Restoration of Appleton's Old Engine 5 takes longer than expected but still is moving forward

Duke Behnke, Appleton Post-Crescent
·2 min read
The restoration of Appleton's Old Engine 5 pumper truck, shown here in the 1950s, is continuing in Bristol, Wisconsin.
The restoration of Appleton's Old Engine 5 pumper truck, shown here in the 1950s, is continuing in Bristol, Wisconsin.

Reader question:  Is Appleton's restored fire truck located at Fire Station 1 on Drew Street? What are the hours and restrictions for visitors?

Answer: Old Engine 5 hasn't returned home yet. It's still undergoing restoration by a retired firefighter in Bristol, Wisconsin, where it's been since 2014.

Consequently, there are no display details or viewing hours to announce.

Two years ago, I reported that Old Engine 5's return to Appleton was anticipated by late summer 2020. That didn't happen.

Appleton firefighter Brad Brautigam, project manager of Revive Old Engine 5, now hopes the truck will return by the end of this summer, but given the previous setbacks, the timeline is anything but certain.

"It's not mechanically finished yet," Brautigam said. "It's very close. There were some issues with finding replacement parts. COVID and a bunch of stuff kind of delayed the process and made it longer than we thought it was going to be, but it's still moving forward."

After the truck arrives in Appleton, it will be repainted to make it showable again, Brautigam said.

"Our patience will pay off," he said. "It's going to be really beautiful when it gets back eventually."

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The motor of Old Engine 5 shines after restoration work.
The motor of Old Engine 5 shines after restoration work.

Old Engine 5 is a 1925 Seagrave pumper that served Appleton for 39 years, from 1928 to 1967.

After the truck was retired and sold at auction, it found its way to Watertown and then to Rockford, Illinois, where it was stored in a barn for nearly 40 years and largely forgotten. In 2011, the owner called Brautigam to say he was interested in selling the truck back to Appleton.

The nonprofit organization Friends of the Appleton Fire Department raised $12,000 to purchase the truck in 2012. The group then launched the Revive Old Engine 5 campaign to raise money for restoration. Brautigam estimated that the purchase and restoration will cost about $100,000, and the group has secured $97,000.

"We're sitting pretty well on donations," he said.

Any funds not spent on the restoration will be applied to maintenance and insurance. No tax dollars have been used for the project.

Plans call for Old Engine 5 to be displayed at Fire Station 1, 700 N. Drew St., as part of the fire department's historical collection. It will serve as a backdrop for children learning about fire safety and the history of the department.

The showpiece also will be used in parades and will accompany off-duty firefighters when they collect donations for charities.

Post-Crescent reporter Duke Behnke answers your questions about local government. Send questions to dbehnke@gannett.com or call him at 920-993-7176.

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This article originally appeared on Appleton Post-Crescent: Appleton 1925 fire truck restoration takes longer than expected