1924 American La France Type 45 Triple Combination Fire Engine
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Description
1924 American La France Type 45 Triple Combination Fire Engine. This engine was delivered to the Volunteer Fire Department of Pullman, Washington, where it was in first line service until 1961, when it was placed out of service and sold to a retired Pullman firefighter. He used it in parades for about 30 years. It was sold to Mr. Jonathan Ornstein of Paradise Valley, Arizona in 1992. Mr. Ornstein donated the rig to the Hall of Flame in 2007. Don Hale restored the engine to its original configuration in 2008. The engine has a 1,000 gpm rotary style pump. Its original chemical tank was replaced with an 80 gallon booster tank. It can carry over 1200 feet of hose. These three capabilities make it a "Triple Combination" fire engine. It carries an extra ladder and a roof ladder, but they were rated only as accessories, like an ax or pike pole. The engine has three spark plugs per cylinder. One set is powered by a battery and controlled by a distributor, allowing the engine to use an electric starter motor. Two sets of plugs are powered by a magneto. This allowed the engine to continue running even if the battery became depleted. Three plugs also provided many sparks to ignite the low octane gasoline used by motor vehicles in the 1920's. Most American La France engines in the 1920's came with hard rubber tires. This rig was delivered with pneumatic tires that allowed it to reach a top speed of about 35 miles per hour.
On display at the Hall of Flames Museum in Phoenix, Arizona.
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