Ahrens-Fox / Couple Gear Aerial

Ahrens-Fox was extremely proud of the fact that it made virtually all of its components, including four- and six-cylinder engines, piston pumps, chassis and all major components. Occasionally, the company went to an outside supplier to meet special requirements. One of this was a battery-powered aerial ladder truck for New Bedford, Massachusetts, in 1916 and a battery-powered piston pumper built for Gloucester, Massachusetts, in 1919. Both were equipped with hybrid gasoline-electric all-wheel-drive systems purchased from the Couple-Gear Freight Wheel Company of Grand Rapids, Michigan.