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By Ron Heal
“Jumbo” is the Commonwealth of Virginia’s oldest piece of motorized fire apparatus. A large fire in March 1911 wiped out much of the Wharf area in Staunton, Virginia. That fire started the wheels in motion that would lead to the purchase of a 1911 Robinson 750-gpm piston pumper.
The Robinson Fire Apparatus Manufacturing Company was based in St. Louis, Missouri. In 1910 the company had introduced its first automobile pumping engine assembled on a chassis of its own design—built from the ground up to withstand rough use while performing fire duty. The Robinson “Jumbo” was a 750-gpm Robinson triple piston pump, powered by a Buffalo Marine RQ 109 150-hp engine. Some of America’s largest cities were early Robinson users. Detroit, Michigan; Boston, Massachusetts; Cleveland, Ohio; Los Angeles, California; and St. Louis, Missouri were early Robinson customers.
There was much anticipation in March 1912 when a 1911 Robinson pumper arrived in Staunton. The engine was big, sleek, and powerful for that time. Before a sale could be completed, the rig would have to perform as well as it had been advertised. Imagine a test run where 14 men and a ton of equipment were added for the test. The rig mastered Staunton’s hills and, on several occasions, was stopped at a hydrant to demonstrate good pumping ability. The pumper performed well. Despite some minor issues that were corrected by the manufacturer, the pumper was purchased for $8,500. “Jumbo” remained in working order until 1971.
The city leaders determined that the vintage pumper should be sold. The Staunton (VA) Volunteer Fire Department was able to purchase the pumper. The purchase of the pumper would be the start of several fund-raisers held over the next decade to start the process of a complete restoration. In 1979, the Robinson went to Billy Thompson’s White Post Restorations in nearby White Post, Virginia. For the next five years Billy Thompson and his crew would work on and off on the project, pausing from time to time to allow the Staunton volunteers time to organize another fund raiser to complete the restoration. The finished project in 1985 was awesome. It is difficult to realize now that the restoration was completed thirty years ago.
Today the big pumper is proudly displayed in a small fire museum located in the City of Staunton Fire & Rescue Station 1, 500 N. Augusta Street, Staunton, Virginia. It is thought that “Jumbo” is one of only two vintage Robinsons on display in America. A second 1915 “Jumbo” that served Globe, Arizona, is displayed at the Hall of Flame Museum in Papago Park in Phoenix, Arizona.
Staunton Fire & Rescue is staffed by 34 career fire fighters, a fire chief, two deputy fire chiefs, a deput