Today was the annual Vintage Transport Extravaganza at IRM. While walking by the fire truck display, I was surprised by several signs that stated "Please help the Northern Illinois Fire Museum build a fire station museum on the grounds of the Illinois Railway Museum."

Huh?

For some background, the Northern Illinois Fire Museum is a museum with a collection of about 15 trucks and wagons, along with other firefighting related memorabilia. For some years, they have been located a few miles SW of IRM, occupying a garage building on the site of a quarry. This is a temporary home, as they are not allowed to put up signs, or allow general admission. All they can do is arrange private tours. Of course, the museum has been looking for a permanent home. Apparently with IRM being so close by, and with the main street project providing a good opportunity for a firehouse building, NIFM has struck a deal with IRM to build a site on the grounds of IRM.

The members had a tent set up, so I talked to them to try to find out more details. First of all, the museum will not be absorbed into IRM, and will remain as a separate nonprofit. Admission to the Fire Museum will not be an extra fee apart from admission into the Railway Museum. Apparently, they are trying to strike a deal with the Railway Museum to receive a percentage of IRM's profit from ticket sales. Good luck with that...

As part of IRM's ongoing main street project, a replica 2-stall firehouse will be constructed. It seems that a horse-drawn wagon will occupy one stall, and a motorized truck the other. Meanwhile, a more utilitarian building, probably somewhat similar to the pole barns IRM has contructed, will be built on the very south end of the property, by the extended streetcar loop, to house the rest of the collection.

I find this development very interesting. It sounds like a neat idea. The mission of IRM doesn't include firefighting equipment, but it does fit with the main street concept. A small nonprofit on the grounds of a big one seems a bit strange, but technically, this is already being done, as the C&NW historical society plans to build their archive building on the grounds of IRM. Who knows, maybe it will attract more visitors. What are your thoughts?

Sounds like a wonderful idea to me. It gives IRM visitors more to look at, fits perfectly alongside the IRM mission and visitor experience, and could attract new visitors (those intetested in the fire museum may discover how great IRM is.)

IRM is slowly becoming a mini-Greenfield Village. What they have done with 99% volunteer efforts is unmatched anywhere in this country.

Like I said, I certainly like the idea too. As for your comment about IRM becoming like greenfield village: IRM is the largest railroad museum in the nation, but they also have a collection of buses/trolleybuses, and now a fire museum as well. In a way, IRM is becoming like a transportation museum with a heavy focus on railroads. What's next? Cars? Tractors? Maybe that's unlikely, but a fire museum would've seemed unlikely as well. Until it happened.

Has this proposal been brought before the IRM board? Have they taken action yet?

I cannot speak for the IRM board, as I am not a member; However, given that the fire museum was openly stating they would move to IRM, I would think it has been approved.

I found the website for Northern Illinois Fire Museum

The website site says
According to GuideStar it has been a non-profit since 2001. It has a PO Box at Marengo, Illinois -- the next town west of Union.

Many people have a shared interest in railroads and fire departments. The addition of the fire museum at Illinois Railroad Museum will be an added draw for attendance. Recently in Cleveland, Midwest Railway Preservation Society held an Open House and the Western Reserve Fire Museum brought two trucks for display. We hope to do this again with the possibility of having an operating Amoskeag steam fire engine at our Open House events.

The trolley museum in East Windsor Connecticut also has a small fire engine Museum on site.

To me, as long as agreements can be made about sharing costs and administration, museums sharing facilities is a good idea.

One of the great examples is the Old Threshers operation in Mount Pleasant, Iowa. On that property is a trolley museum, steam railroad museum, power plant museum, printers museum, threshers and farming museum, blacksmith museum, and dozens of more such groups. The facility is used for many events each year, especially the Labor Day event where everything is out and more than 100,000 people go to see things.

I go each year for the railroad and farming activities, but tour most of the rest of the groups. Sharing the facilities opens up each group to those with interests in the others. I have also used fire museums and car museums to assist with props for my railroad freight charters, and they always seem happy to participate and expose their equipment to new groups.

With the plans for IRM to build a "city" part of their operation, a fire museum would be perfect to represent a fire department. Also, if the equipment works, does it help with their fire insurance coverage? :)

Bart

I don't know how many folks remember this but IRM owned a fire engine back in the sixties. They used to run it in local parades. I guess, if you can't bring part of your primary collection to the parade, a fire engine will have to do.

I'm no expert on fire engines, but it was a long two axle straight truck, combined pumper and ladder carrier, with an open cab. My impression was it dated to the twenties, possibly early thirties.

I never saw it run. When I joined in the spring of '70 it was stored in a farmer's barn, on Olson road just north of the tracks. At some point in the early seventies it was deemed to not be in keeping with the museum's mission, and sold.

I think having a fire equipment museum on the IRM campus would be a big plus. I hope all the details can be worked out to the satisfaction of both groups.

I think a few other RR museums could look at this and think about what is working at Union and if they could apply some of it to their own operation. I like the idea and concept of combining a couple of non profits or even a small business to compliment the draw of tourism. I think the "small town" idea is a good one too. Recently went to Mystic Sea Port in CT and found the whole layout well done and had a very interesting and relaxed visit. Interesting to see other operations and how they go about things. Related to RR or not. You may not be able to copy exactly what others are doing but you can learn and apply what you can.

I am sure Union has looked at this long and hard so not offering advice by any means. My only concern would be that the contract or understanding of all the details is spelled out clearly in the beginning. Like leasing an operating locomotive I think it very doable, but you need to be diligent in the details before accepting a partnership. If they remain separate but together it will probably work well. If too involved then you may have factions from within competing for funds or showmanship. Like having a transportation museum complete with operating boats, air planes and RR. But if kept separate but in conjunction with the RR museum they may indeed compliment each other. Just another reason to go to Union, Ill instead of Great America Amusement park or what ever the real name is. Just saying that making sure everyone is on the same page in the beginning might avoid misunderstandings later. I would think this a win win situation for both museums? Wish all parties the best.

Regards, John.

another place that has multiple organizations under one roof so to speak is Power Land near Portland, Oregon. My insterest is the Oregon Electric Railway collection; but other groups are there also.

Yes, I think the addition of a neighboring fire collection is good for IRM.

Ted Miles, IRM Member

Why not, i agree with you, and with the IRM buses collection that a good fit

That "bus collection" is really the trackless trolley collection, or started out that way, although a few infernal combustion buses have crept in. Trackless trolleys are really the lineal decedents of streetcars, so fit the interpretation of electric street railways, and there are few places that have 600VDC available to run them. Used to be that IRM had the only operating trackless trolley demonstration loop in North America, but there may be others by now.

I've been a volunteer firefighter for many years and one story I remember well is a member of Albion, VFD was telling me of watering a engine at the wye on the B&LE. I think this is a great step for IRM and makes it more of a reason to have it on my list of museums to visit.