They purchased many more Ahrens-Foxes over the years, but not another equipped with a piston pump.

It was the last piston pump equipped Ahrens-Fox fire engine that Cincinnati purchased in 1928. It bounced around between 2 or 3 volunteer department over the next few years and then was placed in storage. It served as Engine 9 in Cincinnati until about the mid-1950’s and then was sold to an upstate Ohio volunteer department. I usually show it in two local cars shows during the year also. It runs and pumps well and we’ve traveled to Boise, Idaho in 2002 for their Centennial and Victoria, British Columbia, Canada in 2008 for their 150th Anniversary. My Dad and I purchased it in 1982 did a complete restoration of it over about 10 years. Owned by Terry Hill, a 1928 Ahrens-Fox, M-S-4 piston pumper, ex-Cincinnati, Ohio Engine 9. Some body work has begun, but that will take several years to complete. The generator has been replaced with a low-RPM alternator, the electric starter has been repaired, and all the fluids and settings repaired or re-set, so it is now road-worthy. It is currently undergoing restoration, focusing primarily on the engine and drive train for now, including a complete brake job and other mechanical components. Today, this classic example of the American-LaFrance tradition is house in my Fire Hall in Newberg, OR. This is the condition the truck was in when it was dispatched in 1935 to fight the catastrophic Capitol building fire in Salem, which was a total loss in the end due to its balloon construction and lack of city water pressure. The mechanics also installed a three-speed 'Brownie' in the drive line, a 12vdc electrical system, including a massive generator and electric starter, front wheel hydraulic brakes - it came from the factory with rear mechanical brakes only - and added an engine-operated vacuum boost system for all brakes, and some red warning lights. Mine had been bored out for a displacement of 1100 cu.in., providing enormous torque not only to run the pump, but also to deal with Portland's hills.

In the early- to mid-1930s, the Portland mechanics reworked both sister engines to replace the ALF engine with Hall-Scott 177s. Nor did it have an electric starter, so it was hand-cranked each time. There was no generator, so when the battery faded, it would have to be recharged at the station house. It had a rudimentary electrical system, consisting of a large 6vdc battery that was used only to power the headlights and searchlight. It is now owned by Chapter President, Matt Simek of Newberg, Oregon.Īs a city engine, it had no booster tank or reel, but a massive 1,000 GPM geared pump and large hose bed. It was placed in service as Engine 22 in downtown Portland. This classic American-LaFrance pumper was one of two purchased by Portland, OR, in 1923, and shipped by train from Elmira, NY in December of that year.

American lafrance 700