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Antique and Vintage Toy Model Fire Trucks

Toy fire engines first appeared around 1880, made of cast iron and tinplate. Known as fire wagons, these toys included pumper wagons, horse-drawn chief's wagons, ladder wagons, and other accessories.

Interestingly, the toy fire trucks of the 1920s predicted the engines of today. Toy makers combined the traditional horse-drawn wagons with a truck body to create something similar to today's fire engine. The three most famous makers of these early fire-fighting toys are Dent, Kenton, and Hubley, though other companies like Tonka and Marx would later make smaller scale tin and steel engines...

Note that cast-iron fire trucks have been frequently reproduced, so it's important to look at authenticity.

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Interviews & Articles

An Interview with Firefighting Memorabilia Collector Don Croucher

I started collecting firefighting memorabilia in the 1960s around the time I became a volunteer fireman here in Orange County. My … [more]

NASCAR Model Cars, from AMT to Revell

I started my site in about 1990 and my original thought was to feature NASCAR models. It’s like an online model show. I specialize… [more]

An Interview with Show Rod Model Car Collector Dave Rasmussen

I got interested in show rods as a boy in the late 1960s. We all built models back then. There was no Nintendo and only three or f… [more]

Japan's Best Postwar Export? Tinplate Cars

I used to have a huge collection of diecast 1/43rd-scale Dinky Toys, Corgi Toys, and things like that. I had so many that it got t… [more]

An Interview with Slot Car Collector and Author Philippe de Lespinay

Growing up in postwar Europe, there wasn’t much money around, so you had to make your own amusements. I’d look at the toys in a to… [more]

An Interview With Antique Toy Model Car Collectors Ron Sturgeon and Rodney Ross

Ron Sturgeon: I had an automotive repair shop in about 1976 and spent a lot of time repairing Mercedes. About 1979 I decided to st… [more]

Guest Column: Collecting Toy Cars, A Healthy Addiction

I’ve been collecting vintage toys since 1982. I started slowly and methodically, partly for lack of information, mostly for lack o… [more]

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Clubs & Associations: Firefighting

Discussion Forums: Firefighting

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Top eBay Auctions

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Recent News: Model Fire Trucks

Source: Google News

Sanibel Captiva Land Sea Air Event To Benefit CCMI
Island Sun and River Weekly, February 8th

"Guests really went all out last year in being unique and fun in their arrivals from driving an antique 1906 Ford Model N to a cow-themed convertible, antique Rolls Royce and even decked out golf carts," said Tracey Galloway, CEO of CCMI...Read more

PATRICK'S PEOPLE: Dan Knaup's 1947 Crosley truck is a rare collectible
Pittsburg Morning Sun, February 7th

“Crosley didn't make a fire truck,” Knaup said. “This was a pick-up truck that was made into a fire truck.” He has been a Crosley fan for many years. “I surely caught the antique car 'bug' from my dad, Ray Knaup, who was an avid collector,” Knaup said...Read more

Salem may get firefighting museum
Eagle Tribune, February 7th

Firefighting memorabilia now at the town museum would be moved to Hose House 2, Breen said. The chief said he knows of many other items local firefighters would want to display at the new facility. That includes a 1955 B Model Mack, an antique fire...Read more

Readers share their special wedding stories
Peoria Journal Star, February 4th

By Anonymous Wedding shoes decorated with jeweled spiders, riding on an antique fire truck, twins having a joint ceremony - the Journal Star asked readers to share their stories on what made their weddings special or unique...Read more

Antique fire gear on display at Gettysburg event
Yorkdispatch.com, February 3rd

The four-day event began Wednesday and culminates with the antique and modern fire truck display on Saturday. The display is open to the public and free to attend, said Ken Bouhl, a co-organizer. The conference will be held at the Eisenhower Hotel...Read more

Colorado man killed when pickup collides with fire truck in Fayette County
Memphis Commercial Appeal, January 31st

By Kevin McKenzie A 69-year-old Colorado man died while his female passenger and three volunteer firefighters were injured in a crash Monday involving a pickup truck and a fire truck on Interstate 40 in Fayette County. The Tennessee Highway Patrol...Read more

Firefighting history finds permanent home
Stock Journal, January 29th

SOME of South Australia's firefighting history may soon have a permanent base in the South East, offering the public a chance to view appliances and memorabilia and to learn about the history of the Country Fire Service. Naracoorte's SA Volunteer Fire...Read more

You haven't lived here until ... you go to the antique toy and firehouse museum
Detroit Free Press, January 21st

WHERE DOES THE "ANTIQUE" COME IN? Also on display are firefighting equipment and fire wagons from the 1800s -- the oldest was used in 1854 -- and 12000 decades-old, fire-themed toys from companies as diverse as Buddy-L, Con-Cor, Nylint, Tonka,...Read more