By Jim Mead —
Being built in 1866, the Owego Fire Department’s steam fire apparatus is one of the oldest preserved in North America. As such, it exhibits some very early and rare construction techniques and operating features. To begin with, the steamer was delivered with both a horse tongue and a fireman’s tiller. As the designated steamer district was basically the downtown area, it would seem that the apparatus may have been hand-drawn as often or more so than by horses.
The tiller is a most magnificent affair, allowing four firemen to steer the front axle. Coming from beneath the tiller were two lengths of sturdy rope held on spools that adjust for the amount of rope withdrawn, if 20 men responded, 16 might pull on the ropes ahead and four steer from behind. A reenactment of this will make an exciting sight.
Those same four Firemen on the steering tiller are also the only slowing and stopping means available, excepting for wooden block hand applied brakes on the rear wheels. They don’t stop much.
Additionally, if you doubt that it is a hand-drawn artifact, I would point to the fact that it is far from the largest steam fire engine available at the time. In all matters, it is essentially just right as Owego’s first mechanically powered apparatus.
At some point in time, a cistern system of water delivery was established within the village. That system may or may not have had hydrants early on, but we know that it did have horse troughs that were also available for the steamer to draft water from. There was also the fact that Bacon Street and Ross Street Extension, that still exist, were meant as permanent firefighting access to the river.
There are many other historical aspects and stories that surround the steamer including a fast trip, by train, on the DL&W Ithaca Branch; this included a number of Firemen on an urgent call for a major fire in Ithaca. Many of these exploits were reported in newspapers and other publications of the time. Once I was familiar with many of them, but I’m afraid they have left me. Thankfully the Fire Department Historian is much younger than I and dedicated to accuracy.
What it Means – To provide some context as to what a marvelous artifact it is we are so lucky to have, the Amoskeag Manufacturing Company of Amoskeag, New Hampshire also built full size railroad locomotives during the 1860’s. This would be like opening the doors of a long-locked railroad engine house and discovering a forgotten, high stepping, brass bound, highly decorated 4-4-0 American Standard Passenger Locomotive fit for the finest crack express train. Well preserved locomotives of the 1860’s-70’s are very rare and fire apparatus of the same era are rarer yet. It is a high responsibility to restore, house, operate and maintain such a National treasure.
How do I know it is safe? You don’t. Some states license engineers, some states inspect high pressure boilers, some do both and some do nothing. New York inspects high pressure boilers in commercial and public settings. The new boiler is being built to the specifications of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers as well as the National Board of Boiler and Pressure Vessel Inspectors.
All that is fine and necessary, but the fact remains that hand-fired and watered high-pressure boilers are very uncommon in the modern age. As the new boiler is an accurate replacement of the original, it has no automatic safety controls other than the standard excess pressure relief valve. So the safety of the entire operation depends upon the knowledge and abilities of the human operators.
I’m sure you are beginning to see that education is paramount if the steamer is to be operated. I’m happy that the Owego Hose Teams has named this writer the Chief Engineer for Steamer Operations, it is a position of high responsibility which I accept with excitement. It is my hope that I will occupy the position only long enough until we develop a younger person who is willing to devote the time to becoming completely conversant with the safe operation of primitive high-pressure boilers. This will involve systematic training.
I’m pleased that my good friend of over 50 years, Dr. Jerry Bertoldo, of Attica, N.Y., has agreed to serve as Chief Training Officer for the steamer company. Jerry and I have grown in our knowledge of steam engineering together and I have full confidence in his abilities to execute this most important task. Some may remember that he was the Chief Operating Officer and Rules Examiner for the Tioga Central Railroad, he was also principal owner of the #12 steam locomotive that used to operate at Flemingville.
Dr. Bertoldo has been involved in many modern steam-oriented organizations and is currently head of steam operations and training for the Western NY Gas and Steam Engine Association. He is also a fully qualified engineer on the Adirondack Railroad. Some of you may have ridden behind locomotives under his control.
As a team, I am sure that we will be able to create and administer a training and qualifications program that will assure that all of our operators will be fully knowledgeable, and will operate only to the highest safety standards possible.
So when the steamer is returned we will engage in trials before final acceptance. It will be an all new experience for essentially everyone in the Department or on the hose team, other than myself. It will be interesting to see how much enthusiasm for continued operations, after the trials, remains when the youngsters realize that there is no way to prevent the machine from showering itself with acid rain, and therefore it requires complete polishing after every use.
But that’s all in the future, and for now the Hose Team will concentrate on completing the restoration, accepting delivery, training our people, and providing the most dramatic and safest exhibitions possible.
And remember, your donations toward the completion of the restoration are very much appreciated. You can learn more at www.owegohoseteams.com.
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