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 #4:

Chicago Fire Department

Engine 42/Truck 3/Squad 1

“The Iron Ring”

The fourth release of First Due Firehouse Replicas:

Chicago Fire Department Engine 42/Truck 3/Squad 1 “The Iron Ring”

Code 3 produced an assortment of Chicago Fire Department replicas between 1997 and 2011 including a series of Luverne pumpers, HME squads, Pierce rear mount ladders, Ford ambulances, and LDV command vehicles. Engine 42, Truck 3, Squad 1 & 1A are part of The Iron Ring quartered in downtown Chicago—the fourth release from First Due Firehouse Replicas.

About the Firehouse

Chicago Fire Department Engine 42’s firehouse is located downtown at the southwest corner of Illinois and Dearborn streets in River North and has been in service since 1968. This busy firehouse is home to Engine 42, Truck 3, Ambulance 42, Squad 1 & 1A, Mobile Command Post 2-7-1, and Paramedic Field Chief 4-5-1 making for a very crowded dinner table each night. This large building has six apparatus bay doors in front and two in back, and is also home to the Fire Prevention Bureau.

Engine Company 42 was established in 1887 and was first quartered at 228 West Illinois Street. This original building (along with twelve other historic Chicago firehouses) was designated as a Chicago Landmark in 2003.

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 models of Chicago Fire Department Truck 3 and Squad 1 & 1A in 2005 (not included with firehouse purchase). A Past Time Hobbies (a hobby shop which was located just outside of Chicago in Brookfield, Illinois) special release of Engine 42 was produced in 2007. Code 3 also released a series of Luverne pumpers (for companies 43, 70, 109, and 121) which can be easily be converted into Engine 42. Additionally Code 3’s CFD Ambulance 3 or 6 can also be easily converted to Ambulance 42. A printed sheet of unit numbers is included with the firehouse to assist in converting existing models.

Engine 42:

•Luverne (Code 3 Past Time Hobbies special release #12844, 2007)

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.

In 2018, the City of Chicago approved plans for a new $20.2 million state-of- the-art replacement fire station topped by a 30-story mixed-use office building. The plan involves completing a new three-story station just west of the existing Engine Co. 42 firehouse and then demolishing the older ‘brutalist’ facility to construct the new office tower in its place. The new building will be known as Rivere which is a reference to a hotel that once operated nearby and is expected to open in 2023.

Artist’s interpretation of the new

Chicago Fire Department Engine 42 firehouse

Engine Company 42’s original

firehouse at 228 W. Illinois St.

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

Location:

55 W Illinois Street

Chicago, IL

Years in Service:

1968-present

Companies Quartered:

• Engine 42 (organized 1887, quartered 1968–present)

• Truck 3 (quartered 1968–present)

• Ambulance 42

•Squad 1 & 1A
•Mobile Command Post 2-7-1
•Paramedic Field Chief 4-5-1

Videos:

CFD E42, S1 & 1A, T3 Responding (code 3 response, 2019)

CFD E43, S1 & 1A, T3 Returning to Quarters (2019)

Release Date:

• January 2022

Dimensions:

• Base width: 21.5 inches

• Base depth: 16.5 inches

• Building width: 21.5 inches

• Building depth: 16.5 inches

• Building height: 9 inches

Features Included:

•Black base with 2 inch apron in front
•Removable roof
•8 Working apparatus bay doors (slide them into any position with the touch of a finger)
•2 Flags/Flagpoles
•‘Rivere Office Space’ corner advertisement poster (this is currently on the real building, optional to display on model)
•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:

Our introductory price for this firehouse replica is $399 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.

Squad 1 & 1A:

• HME/Central States (Code 3 #16021, 2005)

Engine 42 (reserve):