American LaFrance began the 1980s with a major order from New York City: 80 special Century New Yorker 1,000 gpm pumpers with four-door cabs. Seventy-nine were painted standard FDNY red; the last pumper was delivered in an experimental lime green. Note the painted front bumper, the steel spoked wheels and the protective tarp over the hose bed. The otherwise abundant chrome trim was kept to a minimum on this model.
Photo: John A. Calderone. This picture of E-82 of the FDNY was also in the mail I received from American LaFrance at that time.
In the early 1980s, when I became interested in the American LaFrance brand, the company sent me some drawings (blueprints) and quite a few photos of vehicles of the 900, 1000 and 2000 series. Back then everything still came from Elmira, ALF's headquarters in the US state of New York.
Walter M.P. McCall wrote a very interesting and well worth reading book about 100 years of American LaFrance. In it he describes not only the beginnings of the company, but also shows unique photos of all the series that American LaFrance developed, built and delivered over the course of its history.
Great model!
