Guardians of The City SFFD Home Page - San Francisco Fire Department Museum
Apparatus: Motorized

Chemical Engines
San Francisco Fire Department
In Order of Purchase
1912 - 1916

Shop # Year & Manufacture Details
CE-11 1911 American LaFrance Type-5 Chemical Engine with two 80-gallon soda-acid chemical tanks and one 300-foot reel of 1-inch chemical hose
    Registration #85  
  Engine: American LaFrance 4-cylinder, 70 HP
  Delivery Date: December 19, 1911
    Equipment: 1 reel of 300 feet of 1 inch hard rubber chemical hose, 2 - 3 gallon Babcock Soda-Acid extinguishers, 1 - 12 foot straight ladder, 1 - 22 foot extension ladder.  All Chemicals carried hose and adapters to connect to hydrants for the refilling of the chemical  tanks and extra soda-acid charges
   
  In Service Company Details
    THE FIRST MOTORIZED APPARATUS IN THE DEPARTMENT
  Assignments:
    February 16, 1912 - 1917  Chemical 3
    1917 - 1926 Reserve
    1926 - 1931 Chemical 3
    1931 - November 25, 1946 Reserve
    November 25, 1946 Sold

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Shop # Year & Manufacture Details
Purchase   1912 Seagrave Chemical Engine
    Registration #6501  
  Delivery date in San Francisco: March 27, 1912
  Not Accepted

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Shop # Year & Manufacture Details
CE-12 1912 Pope-Hartford Chemical Engine with two 80-gallon soda-acid chemical tanks and one 300-foot reel of 1-inch chemical hose, 1-12 ft, 1 -14 ft straight ladder, 1-24 ft extension ladder, 2-2 ½ gallon soda acid extinguisher and adapters for filling tanks off of hydrants
  Engine: Pope-Hartford 4-cylinder, 40 HP
   
  In Service Company Details
  Assignments:
    December 17, 1912 - 1915 Chemical 11
    1915 - August 15, 1918 Chemical 6
    August 15, 1918 - 1926 Chemical 13
    1926 Reserve
      Sold

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Shop # Year & Manufacture Details
CE-13 1913 American LaFrance Type-10 Chemical Engine with two 80-gallon soda-acid chemical tanks and one 300-foot reel of 1-inch chemical hose
    Registration #277  
  Engine: American LaFrance 4-cylinder, 75 HP
  Delivery Date: April 25, 1913
   
  In Service Company Details
  Assignments:
    June 24, 1913 - April 14, 1916  Chemical 13
    April 14, 1916 - August 15, 1918 Chemical 5
    August 15, 1918 - 1926 Chemical 3
    1926 - 1931 Chemical 2
    1931 - November 25, 1946 Reserve
    November 25, 1946 Sold

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Shop # Year & Manufacture Details
CE-14 1913 American LaFrance Type-10 Chemical Engine with two 80-gallon soda-acid chemical tanks and one 300-foot reel of 1-inch chemical hose
    Registration #278  
  Engine: American LaFrance 4-cylinder, 75 HP
  Delivery Date: April 25, 1913
   
  In Service Company Details
  Assignments:
    July 30, 1913 - 1917 Chemical 2
    1917 - August 15, 1918 Reserve
    August 15, 1918 - 1930 Chemical 5
    1930 Reserve
      Sold

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  Year & Manufacture Details
537* 1914 American LaFrance Type-12 Chemical Engine with two 80-gallon soda-acid chemical tanks and one 300-foot reel of 1-inch chemical hose, chain-drive.  Leased for the Panama-Pacific International Exposition.
  *American La France registration number of leased apparatus
  Engine: American LaFrance 6-cylinder, 100 HP
   
  In Service Company Details
  Assignments:
    August 1, 1914 - January 1916 Panama-Pacific International Exposition, Station 2
    January 1916 Returned to American LaFrance for sale elsewhere

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Shop # Year & Manufacture Details
CE-15 1916 Ahrens-Fox Model L-19 Chemical Engine with two 80-gallon soda-acid chemical tanks and one 300-foot reel of 1-inch chemical hose
    Registration #711  
  Engine: Ahrens-Fox 6-cylinder motor, 5 7/8” bore x 7” stroke, 80 HP
   
  In Service Company Details
  Assignments:
    April 14, 1916 - 1917 Chemical 13
    1917 - 1937 Chemical 9
    1937 - April 6, 1949 Reserve
    April 6, 1949 Sold

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Shop # Year & Manufacture Details
CE-16 1916 American LaFrance Type-12 Chemical Engine with two 100-gallon soda-acid chemical tanks and one 300-foot reel of 1-inch chemical hose
    Registration #1419  
  Engine: American LaFrance 6-cylinder, 100 HP, motor #704
  Delivery Date: December 22, 1916
  1937: New Hall-Scott 176, 6-cylinder, 175 HP engine installed
   
  In Service Company Details
  Assignments:
    1917 - 1937 Chemical 11
    1937 - 1956 Reserve
    1956 Sold

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Shop # Year & Manufacture Details
CE-17 1916 American LaFrance Type-12 Chemical Engine with two 100-gallon soda-acid chemical tanks and one 300-foot reel of 1-inch chemical hose
    Registration #1421  
  American LaFrance 6-cylinder, 100 HP motor #702
  Delivery Date:  December 23, 1916
   
  In Service Company Details
  Assignments:
    1917 - August 1918 Chemical 1
     August 15, 1918 - 1926 Chemical 2
    1926 - 1931 Chemical 13
    1931 - 1946 Chemical 1
    1946 Reserve
      Sold

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Shop # Year & Manufacture Details
CE-18 1917 American LaFrance Type-12 Chemical Engine with two 100-gallon soda-acid chemical tanks and one 300-foot reel of 1-inch chemical hose
    Registration #1466  
  Engine: American LaFrance 6-cylinder, 100 HP, motor #736
  Delivery Date: January 29, 1917
   
  In Service Company Details
  Assignments:
    1917 - August 15, 1918 Chemical 2
    August 15, 1918 - 1931 Chemical 6
    1931 - 1937 Chemical 2
    1937 - February 1, 1945 Reserve
    February 1, 1945 - 1946 Chemical 12
    1946 - November 25, 1946 Reserve
    November 25, 1946 Sold

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Shop # Year & Manufacture Details
CE-19 1917 American LaFrance Type-12 Chemical Engine with two 100-gallon soda-acid chemical tanks and one 300-foot reel of 1-inch chemical hose
    Registration #1467  
  Engine: American LaFrance 6-cylinder, 100 HP, motor #739
  Delivery Date: February 1, 1917
  1937: New Hall-Scott 176, 6-cylinder, 175 HP engine installed
  LAST CHEMICAL ENGINE IN SERVICE
   
  In Service Company Details
  Assignments:
    1917 - 1926 Chemical 12
    1926 - 1931 Chemical 10
    1931 - 1937 Chemical 6
    1937 - 1948 Chemical 8
    1948 - 1956 Reserve
    1956 Sold

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Shop # Year & Manufacture Details
CE-20 1917 American LaFrance Type-12 Chemical Engine with two 100-gallon soda-acid chemical tanks and one 300-foot reel of 1-inch chemical hose
    Registration #1464  
  Engine: American LaFrance 6-cylinder, 100 HP, motor #741
  Delivery Date: February 2, 1917
   
  In Service Company Details
  Assignments:
    1917 - August 15, 1918 Chemical 4
    August 15, 1918 - 1926 Chemical 1
    1926 - 1930 Chemical 4
    1930 -  1936 Chemical 5
    1936 - November 25, 1946 Reserve
    November 25, 1946 Sold

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Shop # Year & Manufacture Details
CE-21 1917 American LaFrance Type-12 chemical Engine with two 100-gallon soda-acid chemical tanks and one 300-foot reel of 1-inch chemical hose
    Registration #1465  
  Engine: American LaFrance 6-cylinder, 100 HP, motor #740
  Delivery Date: February 2, 1917
   
  In Service Company Details
  Assignments:
    1917 - August 15, 1918 Chemical 13
    August 15, 1918 - 1937 Chemical 7
    1937 - 1941 Chemical 6
    1941 - 1943 Reserve
    1943 - 1946 Chemical 9
    1946 Reserve
      Sold

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Shop # Year & Manufacture Details
CE-22 1917 American LaFrance Type-12 Chemical Engine with two 100-gallon soda-acid chemical tanks and one 300-foot reel of 1-inch chemical hose
    Registration #1468  
  Engine: American LaFrance 6-cylinder, 100 HP, motor #738
  Delivery Date: January 29, 1917
   
  In Service Company Details
  Assignments:
    1917 - August 15, 1918 Chemical 3
    August 15, 1918 - 1926 Chemical 4
    1926 - 1931 Chemical 12
    1931 - 1937 Chemical 3
    1937 - 1940  Chemical 9
    1940 Reserve
      Sold

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Shop # Year & Manufacture Details
CE-24 1926 White Chemical Engine with two 80-gallon soda-acid chemical tanks and one 300-ft reel of 1-inch chemical hose
  Engine: White 4-cylinder, 40 HP
AC-1 1930: Converted in the Shop to an Air Compressor Truck.  Chemical engine body removed and installed on chassis from CW-16.  An Ingersoll-Rand, Type 20, 2-cylinder, 220 cubic-foot-per-minute air compressor with a Waukesha foot-cylinder, 36 HP engine installed with one "Lamb Air Foil" smoke extractor.  Shop number changed to AC-1
   
  In Service Company Details
  Assignments:
    1926 - 1930 Chemical 1
    1931 - 1951 Air Compressor Unit 1
    1951 Sold

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Shop # Year & Manufacture Details
CE-25 1913 White Hose Wagon with two 35 gallon soda-acid chemical tanks
    Registration #94061  
  Engine: White 4-cylinder, 40 HP
  1930: Converted to a Chemical Engine, CE-25, hose body and tanks removed, two 80 gallon soda-acid chemical tanks installed, one 300 foot reel of 1-inch chemical hose installed (For pre-conversion, see Hose Wagons, CW-16)
   
  In Service Company Details
  Assignments:
    1931 - 1937 Chemical 10
    1937 -  May 10, 1950 Reserve
    May 10, 1950 Sold

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Shop # Year & Manufacture Details
CE-28 1916 American LaFrance Type-12 Hose Wagon with 35 gallon soda-acid chemical tank
    Registration #1420  
  Engine: American LaFrance 6- cylinder, 100 HP, motor #705
  1930: Converted to a Chemical Engine, using the chassis from CW-18, adding two 100-gallon soda-acid chemical tanks and one 300-foot reel of 1-inch chemical hose. Shop number changed to CE-28
   
  In Service Company Details
  Assignments: (Pre-conversion, see Hose Wagons, CW-18)
    1930 - 1938 Chemical 4
    1938 Reserve
      Sold

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Shop # Year & Manufacture Details
CE-29 1916 American LaFrance Type-12 chassis Hose Wagon
    Registration #1422  
  Engine: American LaFrance 6- cylinder, 100 HP, motor #703
  1930: Converted in the Corporation Yard Shop to a Chemical Engine adding two 100-gallon soda-acid chemical tanks and one 300-foot reel of 1-inch chemical hose using the chassis of CW-19
   
  In Service Company Details
  Assignments: (Pre-conversion, see Hose-Chemical Combination Wagons - CW-19)
    1931 - Late 1940 Chemical 13
    Late 1940 - Reserve
      Sold

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