Posted 2 years ago
patliphart
(1 item)
Two large cast iron fire trucks approximately 24" long (each) belonged to my Grandmother circa early 1900's.
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They are pressed steel, not cast iron. The one on the left looks like a Keystone and the one on the right a Buddy L. Both nice items.
AzTom is exactly right. You have 2 great examples of Keystone and Buddy L pressed steel fire trucks. If you have pictures of the bottom we can be more certain that they are authentic. Assuming they are, you have 2 very valuable pieces.
The larger truck is approx 3' On the side it says Keystone Water Tower with real Pump and the smaller one has a turning steering wheel and a label on the side CFD.
They are both real 1920's toys. They're both very good examples. Do either have any flat spots or other damage to the tires? The Buddy L truck is missing some parts, including the ladder. Whatever you do - DO NOT attempt any restoration or have anyone else do any restoration work. The only thing I would recommend is a gentle, very careful, non-abrasive cleaning. Don't try to get the rust off, straighten any of the metal parts or anything because anything like that will damage their value permanently. There are a small handful of people in the world that can do a proper restoration on an item like this, and it really isn't worth it.
I found a ladder with the trucks. It is leaning against the Keystone water truck. Is this it? I will check the tires. Thanks
The original ladder for this Buddy L truck had 10 steps, and this truck actually had 2 ladders, one that hung on each side of the rack. There was also a pulley arm that extended above the rope spool. Don't get me wrong, your Buddy L is still a very nice nearly complete example. The ladder that is leaning against the side of the Keystone truck actually belongs with it! It should hang on the side of the truck just behind the water container, and there would have been 2 ladders for that truck originally as well. With these types of toys, the ladder is the most common piece that is missing. Other than that, it appears the Keystone is more complete than most.
I checked the tires on the Keystone truck, the tires are in good condition. No flat parts. On the smaller truck, the tires seem to be metal. The steering wheel actually turns the tires.