Our Apparatus
1956 GMC/Seagrave Pumper
This 1956 GMC/Seagrave pumper served the Mill Creek Fire Company in Delaware for more than two decades and represents a unique example of mid-20th-century custom fire apparatus built on a commercial truck chassis.
In 1956, Mill Creek Fire Company purchased a new GMC truck chassis from Michener Bros. GMC Truck Dealership, a local dealership located in Marshallton, Delaware. The chassis was
equipped with GMC’s 324 cubic-inch V8 gasoline engine and a 5-speed manual transmission, a common and reliable drivetrain for heavy-duty trucks of that era.
After the purchase, the chassis was shipped to Seagrave Fire Apparatus in Columbus, where the fire apparatus components were installed. Seagrave completed the truck with a custom fire body,
pump assembly, and water tank, creating a fully functional pumper tailored to the department’s needs. The apparatus was equipped with a 750 gallon-per-minute pump and a 300-gallon water tank, providing the department with a capable engine for both hydrant operations and rural water supply situations.
The hose bed was configured with split hose beds, each carrying 1,500 feet of 2½-inch hose, allowing the engine to lay long supply lines when responding to fires. This setup made the apparatus especially useful for the varied response areas the department protected during the 1950s and 1960s.
In the late 1960s, the original engine suffered a catastrophic failure while responding to the Gaylords department store fire on Miller Road. Rather than retiring the apparatus, the department
replaced the original engine with a 348 cubic-inch V8, allowing the pumper to continue serving the community for many more years.
The apparatus remained in active service until 1977, when it was retired and sold after Mill Creek acquired a newer Seagrave engine to replace it. For many years afterward, the location and fate of the truck were unknown. In late 2025, the apparatus unexpectedly resurfaced when it was discovered listed for sale on Facebook by a seller in Wisconsin. Although the truck was missing its drivetrain and portions of the pump body had been removed, it still retained several important historical features, including its original green paint and Mill Creek Fire Company lettering.
Recognizing the significance of the find, arrangements were made to purchase the apparatus and bring it back home. The truck was transported back to Delaware, where it is currently undergoing restoration in an effort to return it to its original appearance and preserve its history.
Due to its remarkable level of originality and the lack of evidence of service elsewhere, it is believed that this apparatus only ever served with the Mill Creek Fire Company, making it a rare surviving example of a department-specific apparatus from that era.
Today, the restoration project aims to return this historic pumper to its former glory, preserving an important piece of Mill Creek Fire Company history and a unique example of a 1950s GMC/Seagrave fire engine
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1964 C Model Mack
This 1964 Mack served the Good Will Fire Company in New Castle, DE from 1964-1996. The truck then went on to serve a rural department in Alabama for several years. In 2023 this truck was found in Florida and returned back to Delaware.
1968 Maxim
This 1968 Maxim S-Model engine-tanker originally served the Ellendale Fire Company for nearly 50 years before being retired in 2016. Following its retirement, the truck was sold to a private collector who carefully maintained it in the same excellent condition in which it left service. The truck is powered by an 817 Waukesha gas motor and 5-speed manual transmission.
Nicknamed the “Pond on Wheels” by the Maxim Motor Company, this rig was groundbreaking. It was the first 2,000-gallon, engine-tanker Maxim had ever built. When placed in service in 1968, it was the largest engine-tanker operating on the Delmarva Peninsula, bringing unprecedented water-hauling capability to the rural area.
Even more impressive, this truck is one of only a handful of Maxim tankers built on the S-Model chassis, making it an exceptionally rare survivor and a major preservation victory for Delaware’s fire service history. Most Maxim tankers of the era were constructed on commercial truck chassis.
Through private funding, this truck now belongs to the Delaware Historical Fire Society, where it will be preserved and enjoyed by the public for generations to come.
Special thanks to Strano & Feeley Family Funeral Home for their generous donation, which helped ensure this important piece of history was transported back to Delaware safely.
1981 Mack CF
This 1981 Mack CF pumper has a long and interesting history of service spanning more than four decades and multiple departments. Built during the era when Mack fire apparatus was known for their durability and distinctive design, this engine represents a classic example of the legendary Mack CF series that served fire departments across the United States for many years.
The apparatus was originally delivered in 1981 to the Bryn Mawr Fire Company in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. At Bryn Mawr, the engine operated as part of a busy suburban fire department protecting the Main Line communities outside Philadelphia. The truck was delivered in Bryn Mawr’s distinctive yellow-over-green paint scheme, a color combination that became well known in the region.
In 1989, after eight years of service in Pennsylvania, the engine was purchased by the Talleyville Fire Company in Delaware along with its identical twin. Following the purchase, both apparatus were sent to the Swab Wagon Company, a well-known fire apparatus refurbisher. At Swab, the trucks underwent modifications including repainting the apparatus from Bryn Mawr’s yellow-over-green to a traditional red fire apparatus color scheme. Additional minor modifications and updates were made to better suit the operational needs of Talleyville. Talleyville operated this Mack in front-line service throughout the late 1980s and 1990s.
In 1998 the Mack was sold and purchased by the fire brigade at the DuPont Experimental Station in Wilmington, Delaware. The Experimental Station is one of the most historic research and development campuses operated by DuPont, and its fire brigade is responsible for protecting laboratories, industrial facilities, and research buildings on the property. The Mack continued to serve in an industrial fire protection role there for nearly two decades.
In 2017, after many additional years of service, the engine was sold to a private owner in Honey Brook, Pennsylvania. While no longer operating as an active fire apparatus, the truck remained preserved and maintained. In 2022, the Mack returned to Delaware, bringing it back close to where it spent much of its operational life. During its restoration and preservation process, the apparatus was re-lettered to represent its years of service with the Talleyville Fire Company, honoring the department that operated it for nearly a decade
This Mack CF It is powered by a 237 horsepower Mack diesel engine paired with an Allison HT-740D automatic transmission, providing dependable power and performance. The apparatus is equipped with a 1,000 gallon-per-minute Waterous fire pump and a 600-gallon water tank.
Today, this Mack CF stands as a preserved piece of firefighting history, representing the legacy of Mack fire apparatus and the many firefighters who operated it throughout its decades of service.
1986 Mack CF/Pierce
Dover Fire Department (Robbins Hose Company) - Engine 3, 1986 Mack CF/Pierce
Like many pieces of Delaware fire apparatus, this 1986 Mack CF eventually made its way out west, where it went on to serve for another 21 years.
Dover Engine 3 was purchased new in 1986 by the then Robbins Hose Company. By that time, Mack Trucks was no longer producing complete fire apparatus, only chassis. This Mack CF chassis was shipped to Pierce Manufacturing in Wisconsin, where the pump and body were installed. It was the first Mack/Pierce ordered by Robbins Hose Company.
Engine 3 was unique in several ways. It featured a low hose bed, a 500-gallon water tank, a 2,000 GPM pump, and six sections of hard suction. Dover operated the truck until it was sold in 2003.
After leaving Delaware, the truck was sold to a broker in Missouri, where it underwent several modifications. The original 500-gallon water tank was removed and replaced with a 1,000-gallon tank. Four sleeves of hard suction were removed from the driver’s side and replaced with additional compartments.
In 2004, the engine was purchased by Fire District 7 in Crawford County, Arkansas, where it remained in service until November 2025.
We were fortunate to meet with the Chief and President of Fire District 7 while in the area this past month and were able to negotiate a deal to bring this truck back to Delaware where it can now be preserved and appreciated as part of our state’s rich fire service history.
