite, NY 1925 J-S-2 #1237 and Ho-Ho-Kus, NJ 1931 M-S-4 #1780.
(Ed Hass photo)
Cal Pixleys #796 sandwiched between two other Ahrens-Fox piston pumpers at Valhalla, NY, June, 1973. At left is A.J. Quirks 1994
HT #3481 (ex-Freeport, NY), and at right is Jim Murrays 1939 HT #3456, ex-Belleville, NJ. (Bill Hass photo)
Mel Wildbergers Fox #796 pumping into his 1893 Hale water (ex-New Orleans).
April. 1985: Sold to Keith F. Franz, 4349 Hillside Rd., Slinger, WI 53086, (414) 644-5784. Difficulty obtaining clear title: Mel
Wildberger vanished, and person who was storing it does not own it to sell to Franz.
November 11, 1994: Herb Barber (1937 YC #9028) told me that he saw this rig first week in October in storage at Lime Rock, NY.
Dr. Kue of New York City started storing it in barn at his summer home in Lime Rock for Mel Wildberger about 15 years ago, but
Wildberger did not pay the storage fees he owed, then vanished. Dr. Kue has only recently obtained clear title to it, and now wants to
sell it for $20,000. Still runs, complete including equipment (even has Ahrens-Fox extinguisher), still lettered Stoughton on hood and
Reg. #796 on plate on side.
July 19, 1921 Portsmouth (Ohio) Daily Times page 9 article about city council meeting in New Boston, OH.
April, 1990: Sold to Joe Craynon, 5880 Princeton-Glendale Rd., Hamilton, OH 45011, (513) 887-0707, who found it in a junkyard
near New Boston.
The need for better fire protection for Tokyo was obvious, and among other measures, a rush order was placed for a new AhrensFox piston pumper.
November 16, 1923: Shipped to Tokyo, Japan. Sale by J. Gossner, Ahrens-Fox export agent, New York, NY. Batteries on all AhrensFoxes to Japan were shipped bone dry. $10,100.
#1164 in 1964 (courtesy Bob Schierle) and with relettered hood after restoration (courtesy Wayne Sorensen)
1982: Tokyo still has, in museum at repair shop of Tokyo Fire Board. Wood spoked wheels and solid tires front, steel wheels and
pneumatic tires rear.
Hi all,
I scanned the photo and postcard from the Tokyo Fox # 1146.
I took the photo in April 1997 and the postcard I got from someone earlier.
The Japanese text on them reads: "Marunouchi Fire Station"
The 3rd photo (black & white one) is from a French fire engine book and I assume that it's the same Fox as it's mention as a 1924
model.
Only the Japanese writing is different on it so haven't find out that meaning.
Never saw photos of the Hakodate # 764 and the Yokohama # 788; 789; 1101 ones.
Hope you like them.
Best wishes,
Frank