The following parts from this tractor-trailer (tillered) 85-foot aerial ladder truck were removed by a previous owner, who was planning to restore this fire engine, but who never actually did. That owner did not include these parts when the aerial went to Plymouth in the early 1980s, and the parts eventually were sold to another fire engine collector, in Nevada. Ed Hass (who now lives in Elk Grove, CA) bought these parts about 1994, with the intention of preserving them from the rust that was affecting the rest of this truck. (The ladder truck itself was sitting out in a field behind the Plymouth firehouse at the time). It was also Ed's intention all along to some day sell these parts to Plymouth, to be put back on this fire engine, if and when Plymouth restores it. The idea was that these parts would not get rusted like the rest of this truck, but would be returned to this truck when there was no longer a danger of the parts deteriorating, along with the rest of this rig.
In July, 2002, the Sacramento Fire Buffs Club announced that Plymouth has begun restoration of this fire engine, and has found permanent indoor quarters for this rig. Now these carefully-preserved parts should be sold to Plymouth for a fair price, so the restoration can be completed.
Photo 1
These two serial number platess (photos 1 and 2) were originally bolted to both sides of the Ahrens-Fox tractor, on the side splash panel to the running-board, between the hood and the driver's seat. They identify the Ahrens-Fox Model as HS-85 and Serial Number as 2066. On October 8, 2002, Chuck Waugaman of Watsonville, CA, a dealer in old fire engine parts, appraised their value as $40 each.
Photo 2
Photo 3
Photo 3 (above) shows thrree of the four mounting brackets used to hold wood ground ladders along both sides of the trailer. Chuck Waugaman appraised the value of these single brackets at $20 each.
Photo 4
The trailer of this aerial had 6 identical brackets, each of which carried three pike poles. Presumably, there was one bracket at the pike end, one at the pole (handle) end, and one in the center of the pike pole. With 3 brackets for one set of 3 poles, and 3 more brackets for another set of 3 pike poles, this aerial would have carried a total of 6 pike poles, which is about the normal number for an aerial ladder truck of this size and vintage. Chuck Waugaman appraised the value of these triple brackets at $45 each.
Photo 4 (above) shows four of these 6 triple pike pole brackets.
The upper half of Photo 5 (below) shows the other two triple pike pole brackets.
At lower-left in Photo 5 (below) is the fourth ladder-mounting bracket (Photo 3 shows the other three ladder-brackets of this type).
Photo 5
Photo 6
The two brackets in the Photo 6 (above) apparently supported a round hand rail and an axe handle. Photos 7 and 8 (below) show three more brackets of this same type. Chuck Waugaman appriased the value of these parts at $20 each.
Photo 7
Photo 8
On the right side of Photo 8 (above) is a wire junction block that was part of the elaborate Ahrens-Fox electric raise mechanism for the aerial ladder. Chuck Waugaman could not provide an estimate of its value, but I would presume it should be worth about $10, since I cannot guarantee that it actually still works.
Photo 9
At the upper left of Photo 9 (above) is another view of the same wire-junction block shown on the right side of Photo 8. This is not a second wire-junction block, but another view of the same junction block.
The purpose of the small aluminum piece, at upper right of Photo 9, is unclear.
The two chrome mouinting brackets at the bottom of Photo 9 bolt onto a painted mounting base (seen in the lower-right of Photo 5), to form the sixth combination hand-rail/axe-handle bracket, of the same type as seen in Photos 6, 7, and 8.
The only item that the previous owner removed from this aerial ladder truck, which has not been found, is one of the elctrical motors that was used to raise the aerial ladder. The trailer at Plymouth does still have one of these motors, so with luck, Plymouth can find another electrical motor of the same type.
Ed Hass
9315 East Lake Drive
Elk Grove, CA 95758
phone 916-683-0976
email: hasses@frontiernet.net
In late October, 2002, members of the Ahrens-Fox restoration committee for the fire department of Plymouth, CA, purchased all of the above parts from me, with the intention of putting them all back on Ahrens-Fox aerial #2066 from which they were long ago removed. Restoration of #2066 is nearing completion at Folsom Prison in Folsom, CA. They promised to let me come look at it when they pick it up from restoration in Folsom and drive it home to Plymouth.
This page was last updated on October 8, 2002.