FIRST DUE FIREHOUSE REPLICAS

Website by Andrew Benzie Creative Design.

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 #12:

FDNY Engine 40/Ladder 35

“The Cavemen”

The twelfth release of First Due Firehouse Replicas:

FDNY’s “The Cavemen”

The final pumper Code 3 produced before going out of business in 2011 was a Seagrave Marauder II model representing Engine 40 of the New York City Fire Department—the twelfth release of First Due Firehouse Replicas. Only two versions of the Marauder II pumper were released, the other being Engine 63. The final model released was Tower Ladder 46, unfortunately no other tower ladder versions of the Marauder II cab were ever produced.

About the Firehouse

The Cavemen firehouse is located at 131 Amsterdam Ave, Manhattan, New York City, and was constructed between 1988 and 1993. This unique firehouse is located beneath a 60-story office building which includes the Riverside branch of The New York Public Library.

Both Companies have been in existence well before the area became known as Lincoln Square in the 1960s. The first due response area of Engine 40 and Ladder 35 includes some of the most diverse and challenging areas in the city from luxury highrises to brownstones, major subway and power stations, The Time Warner Center, The Metropolitan Opera House, The Julliard School, The New York Philharmonic and some of the best known theaters in the world.

Engine Company 40 was established in 1874, and Ladder Company 35 was established in 1907. The two companies have been quartered together since 1918.

The nickname of the firehouse dates back to 1988-1993 when both companies were relocated to a temporary firehouse in a garage under Lincoln Center during construction of the new office building. The name also seems fitting for the current office building firehouse as the number of windows is so low the firefighters refer to the locker room window as “the view.”

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.

FDNY’s Engine 40 was the last pumper made by Code 3 (not included with firehouse purchase).

Engine 40:

•Seagrave Marauder II (#12567-0000, 2011)

About the Apparatus

A screenshot from Code 3’s website of their 2011 final releases.

*Note: This model is a special custom order product. It can be modified to any height, and the neighboring library is optional. Please contact us directly for more details and pricing.

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

Join our Facebook Group where you can learn about upcoming releases and share photos of your own models.

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

Unfortunately Code 3 never released a replica of FDNY Tower Ladder 35, however Tower Ladder 46 can be modified to take its place. A printed sheet of unit numbers is included with the firehouse to assist in converting existing models. Tower Ladder 46 was the final model released by Code 3.

Tower Ladder 35:

•Seagrave (chassis and body by Code 3 [Tower Ladder 46, Marauder II #13059-0000], 2011, decals by First Due Shops, 2021)

Release Date:

• April 2022

Dimensions:*

• Base width: 16 inches

• Base depth: 11 inches

• Building width: 16 inches

• Building depth: 9 inches

• Building height: 43 inches (our prototype model is about 25 scale-stories tall)

Features Included:

•Black base with 2 inch apron in front
•Working apparatus bay door (slide it into any position with the touch of a finger)
•Flag/Flagpoles
•Printed firehouse fact sheet booklet
•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:

*Note: This model is a special custom order product. It can be modified to any height, and the neighboring library is optional. Please contact us directly for more details and pricing.

Location:

131 Amsterdam Avenue

Manhattan, New York, NY

Years in Service:

1993-present

Companies Quartered: