Bigfork restores vintage fire engine

The faithful horses that used to pull it are long gone, but Bigfork's 1899 fire engine endures.

After 106 years, the fire department is asking the community for donations to help restore the steamer engine to its red-and-gold glory.

The Waterous steamer No. 102, Extra 1st Class was originally drawn by three horses and was attended by a wagon that carried 1,000 feet of hose. It was in service from 1899 to 1937. On August 12, 1916, it was rebuilt and tractorized by American LaFrance and remains in that same form.

The last time the boiler was inspected was 1937, when it was retired from service, but not from display.

"Every year we run her in the Fourth of July parade, and sometimes during Christmas," said Katie Edwards, secretary of Bigfork Fire & Medical. "We want to be able to continue to drive it [without] causing further damage or even worse, injuring our operators and the public.

"We would like the Bigfork community to have some ownership of this engine and be able to display it in the summer for our visitors," Edwards said.

Restoration is turning out to be expensive, she said. Estimates are $125,000 to $150,000.

"We have found persons on the East Coast who do this very thing. They are locating the missing pieces and parts that are broken and need repaired. They would be the ones doing most of the restoration. Our part will be disassembling as needed and shipping it out to them."

Organizers have ordered about $1,700 worth of parts, including a radiator cap, a generator, gauge glasses, discharge caps and lanterns.

The starter went to Kansas City to be rebuilt. The radiator is in Kalispell to have a couple of small holes repaired.

"The next extremely important project is to send the rear wooden spoke wheels along with the front cast-iron wheels back East to be restored," Edwards said. "This will cost us about $2,000 apiece for shipping and restoring them."

A trailer is needed for moving the old engine around, and other projects include renickeling parts and repainting the main parts in red and gold.

The vehicle represents a huge investment in man hours already, Edwards said. Among those who have put in a lot of volunteer time is Duane Rehard.

"We have set up a fund for the work to be done and all donations are tax deductible. If you have any questions or would like to set up an appointment to come take a look at the engine, give us a call at 837-4590," Edwards said.

"We would like the Bigfork community to have some ownership of this engine and be able to display it in the summer for our visitors," she said.

Donations may be mailed to Bigfork Fire & Medical, 810 Grand Drive, Bigfork, MT 59911, with "old engine" designated on the memo line.

Reporter Chery Sabol may be reached at 758-4441 or by e-mail at csabol@dailyinterlake.com