Horse-Drawn Melbourne Fire Engine Converted to Motor Drive, 1914

In July 1914 the oil fired Steamer at MFB Station 38 South Melbourne was motorized with the addition of an Itala car converted to a tractor and designated as Car 23. The conversion was carried out at the MFB Workshops.

This bizarre vehicle was built by shortening a heavy touring car, by moving its rear axle to just behind the gearbox, removing the rear wheels, and fixing it to the chassis side-members. The rear springs were reversed and rested on the front axle of the fire engine. That is the middle set of wheels visible; they were chain-driven from what had been the car rear axle.

The original front axle of the fire-engine swiveled, and this was presumably retained to avoid a long rigid wheelbase, so it was effectively an articulated vehicle. It was built because there had been a spate of serious accidents when people tried to tow fire-engines with cars.