The Ultimate American LaFrance Set

From the creation of the American-LaFrance Fire Engine Co. in 1904 through the company's latest deliveries in 2004, McCall provides insight into the company's often complex corporate history with emphasis on the development of ALF motor fire apparatus. Comparisons to its competitors help explain the various development stages in apparatus style and components. Detailed, historic photographs show the wide variety of apparatus produced by ALF over the last century. A color gallery portrays the ALF colorful designs that remain popular for U.S fire departments today. The story wouldn't be complete without a chapter on ALFCO's Canadian Cousin, LaFrance Fire Engine & Foamite Ltd. An appendix explains the various types and series and the time period they were built. An outline of the various names the company went through is also In 1934, at the depths of the Great Depression, the American-LaFrance-Foamite Corporation of Elmira, New York, designed and placed into production an uncommonly handsome new big-city fire engine. Powered by the company's industry-leading V-12 engine, the 400 Series Metropolitan had its high-capacity pump mounted in the truck's cowl ahead of the driver instead of in the usual midship location under the driver's seat. With its long, gracefully tapered hood, skirted fenders, classically-proportioned gabled radiator and oversized wheels, the big 400 was a triumph of industrial design - an eye-pleasing blend of form and function, and the industry's first truly styled fire engine. This authoritative, thoroughly-researched and richly illustrated book documents the big 400's relatively short, but spectacular, production life. This long-overdue, eagerly anticipated compendium is the only book ever published devoted exclusively to this revered American firefighting classic. The 1930s was the decade of style - an era of streamlining and bold, futuristic art deco design that influenced the look of everything from jewelry, furniture and skyscrapers to locomotives, ships, automobiles, and Fire engines. Calendar year 1938 was an epochal one for new product development by America's largest manufacturer of motor fire apparatus, as the company introduced its first hydraulically-operated all-steel aerial ladder along with the industry's first compact, cab-forward aerial ladder truck. But the biggest news that eventful year was its ultra-streamlined 500 Series fire apparatus. With its dramatically clean styling the art deco 500 Series suddenly made everything else look old-fashioned.This authoritative, superbly researched and lavishly illustrated book documents the American-LaFrance 500 and 600 Series' remarkable nine-year production run from the late 1930s through the years immediately following the Second World War. In addition to the big 500/600 Series, the book also covers the lesser known "junior edition" B-500 and B-600 Series. Long overdue, this exciting compendium is the only book ever devoted exclusively to this controversial series and completes another fascinating chapter in American-LaFrance history. An American classic - capturing the attention of the industry, the American LaFrance 700 Series was introduced in 1945. With a radically new cab-forward design, it offered great improvements over pre-war models. Here is an exciting look at the American LaFrance 700 Series from its introduction. Carefully selected and researched archival photographs illustrate intricate detail changes of the American LaFrance 700 Series of fire apparatus. In this follow-up to the successful first volume, even more exquisite photographs offer another look at this classic American fire truck. Superb, never-before-published photography includes images from the Larry Zotti Museum Collection depicting 700 Series rigs in production on the original Elmira, New York assembly line. Also included are a number of rare photographs illustrating early private industrial rigs from the Leo E. Duliba Collection, as well as Grand Rapids, Michigans tandem back-end 700 Series ladder truck.