Mr. Christie had a long history of developing internal combustion engine powered race cars, and the first taxis, before he got into fire engines, so I assume, as you said, this thing had an internal combustion engine in the front, and a steam powered pump in the back. I suspect that a fire department could even recycle its steam pumps with a contraption like this.

Christie later developed the modern tank suspension, but died before his radical ideas were accepted.

---

It might be that at the time steam pumps were more reliable tahn cumbustion engines. But then why swtich from horses if they unreliable?
My guess is they had not figured out how to do Power Take Off from the drive engine to the pump engine. As has been stated they were many steam pumps in use that could be reusesd at a economical cost.
Maybe its a combination of both.

---

[/quote]

Old James

It might be that at the time steam pumps were more reliable tahn cumbustion engines. But then why swtich from horses if they unreliable?
My guess is they had not figured out how to do Power Take Off from the drive engine to the pump engine. As has been stated they were many steam pumps in use that could be reusesd at a economical cost.
Maybe its a combination of both.

Could also be that the early internal combustion engines could drive the truck, but might have been short on power to run the pump.

---

"Freedom is just Chaos, with better lighting." Alan Dean Foster

I always liked the look of the early Ahrens-Fox Engines. They were the first to build motorized engines.
Here is one from a friends collection.

Any steam engine takes a lot of work, hence their decline. A friend of mine that helps operate a historic steam locomotive tells me the stoking/lighting crew gets called out 8 to 12 hours before the engine can move. A fire department would need to keep the boiler hot 24/7.

---

Nope, the boiler was kept ready but not hot. Here is the Handbook For American Fire Engine Company Steam Engines It gives directions for starting the firebox an operation of the pump.

Any steam engine takes a lot of work, hence their decline. A friend of mine that helps operate a historic steam locomotive tells me the stoking/lighting crew gets called out 8 to 12 hours before the engine can move. A fire department would need to keep the boiler hot 24/7.

Not true, The accounts I have read stated they kept a fast burning tinder under some fast burning fuel to get the coal hot and steam up on the way to the fire. There was no way they kept the steam up at the fire station. To much smoke and it would have been a fire hazard with the sparks shooting out of the stack inside a fire house.
Back in the day when a fire call box was pulled. It sent a coded message to the fire station. (And belive it or not the first duty staion I went to in the Air Force used the same coded system. It was like telegraph code. It would sound out .... .. ... . the code was 4-2-3-1. We then looked at our code book and that gave the address to the building that was sending it. This was in 1972. It was the only base I was at that had it.) The first person down the pole lite the fire. Meanwhile the other would get the horses and put the harness and tack on them. So Unless the fire was across the street they had time to get the boiler up to steam. I also think they used what was known as Channel coal. fast burning with high heat output.

I think the break through in pumping water was when they got away from pistons pushing water to the rotary pump. Then when venturi pumps came out that was when real progress was made.

---

[/quote]

Old James

This is weird.
I was just reading this thread and went out to the balcony.
Who was outside? Yes the fire brigade:)
They dont have steam engines anymore however the name "steam" seems to be stuck.
Like for instance steam rollers, "ångvält".
I think they are still used.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OFsnQvxylTY

Here is a YouTube How to light up a steam locomotive.