Yat Ming 1:24 1923 Maxim C-2 Fire Truck

Companies that make fire-fighting apparatus can have long and circuitous histories, as the tale of Carlton Maxim’s company attests to. Having established himself in business in 1888, Carlton joined the Middleborough, Massachusetts Fire Department in 1912. They purchased a Knox fire truck that year, and were looking for another in 1914. Carlton, who was unimpressed with the Knox, requested that he be given the chance to offer a truck of his own design to them. The town of Middleborough granted his request and he went to work. Utilizing an E. R. Thomas Flyer passenger car chassis (testament to the ruggedness and durability of Thomas’s products), Carlton produced his first motorized fire-fighting vehicle (a hose car) that same year. Maxim’s new truck more than satisfied the Middleborough Fire Department’s requirements and they spread the word that a new manufacturer, incorporated under the name of Maxim Motor Co., was on the scene. Soon, Maxim’s inventiveness and ingenuity garnered contracts with fire companies in surrounding communities and Maxim rolling stock became a fixture in Cape Cod and southeastern Massachusetts—expanding to fire companies across the country.

Maxim was bought out by Seagrave in 1956 and became its Maxim Motors Division. While a part of Seagrave, the Maxim Model “F” was introduced in 1959, followed by the Model “S” in 1960. Maxim’s affiliation with Seagrave ended in 1963, when they decided to get out of the fire equipment business and sold Maxim to FWD Corporation, a well-established fire truck builder. In addition to building complete trucks, Maxim became known for making high quality, reliable aerial ladder assemblies. These were installed on the trucks of other manufacturers. Crown Firecoach installed Maxim aerial ladders exclusively from 1969 to 1975, when FWD sold Maxim to North St. Associates—parent company of Ward LaFrance, another fire-fighting icon. The company name was changed to Maxim Industries. Because of a failure to meet its loan payments, Middleborough Trust froze Maxim’s assets and shut down the plant in 1981. David Dean, a former Maxim salesman in 1946, bought the company’s assets and reopened under the name Maxim Motor Company, Inc.

Three years later, in 1985, Harley Waite, Jr. acquired the company and renamed it Maxim, Inc., moving it from its address at 25 Wareham St. in Middleborough to 336 Weir St. in Taunton. A Canadian company, UTDC Inc., of Kingston, Ontario acquired Maxim in 1988, moving it back to its hometown of Middleborough, to a new address at 9 Abbey Lane. This was to be the final chapter in Maxim’s history, however, because the company’s doors were closed for the final time in 1969, after 101 years in business. On January 10th and 11th, 1990, a total liquidation auction drove the final nail into Maxim’s coffin. In the end, quality and innovation weren’t enough to save Maxim from the twin onslaught of competition and financial woes.

Yat Ming has brought out another fine 1:24 image in its fire truck series—the 1923 Maxim C2 Pumper. It’s done with the same quality and attention to detail that has become synonymous with Yat Ming’s fire truck images. The engine has a fair amount of detail. That level of detail is also evident at the driver’s position, on the pump mechanisms, hose bed, and on the undercarriage. While you have the image upside down, be sure to notice the neat little bit of detailing aft of the transmission that shows how the drivetrain is connected to the pump mechanism, situated under the driver’s seat. Features include: a swiveling (but not pivoting) searchlight; lots of shiny, brass fittings; two, cowl-mounted lanterns (that look like they can be removed—but be careful!), a (non-working) bell mounted above the hose bed; a soft plastic bench seat; and various bits of mounted (but not removable) equipment. Other, separate extras include two mountable ladders, and a mountable/removable fire extinguisher. Three additional items you get in the box are a collectible gold coin, a data card, and a model examination tool. All in all, Yat Ming has kept up the standards with this new image. I look forward to more.

In its day, Maxim ranked among the best of the fire-fighting equipment and vehicle companies. That Maxim existed throughout the majority of the Twentieth Century, pays mute testimony to the quality and innovation of its products.

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