1918 American-LaFrance Model T Chemical Truck

OHTM Registrar Jonah Carter and Ground Vehicle Conservator Warren Kincaid lead a discussion of the 1918 American-LaFrance Model T Chemical Truck.
This absolutely original chemical truck was purchased used by the Farmington Fire Department from another town, and according to a period build sheet, sold new for $1,250. The two 25-gallon chemical tanks operated much the way an Alka-Seltzer tablet or a child’s baking soda and vinegar volcano work. The tanks are filled with water, into which 10 pounds of bicarbonate soda is dissolved. Sulfuric acid is placed in a glass receptacle near the top of the tank.
To charge the tank, it is merely rotated to allow the acid to dump and mix with the soda and water. The result is a chemical reaction that forces the water out of the hose. When one tank is expended, the other is activated while the first is recharged, extending the service of the tanks beyond their 50-gallon combined capacity.
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