BUFFALO FIRE APPLIANCE

Buffalo Fire Appliance Corp. (1922-1948)
Buffalo, New York

This is a Buffalo radiator emblem (1930-1940)   mjs
Size: 82mm diameter   MM: None

The Buffalo Chemical Fire Extinguisher Company was established in 1895 for the manufacture of fire fighting products. In 1922, the company was reorganized as the Buffalo Fire Appliance Corporation for the manufacture of fire extinguishers and motor fire apparatus. The first motor fire apparatus were built on commercial chassis, including Reo and Larrabee, among others. 

From 1928, Buffalo built their own assembled, custom chassis to offer complete fire apparatus powered by six-cylinder engines, although commercial chassis continued to be used, including some smaller fire trucks, which were built on Ford Model A chassis. In 1929, Buffalo introduced a new softly rounded radiator and hood ensemble for its custom fire apparatus. Limousine pumpers were made from 1937 and a new long, low ultra-streamlined series of fire trucks was introduced in 1939. These fire trucks were given a new radiator grill in 1941.

Buffalo built hundreds of fire engines for the US Government during the Second World War. Peacetime fire apparatus production resumed in 1946 by continuing prewar models with only minor changes. Buffalo sold off its fire extinguisher business in 1946 and struggled to remain profitable. Fire apparatus production ceased in 1948.

Emblem

Buffalo Fire Appliance fire engines using commercial truck chassis carried the emblems of the chassis manufacturers on the radiators. However, the "Buffalo" name was displayed on brass Buffalo Fire Appliance nameplates attached to the body of the fire truck, see example shown below. This Buffalo Fire Appliance nameplate is very rare.

This is a Buffalo Fire Appliance nameplate (1922-1948)  mjs
Size: 125mm wide 89mm high

In 1925, Buffalo produced a series of large pumpers and ladder trucks built on Larrabee and Selden chassis with prominent "Buffalo" nameplates on the sides of the hoods. If you have details of these "Buffalo" hood side nameplates, please let me know, in order to update this post.

From about 1928, Buffalo custom fire apparatus began to carry a round radiator emblem, see example shown below:

Buffalo fire truck with rad emblem (1928)    buffaloah

This emblem is the white, blue and brown enamel Buffalo radiator emblem depicting a plains buffalo shown below. This Buffalo radiator emblem is extremely rare.

This is a Buffalo radiator emblem (1928-1929)    buffaloah
Size: Unknown   MM: Unknown

From about 1930, the Buffalo radiator emblem was changed to the white, blue and brown enamel Buffalo radiator emblem shown above at the top of this post and again below for ease of comparison. This Buffalo radiator emblem is very rare.

This is a Buffalo radiator emblem (1930-1940)    mjs
Size: 82mm diameter    MM: None

On the streamlined models with a rounded and curved radiator introduced in 1939, the Buffalo emblem shown above was mounted on the radiator grille, see example shown below:

Buffalo fire engine with grille mounted emblem (1939)  fred beeton

The following photos show a Buffalo fire engine produced at the end of World War Two with the same streamlined hood and radiator but carrying a different Buffalo emblem mounted in a holder forming a hood ornament located over the radiator:

Buffalo fire engine with hood ornament emblem (1945) waymaking 

This is a Buffalo hood ornament emblem (1945)    waymaking
Size: Unknown     MM: Unknown

If you can provide any further details of the Buffalo Fire Appliance emblems shown above, please let me know, in order to update this post.