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1922 American LaFrance 700 gpm
This 1922 American LaFrance motorized pumper was manufactured in Elmira, New York, and shipped from the factory in a railroad boxcar to the Raritan train station. It has been in our possession ever since. It was our first-line pumper until 1947, and continued as an auxiliary apparatus into the early 1960’s. The engine could be run on battery or magneto, which means that it could be started with an electric starter or, if that failed, by hand crank. The headlights, spotlight, and flashlight operated on battery, but oil lanterns were carried nonetheless. The rear axle was chain-driven, the wheels were wooden with steel rims, and the tires were solid rubber. The pump discharged 700 gallons of water per minute, fed by a fire hydrant or at draft. The hose bed had a capacity of several hundred feet of 2½” hose. The apparatus was equipped with ladders, nozzles, axes, extinguishers, turnout gear, and hard suction hose for drafting. A bell and an electric siren warned people and vehicles to move aside. We restored this apparatus during the 1970’s.
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