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In the early 1900s, large fire trucks were not practical for most rural communities, both in size and expense. Recognizing a need, many fire apparatus companies built lighter-duty apparatus on car chassis, such as the Dodge B Series, Ford Model Ts, and, in this case, the REO Speed Wagon.
The REO Motor Car Company of Lansing, Michigan, manufactured the 1927 REO Speed Wagon. Though normal production of the Speed Wagon began in 1915, the chassis was adapted for firefighting in 1920. REO offered industry firsts on the Speed Wagon, including electric starters, lighting, shaft-driven axles, and pneumatic tires mounted on steel wheels.
This Speed Wagon was a hard-working small-town fire truck, built with a 6-cylinder engine and a triple combination arrangement. It offered three trucks in one, built on a single compact chassis – a hose cart, water pump, and a 40-gallon chemical tank. The pump, located under the driver’s seat, is a Model B-400 rotary gear pump manufactured by Waterous Fire Engine Works, Inc. of St. Paul, Minnesota. The B-400, as its name suggests, could pump 400 gallons of water per minute once a water supply was established. The truck also featured many accessories, including a bell, spotlights, and a Seagrave Rite-O-Way siren.
The Manitou Fire Department in Manitou, Oklahoma, purchased the REO Speed Wagon in 1927. The truck saw use until 1987, when it was sold to John Lewis of Lawton, OK. The 1927 REO Speed Wagon joined the Koorsen Fire Museum in 2017.
