Yes. Like a quick action or response mini truck of today. To quickly get water
on the fire.

________________________________

From: Firepics@yahoogroups.com on behalf of Leonard W. Williams
Sent: Mon 7/6/2009 10:18 AM
To: Firepics@yahoogroups.com
Subject: RE: [Firepics] 1934 Ford chemical wagaon ex Ridgeway





I believe that I answered that question in one of the postings I did yesterday.
Alas, I didn't consider the generation gap, since a whole generation has come
and gone since those went out of use, and were replaced with pressurized water
extinguishers.

Those tanks on the rig are just over-sized soda-acid extinguishers.

The most common form of soda acid extinguishers hung in the same places that
pressurized water ones do nowadays - classrooms, offices, etc. They were the
same size, i.e, 2.5 gallons, with a pretty much identical hose. The difference
was that there was a screw-on cap at the top, around 3" dia., to change the acid
bottle inside.

The contents were a water-bicarbonate of soda mix, and the screw-on cap had a
bracket inside in which there was a glass bottle with about a pint of sulfuric
acid.

The directions said to turn the extinguisher upside down, and aim the hose at
the base of the fire. Internally, the action that resulted was that the
sulfuric acid reacted with the bicarbonate of soda solution, producing a
pressure which resulted in a stream of about 5 or 6 feet, as I recall.

The tanks that you see on the Ridgeway rig were, as I said, oversized soda acid
extinguishers.

The difference that that the cap was on the side, and wheels that you see at the
end of each chemical tank were used to turn the acid bottle upside down to start
the reaction.

Len Williams,
Sunnyvale, CA



________________________________

From: Firepics@yahoogroups.com [mailto:Firepics@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of
Rich Dean
Sent: Sunday, July 05, 2009 6:35 PM
To: Firepics@yahoogroups.com
Subject: Re: [Firepics] 1934 Ford chemical wagaon ex Ridgeway



I have no idea. I guess whatever "chemical" they used back in those days as
these were quite common.


Rich Dean, Butler, New Jersey USA 07405
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--- On Sun, 7/5/09, Sam Malott <malott_s@...> wrote:



From: Sam Malott <malott_s@...>
Subject: Re: [Firepics] 1934 Ford chemical wagaon ex Ridgeway
To: Firepics@yahoogroups.com
Date: Sunday, July 5, 2009, 9:29 PM




Rich I have a friend that was wondering what type of chemical they put in this
truck?thanks sam malott W.T.E.S.in SWOHIO

--- On Sat, 7/4/09, Rich Dean <richard_l_dean_07405@...> wrote:



From: Rich Dean <richard_l_dean_07405@...>
Subject: [Firepics] 1934 Ford chemical wagaon ex Ridgeway
To: Firepics@Yahoogroups.com
Date: Saturday, July 4, 2009, 8:39 PM


Here is a 1934 Ford, I believe a chemical wagon, in apparent original unrestored
condition, marked "Ridgeway" on the side. It's owned by Bill Sondermeyer of
Newfoundland NJ, one of our first aid squad members and son of a past chief of
Bloomingdale NJ Fire Department. Each year on the 4th of July Bill and his wife
host over 100 guests at their isolated country home for a super picnic to
celebrate America's birthday. Bill is also president of Five Star Fire
Protection, Inc., which installs and maintains fire sprinklers throughout NJ,
NY, PA and CT.




Rich Dean, Butler, New Jersey USA 07405
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