North Charleston Fire Museum

[c-series don 10,564]

Over the weekend we flew down to see my daughter in Charleston,S.C. and decided to go check out this museum. I must say that I was super impressed by the quality of the restorations of these trucks. Figured I would take a few pictures for you guys, I know how much you love pictures!! 

[ri702bill 10,074]

Nice! No taxidermy spotted dog to help find the hydrants??!! 

[JCM 10,306]

Nice Don. Looks like Groucho Marx answering the call with one of his usual remarks. I got a good mind to join a club and hit you over the head with it.   

[Mickwhitt 5,190]

That's the way to do a museum my friends 

[953 nut 62,195]

What an outstanding display, I wonder how many of the old hand pump units still exist?  First one I have seen other than in pre 1900 photos.      

[Mickwhitt 5,190]

3 hours ago, Mickwhitt said:

That's the way to do a museum my friends 

Most of our exhibits of this type are poorly renovated and usually covered in dust. We have an emergency services museum in Sheffield and it's pretty poor to say it's about such an essential service.

There's very little money spare to spend on the past, when the present is pretty dire lol. 

[stevasaurus 23,456]

Fire engines live in a special place in my heart.  During my tour in the Navy, stationed in Maine, we had to stand duty sometimes in the Fire Barn.  It was a 24 hour shift, and during the day, we got to take out the Fire Truck, hook it up and use it for what it was meant for.  It was excellent training.  I remember it was hard to be the 1st hoser.  The hose, opened up, could move you around.  The 2nd hoser was the place to be.  Driving that truck around was pretty special also.

  Nice pictures Don, thank you for bringing back some of the past.  

[Handy Don 14,668]

Thanks for sharing the pictures. If I get down that way I’ll try to remember to make time of visit.

There is, a LOT closer to my home, another terrific museum in Hudson, NY co-located with a home for retired firefighters. Many of these men and women volunteer at the museum as restorers and docents. https://fasnyfiremuseum.com

[c-series don 10,564]

@Handy Don I’ve been to the museum and the firemen’s home. I’m also a member of FASNY- Firemen’s Association of the State of New York. There is a beautiful library in the home that was paid for by a donation from a friend and deceased member of my fire department. My wife has threatened to send me to the firemen’s home more than once!! 
 I tried to donate my own antique fire truck to that museum and they told me it was full and they had no more room. 1962 F-250 4x4 with a 250 GPM Barton-American pump. I got it with 1200 original miles and sold it with 1800 miles. Had lots of fun with it, parades, decorating it to take the kids trick or treating and even won a drafting competition with it. When I lost my indoor storage space I couldn’t bare to leave it outside after it had been stored inside its whole life. I ended up selling it to a fellow firefighter from New Jersey who gave it the home it deserved. 

Edited October 9 by c-series don

[Beap52 1,665]

I've come to appreciate museums.  Our road trip a couple of weeks ago included museums and other places that we found historic and interesting.  The Erie Canal-- how do they get the locks to be so watertight?--Not only today but 200 years ago?  How did they build a electric power house near the Niagara Falls in 1905 with a brick lined tunnel for water discharge some 2,200 feet long?  The RV museum in Elkhart, Indiana was very interesting.  I believe the one that was most solemn and thought provoking was the three navel vessels in Buffalo, NY.  

 

As we stood on those decks and hall ways, the four of us talked about how overwhelming it would be a 18,19 or early twenty's year old man climbing on board heading off in a vast ocean to fight in battles in countries they probably had never heard of?  Museums give us a glimpse of days gone by.  Thanks for posting these fire engines.  

 

Below is a picture of a display showing a few items used in damage control onboard one of the navel ships.  The cork looking item near the letter "E" was to be driven into a hole left by a bullet to keep water out of the ship.  No doubt one of our grandfathers or grand great grandfathers would have been expected to perform this duty. 

[Handy Don 14,668]

On 10/8/2025 at 8:36 PM, Beap52 said:

I believe the one that was most solemn and thought provoking was the three navel vessels in Buffalo, NY.  

Thanks for the reminder. The starkness of the innards of those vessels was a revelation but it was the racks of missiles on the cruiser that brought me up short. 

 

Some years ago I visited the Intrepid, an aircraft carrier now a floating museum in NYC. The exhibits and videos on the hanger deck in particular were quite intense. They painted a deeply moving picture of what the crew went through while trying to save the ship, and themselves, from a fire while under intense attack. 

Edited October 10 by Handy Don

[Beap52 1,665]

7 hours ago, Handy Don said:

The starkness of the innards of those vessels was a revelation . 

 

 Below is a picture of one of the three commodes (that I found) on the submarine.  I assume these three toilets served the 80 men on board.  'Starkness of the innards" nails it.   I can only imagine the smells of oil, diesel fumes, hydraulic fluid that was trapped within.  Those of us who never served in the armed forces will never know.  We fly our nation's flag proudly in front of our  house.  Not only to  honor our son, who was a last gunner in convoys in Iraq, but to the millions who served proudly. 

[peter lena 9,459]

@c-series don terrific  set up display  , my father did 30 years  in NYFD ,  1930 - 61 , 17 truck and rescue  , spanish harlem ,   https://www.google.com/search?q=17+truck+and+rescue+nyc&rlz=1C1CHBF_enUS866US866&oq=17+truck+&gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUqCAgAEEUYJxg7MggIABBFGCcYOzIGCAEQRRg5MgcIAhAAGIAEMgcIAxAAGIAEMgcIBBAAGIAEMgcIBRAAGIAEMgcIBhAAGIAEMg0IBxAAGJECGIAEGIoFMgcICBAAGIAEMgoICRAAGAoYFhge0gEJMTIyNjRqMWo0qAIBsAIB8QVwyExZ2DtPxvEFcMhMWdg7T8Y&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8 .loved going down to the station when he got paid , always saw something different , finished as a building inspector , regularly worked with NYPD  on any technical issue, cops that got " son of sam " were in boston and stopped at  his house , to talk , knew everybody , also hot pepper and egg  , grinder  on way home , " the wedge inn "  always carried a badge , pete 

[kpinnc 15,718]

On 10/8/2025 at 8:36 PM, Beap52 said:

I've come to appreciate museums. 

 

Me too, as I'm beginning to think I belong in one...  But I'm guessing there aren't many "Grumpy old farts from the past" exhibitors in business these days. 

 

@c-series don Great pics of those old engines. Really makes me appreciate both current and old timer firemen. It takes a special person to risk so much regularly for people they don't even know!

[953 nut 62,195]

On 10/8/2025 at 1:31 PM, stevasaurus said:

  It was excellent training.  I remember it was hard to be the 1st hoser.  The hose, opened up, could move you around.  The 2nd hoser was the place to be. 

Steve, advancing a fire fighting line is a team effort. If done properly the nozzle man (first hoser as you called it) is somewhat of a pivot point. The positioning of the fire stream is determined by the people backing him up. If they go left the stream goes right, if they go down the stream goes up. As a volunteer fireman we would practice and develop our teamwork while having some fun playing "Push Ball"