Fire Engines Photos

Lovely looking machine, but dont you think the radiator is very Rolls Royce'ish. Wonder if there's a connection

Added by Richard Simpson on 16 October 2010.

The Ahrens-Fox Fire Engine Company of Cincinnati, Ohio, used this "gable" radiator and hood design on its fire engines from 1919 to 1931. Bickle became the Canadian sales agent for Ahrens-Fox in 1923. In 1928, Bickle decided to launch their own fire engine design, as well as continuing to sell Ahrens-Fox fire engines in Canada, and Ahrens-Fox engineers from Cincinnati came to Canada and helped Bickle develop it. Two major differences from the Ahrens-Fox design were the horisontal instead opf vertical hood louvres, and the left-hand steering (Ahrens-Fox used right-hand steering). This new design was in production at Bickle from 1928 (not 1926) until 1936, five years after Ahrens-Fox stopped using gable hoods and radiators.

In 1937, Bickle came out with a new design, based on a 1935 Ahrens-Fox design then still in production in Cincinnati.

In 1939, Bickle severed its 16-year relationship with Ahrens-Fox and became Canadian sales agents for Seagrave fire engines made in Columbus, Ohio. Not suprisingly, Bickle's own fire engine line after 1939 looks remarkably like Seagrave fire engines of that era, in adiditon to the actual Seagrave fire engines Bickle sold.

Added by Ed Hass on 17 October 2010.

I always love seeing something my family built ❤️

Added by John Bickle on 27 July 2026.

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