Catskill FireCat Museum Info

[Guest]

Does anyone know the hours this musuem is open and does it cost money?

[AndyC3J 190]

It's not officially a museum......yet.....and there are no regular operating hours. No admission is charged (we can't legally do that), but at the show back in June we put out a donation bucket, and did quite well in that respect.

We hope to be able to give "private tours" during our upcoming car show (Oct. 17), but with the town councilwoman on the warpath again, and some other dignitaries likely to be lurking about, that's not a guarantee. Andy Leider is running for office in the town, and I'm sure they'd love to have some "dirt" to use against him. Gotta love politics.

[x635 4,066]

What does Andy Leider do that he's able to aqquire and house all these apparatus?

Is this done alone, or is this a joint effort of many people?

[AndyC3J 190]

He either is, or was, a real estate lawyer. He owns Staten Island Towing. And, he was a pretty high rank in either the Army or National Guard....not entirely sure which, right off the top of my head. He's not hurting for cash as much as he is room to put all his "toys", that's for sure!

There are several members of the Fire-Cats (and a couple of other individuals) whose rigs are stored in the Circleville warehouse, but I believe the ownership is all Andy's.

He either is planning to, or already has, purchased the land across the road from the warehouse, and wants to put up another building there. My opinion, I think the new building should be the museum......everything clean, bright, new and up to code, etc. Use the existing warehouse for storage, shop ops, etc. But, that's just my $.02.....and it ain't mine to spend!

Edited September 26, 2009 by AndyC3J

[x635 4,066]

He has an awesome collection...almost rivals the Hall of Flame in Phoenix, AZ. It would be great to see a Hudson Valley fire museum, it would be great for Orange County tourism and I'm sure that he could get some grants and other funding to build a museum.

He is someone I am very envoious of, and would like to meet one day.

[AndyC3J 190]

The big roadblock at the moment is the lack of a Certificate of Occupancy on the facility. Can't get one yet due to no sprinkler system, no (functioning) indoor plumbing, and I forget what else is on the "laundry list". Work needs to be done on the water lines, etc. They are planning to split one between us and the construction project next door......a big gas station containing a Dunkin' Donuts and a Subway (the FIFTH and fourth, respectively, such places in the greater Middletown area ). Work on that project has slowed, so we're kind of in limbo there. That's what got the town council up in arms again......somebody ratted that we were having our chapter meetings in our room inside the warehouse, and she wasn't happy.

Once all the work gets done and the place can be legally opened up, it truly will be a spectacle. Maybe I can get a job there keeping the trucks clean...LOL! (it WOULD be a full-time job, trust me! Anyone who's been there can vouch for that!)

Edited September 26, 2009 by AndyC3J

[RocklandFires 44]

I have been to the Hall of Flame in AZ twice and Andy's apparatus collection is well over 100 pieces which is definitely more then the Hall of Flames. The Hall of Flame is definitely worth the trip though, a really nice museum !

A few photos from the museum:

Edited September 26, 2009 by RocklandFires

[AndyC3J 190]

The "head count" in the Circleville warehouse is hovering in the neighborhood of 250.....and that's just fire trucks!

Andy also has trucks stored in two other locations, one in the city, and one elsewhere in O.C.

[50-65 205]

AndyC3J,

I understand that there is no official museum and that you can't give "tours", but how might one make contact in order to walk through a warehouse "looking for things". I would love to walk through and my brother from upstate wants to come down and walk through a dusty warehouse as well.

E-mail me if you need to.

[AndyC3J 190]

50-65, sent you a PM.

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