Our Apparatus
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.
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.
