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 #11:

Orlando Fire Department
Engine 2/Tower Ladder 2

“The Pride of Parramore”

The eleventh release of First Due Firehouse Replicas:

Orlando Fire Department’s Engine 2

Code 3 produced replicas of Orlando Fire Department’s Engine 2 and Tower Ladder 2 in July of 2001. Labeled “When Seconds Count,” these units were the first models Code 3 created of Sutphen apparatus and were welcomed by collectors.

The original Orlando Fire Station #2 (built in 1925) was replaced in 1966 by this new three bay firehouse in the Parramore district of Orlando on the corner of South Parramore Avenue and West Central Boulevard—the eleventh release from First Due Firehouse Replicas.

About the Firehouse

Orlando Fire Department Fire Station 2 is one of the busiest of the seventeen stations in the department. Station 2 is part of the department’s 3rd district and serves several neighborhoods along Interstate 4 including Holden Heights, Spring Lake and Lake Dot.

This fire station proudly served the city of Orlando for over 50 years. The station was a fixture to the neighborhood—local kids used to love playing basketball at the station’s court.

A new state-of-the-art “Pride of Parramore” fire station opened in 2017 at 1215 West Robinson Street (about a half-mile from the previous location). Unfortunately the old firehouse was razed in order to make room for the new Orlando City Stadium (now Exploria Stadium). This 25,000 seat soccer-specific stadium is home of the Orlando City Soccer Club and the National Women’s Soccer League affiliate club the Orlando Pride.

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 replicated both Orlando Fire Department Engine 2 and Tower Ladder 2 in 2001 (not included with firehouse purchase). The OFD has had a long-standing relationship with Sutphen Fire Apparatus, the oldest family-owned continuously-operated fire apparatus manufacturer in the country. In 2004 the OFD changed the color of their apparatus from white over red to black over red—Code 3 responded by releasing models of Engine 5 and Tower Ladder 9 in the updated color scheme. These models were the final of the four OFD releases by Code 3.

Engine 2:

• Sutphen Monarch (#12290, 2001)

About the Apparatus

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Johnny Lightning produced a 1974 Dodge Monaco “Fire Chief” in white over red. We included this fictional piece for display purposes only.

Fire Chief 121:

• Dodge Monaco (Johnny Lightning #50258, 2006)

Code 3 never released a model of Rescue 2, but Corgi Fire Heroes did produce Philadelphia Fire Department’s Medic 1 in 2003 which can be converted. Our First Due Shops converted this unit into Orlando Fire Department’s Rescue 2 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.

Rescue 2:

1. •Ford E350 (#90240, chassis and body by Corgi Fire Heroes, 2003, decals by First Due Shops, 2021)

Tower Ladder 2:

1. •Sutphen (#12930, 2001)

Release Date:

• April 2022

Dimensions:

• Base width: 11 inches

• Base depth: 12 inches

• Building width: 11 inches

• Building depth: 10 inches

• Building height: 5 inches

• Height to tip of flagpole: 5.5 inches

Features Included:

1. •Black base with 2 inch apron in front
   

2. •Removable roof
   

3. •Working apparatus bay doors (slide them 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 $299 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.

Location:

Corner of North Parramore Avenue and West Central Boulevard

Orlando, Florida

Years in Service:

1966–2017

Companies Quartered:

1. •Engine 2 (organized 1925, quartered 1966–2017)
   

2. •Ladder 2 (organized 1925, quartered 1966–2017)
   

3. •Rescue 2
   

Link:

Orlando Fire Museum

Video:

Orlando Fire Department’s brand new Engine 2 (2021)

How to Order

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