VIDEO/PHOTOS: A nearly century-old piece of Appleton history has been restored to its former glory. On Thursday, the Appleton Fire Department’s 1928 Seagrave Old Engine No. 5 was on display at the Appleton History Museum. It was brought back to life thanks to the support of community members and local businesses.
Retired AFD Lieutenant Brad Brautigam, who managed the engine’s revitalization effort, hosted Thursday’s event and gave a presentation on the fire truck’s restoration. He said this project has been a long time in the making. “Through the Friends of the Appleton Fire Department, we raised the money to purchase the fire engine back in 2012. Then we got it back to Appleton and we raised more money to start restoring it. For the last 13 years, it’s been in that process,” Brautigam said.
Officials focused on restoring the engine’s mechanical and electrical systems, including completely rebuilding the motor so it could be driven once again. “The body was in such good shape that we decided to wait on doing anything with that, and it’s in such good condition that once we clean it up, we may keep it like this,” said Brautigam.
The truck will be part of the fleet at Station #1 going forward, but no taxpayer money will be used for maintenance or repairs. That will all be paid for by the Friends of Appleton Fire Department.
