La France steam fire engine c 1895

By Herbert Stumm

The United States took the art of fire engines to new levels. Extensively decorated with plenty of polished brass they were, and still are the pride, and joy of their crews and communities. The top designs came from firms like Arans, Fox, Silsby, American and La France, and eventually were united under the La France banner. The company exists today.

This stunning Gold Medal winning model by Herbert Stumm is built to a 1:12 scale. The boiler is copper with water tubes. Bores are 15mm for the engine and 10mm for the pump. Stroke is 25mm. It weighs 5kg and is 260mm long by 150mm wide and 270mm high.

The engine is built from stock material, no castings were used.

Slide valves operate in a common steam chest located between the cylinders. The pumps are driven directly by the engine the crankshaft holds only the eccentric and drives the boiler feed pump. Pumps are double-acting with  bronze ball valves.

Rims of the wooden wheels have no felloes, and are built up from veneer strips, giving a most pleasing effect.

Herbert reports that the trickiest part of the build was putting the engine parts together. “I could not scale my fingers.” That necessitated making special tools and, sometimes, adapting the design.

The engine is painted in maroon, the colour used in the US before fire engine red came into being. The Dalmation dog sitting on the driver’s seat is authentic. In those days all crews included a trained dog.