FIRST DUE FIREHOUSE REPLICAS

About the Owner/Designer/Builder/Author

Andrew Benzie began collecting model emergency vehicles in the 1970s when his grandparents gave him his first Corgi and Dinky toy fire engines. He has an extensive collection and knowledge of Code 3 models, and has published three books on Conrad, Siku, and Tomica emergency vehicles. Andrew currently lives in the San Francisco Bay Area where he runs a design and book publishing company, and plays bass and drums with several local bands.

First Due Firehouse Replicas

Release #14:

Chicago Fire Department

Engine 113

The fourteenth release of First Due Firehouse Replicas:

Chicago Fire Department’s Engine 113

Code 3 produced a replica of Chicago Fire Department (CFD) Engine 113 in June of 2005. This model is a twin of Engine 17 which appeared in the movie Backdraft. This 1970 Ward LaFrance pumper was refurbed in 1990 with a Ranger cab and E-One body.

Chicago’s Firehouse 113 protects the Oak Park district of Chicago located about five miles west of downtown—the fourteenth release from First Due Firehouse Replicas.

About the Firehouse

James Horan was appointed Fire Marshal of the CFD in 1906, and he immediately began to renovate the department. Between 1906 and 1910 the City of Chicago constructed a large number of new firehouses, and during this period Engine 101 through 117 and truck 30 through 34 were organized.

CFD’s Engine 113 moved to their new firehouse located at 5212 West Harrison Street circa 1950. This structure is the last single-engine company firehouse built in the city of Chicago. The three-story brick building has traditional CFD red and green lights either side of the apparatus door.

About the red and green…

In 1927 Albert Goodrich was appointed as Fire Commissioner. Goodrich’s family owned a steamship line, so he was well aware of the required red and green lights on ships identifying their port and starboard sides, allowing for safe passing during inclement weather. At his request, red and green lights were installed on fire apparatus and stations based upon this nautical theme.

About the black over red…

In the late 1920s, the City purchased 28 Model “A” Fords for their Battalion Chiefs. The roofs of the cars were composed of a tar composition that could not be painted and were left black while the bottoms were painted red. This color scheme has remained in tact with the Chicago Fire Department for the last one hundred years.

About the Replica

First Due Firehouse Replicas goes to great lengths to capture as much accuracy and detail as possible within each model we produce. Once the research is completed and a firehouse is chosen to replicate, the process involves taking photographs, creating an architectural building plan, assembling and editing the photos to digital 1:64 scale artwork, printing the artwork on glossy poster-quality paper and mounting the prints to foam-core board. Next the walls are cut out using a professional-quality mat cutter (to achieve 45° angle cuts for joins), and each model is then assembled by hand. Additional exterior details are added including air conditioning units, railings, exhaust vents, etc. Finally, remaining small details are hand-painted, the custom-built apparatus bay doors are installed and the raising of the flag completes each firehouse replica.

Fore more information about this product, please see our Frequently Asked Questions page. If have any further questions, please Contact Us.

Code 3 produced a replica of Chicago Fire Department Engine 113 in 2005 (not included with firehouse purchase). This special release was produced for Past Time Hobbies, a hobby shop which was located just outside of Chicago in Brookfield, Illinois.

Engine 113:

1. •Ward LaFrance (Code 3 special Past Time Hobbies release #12396, 2005)

About the Apparatus

How to Order

You may Place an Order for any of our products online. Once we receive your order we will contact you via email with more information about availability, payment, shipping costs, etc.

About Us     Firehouse Replicas     Custom Models     Fleet Services     FAQ     Contact/Order

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About Us     Firehouse Replicas     Custom Models     Fleet Services     FAQ     Contact/Order

Johnny Lightning produced a model of a 1995 Chevrolet Caprice Fire Chief in Chicago colors.

Fire Chief: (fictional unit)

1. •Chevrolet Caprice (Search & Rescue Series, 2005)

Corgi Fire Heroes produced a model of Chicago Fire Department’s 1994 Ford E-350 Ambulance 8 in 2003. Our our First Due Shops converted this unit into Ambulance 23 with the simple addition of a few decals. A printed sheet of unit numbers is included with the firehouse to assist in converting existing models.

Ambulance 23:

1. •Ford E350 (#90245, chassis and body by Corgi Fire Heroes, 2003, decals by First Due Shops, 2021)

Location:

5212 West Harrison Street

Chicago, Illinois

Years in Service:

1955–present

Companies Quartered:

1. •Engine 113 (organized c.1906–1910, quartered 1955–present)
   

2. •Rescue Ambulance 23

Release Date:

• April 2022

Dimensions:

• Base width: 5 inches

• Base depth: 13 inches

• Building width: 5 inches

• Building depth: 11 inches

• Building height: 6.5 inches

Features Included:

1. •Black base with 2 inch apron in front
   

2. •Removable roof
   

3. •Working apparatus bay door (slide it into any position with the touch of a finger)
   

4. •Flag/Flagpole
   

5. •Printed firehouse fact sheet booklet
   

6. •Apparatus re-number sheet (a poster-printed sheet of apparatus numbers you can use to convert existing models into units quartered in this firehouse)
   

Pricing:

Our introductory price for this firehouse replica is $319 plus shipping (Note: the models of the apparatus are not included). The price covers the cost of the photo-quality prints (starting at about $50), the building materials (various paper, foam, plastic, wood and metal products), and around eight hours of time to construct (not including the many hours of preparatory research and design time spent to create each prototype model). Note: We create each or our replicas by hand—this is NOT a 3D printed or laser cut model.