Engine No. 2 - El Paso, Texas

The El Paso Fire Department’s second steam pumper was built in 1901. In the center is a coal fired water boiler that provides the pressure to pump water through the fire hose. El Paso’s original water system was gravity fed with low pressure, so advanced fire-fighting technology such as this engine allowed businesses to build taller (four-story) buildings that could still be protected from fire. One of El Paso artist Tom Lea’s childhood memories was of the Fire Department’s steam pumper, pulled by two black horses and billowing smoke, galloping past the family home on Rio Grande. Later, when his father was Mayor, he visited a fire station and was allowed to slide down the pole.

Area: Central / Downtown