North Carolina Steam Fire Engines Database This page is a catalog of all steam fire engines that served in North Carolina. Known rebuilds are listed accordingly. Contact Mike Legeros to contribute or correct information. Click a column heading to sort. Last updated 17FEB07   See Related Databases

	Department	Manufacturer	Model	Year	Size	Serial #	Source	Survived	Notes
1	Charlotte	?	?	By 1865	?		FD info		Hornet Steam Fire Engine Company
2	Charlotte	Harrell		1891	1st		Sanborn	X	Sanborn cites name Hayes & Harrills. Likely Richard Harrell, a steam engine manufacturer who delivered an engine to Patterson, NJ. Other Sanborn Map lists steamer as "Patterson" brand.
3	Charlotte	Clapp & Jones		By 1896	1st		Sanborn
4	Charlotte	ALF	Metropolitan	1902	3rd	2813	Sanborn; Hass	X	Named Old Sue. Restored in 1999 by members of the fire department
5	Durham	LaFrance		1903			FD Info		Delivered in February of that year. They were named "Black Pattie" and "Black Jack" and were stored at Station 1 and Station 2, respectively. Black Pattie was the first steam engine in the state to be delivered with rubber tires. Only one of the steamers was still on the roster in 1907.
6	Durham	LaFrance		1903	3rd		FD Info; Sanborn		See above
7	Durham	ALF	Metropolitan	1903	3rd	3368	Sanborn; Hass	X	Pulled by motor vehicle by 1913, still in reserve in 1937. Still owned by FD.
8	Elizabeth City	Silsby		1873	3rd*	413	Conway		Previously served San Antonio, TX
9	Elizabeth City	Silsby		1902	2nd*	2888	Conway	X	Named Inez, for Chief G. S. Bell's oldest daughter. Still on the roster in 1931 and towed by motor vehicle. Albemarle Fire Company. Incorrectly noted as rebuild of 1873 steamer. Owned by local museum. More information
10	Fayetteville	Silsby		1882	5th	834	Conway	X	Chicora Steam Fire Engine Company. Still in service in 1914, reserve unit by 1923. Still owned by FD.
11	Goldsboro	Silsby		1882	5th*	701	Conway		Named Mary Ellis. Eclipse Company. Towed by motor vehicle by 1918. Upon delivery of first motor pumper in 1919, steamer placed in reserve. In 1940, retired and placed in Herman Park. Scrapped for metal during World War II.
12	Greensboro	LaFrance		1886	6th*	117	Conway	X	Named General Greene. Reserve unit by 1919. Displayed at Greensboro Historical Museum.
13	Greensboro	LaFrance		1904	3rd*	496	Conway		Reserve unit by 1919, disappeared from roster by 1925.
14	Greenville	LaFrance		By 1898	5th		Sanborn		Reserve unit by 1911, disappeared from roster by 1923.
15	Kinston	Silsby		1895			Sanborn		Named Caswell No. 1. Delivered on March 22 of that year. In 1904, Caswell Fire Company No. 1 organized. Steamer still in service in 1914, disappeared from roster by 1925.
16	Monroe	Silsby		1886	5th*	556	Conway	X	Cost $3,500 engine, first stored in local livery stable. Acme Fire Company among companies that operated. Reserve unit by 1902, still reserve by 1922. Stored at Old Station 1, later moved to glass case at Jaycee Park. Returned to FD in recent years, housed at Station 1 awaiting restoration.
17	New Bern	Amoskeag		1868			Unofficial FD site		New Bern Steam Fire Engine Company. More information
18	New Bern	Button		1884	4th	155	Conway	X	Button Company. Still in service in 1913, but removed from roster by 1924. Displayed at New Bern Firemens Museum. More information
19	New Bern	Clapp & Jones		1865	3rd	127	Conway		New Bern Steam Fire Engine Company.
20	New Bern	Silsby		1879	4th	604	Conway	X	Atlantic Steam Fire Engine Company. Still in service in 1913, but removed from roster by 1924. Displayed at New Bern Firemens Museum. More information
21	Raleigh	ALF	Metropolitan	1905	3rd	3061	Legeros; Hass	X	$5,000. Delivered July 1905. L.A. Mahler Fire Company. Special-called in 1915, reserve until at least 1931. Still owned by FD. More information.
22	Raleigh	Gould		1870	2nd		Legeros		Delivered April 1870. Rescue Steam Fire Engine Company. Hand-drawn for first seven years. Last public appearance in 1902. More information.
23	Reidsville	Silsby		1883	4th*	763	Conway		Still in service by 1914, disappeared from roster by 1922.
24	Rocky Mount	Silsby		1896	5th*	2471	Conway; FD Info; Hass	X	$2,600. Mule-drawn by 1912, motor-pulled as a reserve unit by 1917. Restored in recent years, displayed at  Rocky Mount Fire Museum.
25	Salem	Button		1886	5th	190	Conway; FD Info		Reserve unit by 1907, still on roster in 1912.
26	Salem	LaFrance		1905	4th	512	Conway		Still on roster in 1912.
27	Salisbury	ALF	Metropolitan	1908	2nd	3216	FD Info; Sanborn; Hass		$5,500. Motor-drawn by 1922, reserve unit by 1931. Scrapped for metal in 1942 during World War II.
28	Statesville	LaFrance		1882			FD Info		$3,880. Delivered January 1882. Disappeared from roster by 1900.
29	Washington	Silsby		1888	5th*	899	Conway; Web	X	Ocean Steam Fire Engine Company. Rebuilt 1902. Reserve by 1912, last fire in 1937. More information
30	Wilmington	Button		1873		61	Conway
31	Wilmington	Button		1885	3rd	161	Conway; Sanborn		Rebuilt with Knott boiler by 1910.
32	Wilmington	Gould		1871			EBF		Delivered November 1871. Cape Fear Steam Engine Company.  More information
33	Wilmington	Knott		by 1910	1st		Sanborn
34	Wilmington	Silsby		1868	2nd	192	Conway		Howard Relief Company.
35	Wilmington	Silsby		1874	5th	481	Conway
36	Wilmington	Silsby		1886	3rd	857	Conway
37	Wilmington	Silsby		1887	4th	886	Conway; Sanborn		Rebuilt with Knott boiler by 1910.
38	Wilson	Silsby		1887	5th	914	Conway		Still in service in 1913.
39	Winston	LaFrance		1882	4th*	39	Conway		Either 1882 or 1893 steamer reserve unit by 1907, and other steamer disappeared from roster. Both disappeared from roster by 1912.
40	Winston	LaFrance		1893	3rd	252	Conway		Either 1882 or 1893 steamer reserve unit by 1907, and other steamer disappeared from roster. Both disappeared from roster by 1912.
41	Winston	LaFrance		1903	3rd	487	Conway		Operated by Winston-Salem FD after merger in 1913.
42	Winston-Salem	LaFrance		1903	3rd	487	Conway; Sanborn		Winston and Salem merged in 1913. Still in service by 1917.

*Denotes a discrepancy between the steamer size as cited, drawn from builder lists, and the steamer size as referenced in Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps.

Sources

• Conway - Those Magnificent Old Steam Fire Engines by Fred W. Conway, Fire Buff House, 1997
• FD Info - Fire department information, including web sites and yearbooks
• Hass - American LaFrance steam fire engines database by Ed Hass
• Legeros -  Raleigh Fire Department historical information by Mike Legeros
• Sanborn - Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps

More Historical Information