The Combination Ladder Company manufactured this chemical fire engine in the late 1800s. It is equipped with two 40-gallon chemical tanks filled with a sodium bicarbonate solution. Like a soda/acid extinguisher, the tanks held a bottle of acid that, when combined with the sodium bicarbonate solution, created carbon dioxide gas. The pressure from this chemical reaction would propel water out of the attached hoses. Once activated, the water stream could reach over 80 feet.

It is unknown when this chemical engine was produced and where it was used. In September 1976, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway purchased the apparatus at an auction for $5,000. The engine joined the Koorsen Museum collection in March 2017.