1917 ALF Type 17-6 85' Tillered Aerial Ladder Truck Reg. No. 1775
| Help us restore this old Fire Truck to its former glory. This is the original motorized aerial ladder truck for the | ||
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| Reno Fire Antique and Classic Apparatus, Inc. is a Nevada Nonprofit Corporation established to acquire, restore and display fire apparatus related to the Reno Fire Department. RFACA, Inc. is a 501 (c) 3 charity for federal income tax purposes. We need your help to restore this classic 1917 ALF Aerial ladder truck that served the Reno Fire Department from 1917 to 1940. Membership dues are $120 per year. All the officers of the Corporation serve without pay. If interested in helping with this project call Jon Wagner, Sta.10 A (750-0883 cell), Chester Ross and Bruce Brown, Sta. 10 C, Ben Rupert, Sta. 1 B, Kevin Seirer, Sta. 17 A or Frank Gonzales, Sta. 10 -C. |
Historic Photos
| This is a factory photo of a ALF Type 17 similar to ours. |
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This is the 1917 ALF aerial with the ladder raised on the bell tower at Old Central ca. 1917. We have 18"x24" posters available for sale of this print for $25 plus S & H. All proceeds benefit RFACA and go towards the restoration of this truck. |
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This picture shows the 1917 aerial raising a banner for a Fireman's Assoc. fundraiser in the 1930s at the First National Bank bldg, at the corner of Second and Virginia Sts. |
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This picture shows the 1917 aerial with the ladder partial raised. Photo taken on Arlington Ave. near the Truckee River looking North. The bell tower of St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church on Second St. is visible in the background. |
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This picture shows a view from the top of the ladder looking down toward the tractor. |
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This picture shows a view of from the turntable looking up the ladder. |
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Aerial rasied on the Clay Peters Building, 118
Virginia St.
ca. 1917 |
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Aerial rasied on the Clay Peters Building, 118
Virginia St. Firemen climbing the ladder.
ca. 1917 |
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Aerial rasied on the Clay Peters Building, 118
Virginia St. Firemen on the roof.
ca. 1917 |
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This image was created by Ernie Ross of Art Images, a graphic arts company in Sparks, NV from the three preceding photographs. We have 18'x 24" posters of this image available for sale for $25 plus S & H. All proceeds benefit RFACA and go towards the restoration of this truck. |
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!928 Golden Hotel Fire
Original photo source: UNR Special Collections. |
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1928 Golden Hotel Fire
Original Photo Source: UNR Special Collections. |
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1928 Golden Eagle Hotel Fire
Original Photo Source: UNR Special Collections. |
Restoration project
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February 2006. First trip to Portola Valley, CA to inspect the ladder truck. The tractor has been stored in this three sided shed with a dirt floor for 30 years. |
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April 10, 2006. Bringing the tractor home. Mark Stevens, Chester Ross and Jon Wagner. |
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Unloaded the tractor at home April 11, 2006. (L-R) Mark Stevens, Bruce Brown, Art Reitz, Chester Ross, Frank Gonzales and Bob Goodman. |
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This is how we found the trailer. It was disconnected from the tractor in 1950 and parked on the edge of a field. The trees grew over the fence and over/through the trailer. |
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Trailer extricated from 56 years of tree growth. No wooden ladders, no aerial mechanism, running boards rotted away. April 6, 2006. Chester Ross, Bruce Brown and Jon Wagner cut it out of the trees and put the wheels back on in preparation for hauling to Reno. |
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Bringing the trailer home to Reno. Dave Larson donated the use of his Fire Truck hauler. Aug. 12, 2006 |
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Intake side of the motor. |
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Carburetor Oct. 5 |
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Exhaust side of the motor. |
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Radiator. |
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Fifth wheel assembly. |
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Chain drive assembly. |
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Pack rat nest found in an exhaust port. |
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Cylinder jugs. The jug in the foreground has two of the securing ears cracked off. |
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Pistons and rods. 5-1/4" bore x 6" stroke. |
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Crankcase still in the frame. |
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On the way to be steam cleaned a second time. Jan. 10, 2007. |
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Crankcase removed. Standing, left to right, John Braun, Chester Ross, Frank Gonzales, Bruce Brown, Bob Goodman and Richard Lund. Aaron Yohey kneeling. |
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Removing the crank shaft and cam shafts. Dave Larson. |
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Sandblasting April 9, 2007. Loren Batzloff, Kevin Seirer, Chester Ross, Jon Wagner. |
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Drive back to Michigan and Indiana to pick up an aerial mechanism and ground ladders from a 1919 ALF. Oct. 2007. Walt and Jon Wagner. |
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Close up of the aerial mechanism. The wood ladder is a 55' ladder and it is cracked. Our ladder needs to be 85' so we will probably have to reproduce the ladder. The wheel in the upper left position is used to crank down the ladder. The lower wheel is used to extend and retract the fly. The horizontal wheel to the lower left is used to rotate the turntable. The long steel tubes laying horizontally near the bottom contain the springs used to raise the ladder. |
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Frame ready to prime and paint. December 2007. |
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March 2008. Stripping the old paint off the front wheel. Preparing to refinish. |
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July 2008. Chester mixing primer. We applied Sherwin Williams Corrosion Shield Vinyl Etch primer. |
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Front of the frame after application of etching primer. |
