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 #9:

FDNY Engine 1/Ladder 24

“Midtown Madness”

The ninth release of First Due Firehouse Replicas:

FDNY’s “Midtown Madness”

Code 3 produced replicas of both New York City Fire Department’s Engine 1 and Ladder 24 in 2006. Individually these units are known as ‘Midtown Express’ and the ‘Raging Bulls’—collectively they are referred to as Midtown Madness—the ninth release from First Due Firehouse Replicas.

About the Firehouse

The Midtown Madness firehouse is located at 142 West 31st Street, Manhattan, New York City. The building was designed by Lewis & Churchill and has been serving the community since 1946. The firehouse underwent an extensive renovation process from 2002-2004—the updated facility will serve the residents of the districts of Midtown South, Koreatown, and Chelsea for many years to come.

Originally organized as one of the first engines in the paid department, Engine 1 entered service in the former quarters of volunteer Northern Liberty Engine 42 at 1 Centre Street in lower Manhattan on July 31, 1865. Disbanded in 1868, they were reorganized five years later at 165 West 29th Street in midtown Manhattan on February 17, 1873. They moved to their present quarters which they share with Ladder 24 at 142 West 31st Street on November 3, 1946.

In 2005, Engine 1 was the 5th busiest engine company in Manhattan and 14th in the overall city. They responded to 4,821 alarms in 2005, of which 3,668 were workers. Of these, 1,990 were medical emergencies in which they were 1st in Manhattan and 2nd in the entire city.

Ladder 24 was organized on June 1, 1901, in a large and ornate fire station at 115 West 33rd Street in midtown Manhattan. On November 3, 1946, they moved into a new fire station two blocks south at 142 West 31st Street.

In 2005, Ladder 24 responded to 4,003 alarms, of which 3,005 were workers. They were the 5th busiest ladder company in Manhattan and 10th overall in the entire City for 2005.

In past years, several special units including Water Tower 3, Searchlight 21, Department Ambulance 1, and High Ladder 1 were also located in these quarters. The first alarm district is made up mainly of high-rise commercial office buildings and factories and includes the Empire State Building, Madison Square Garden, Pennsylvania Station, Macy’s Department Store and many hotels.

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 replicas of both FDNY’s Engine 1 and Ladder 24 (not included with firehouse purchase).

Engine 1:

• Seagrave (series 4, #12838, 2006)

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

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

Location:

142 West 31st Street,

Manhattan, New York, NY

Years in Service:

1946-present

Companies Quartered:

1. •Engine 1 (organized 1865, quartered Nov. 1946–present)
   

2. •Ladder 24 (organized 1901, quartered Nov. 1946–present)
   

3. •Division 3
   

Videos:

FDNY Engine 1 + Ladder 24 (Code 3 response, 2021)

FDNY Engine 1 Saving Midtown & Empire State Building from King Kong Code 3 Collectibles ’01 Seagrave (historical, 2021)

Release Date:

• March 2022

Dimensions:

• Base width: 11.5 inches

• Base depth: 10 inches

• Building width: 11.5 inches

• Building depth: 8 inches

• Building height: 9.5 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. •4 Bollards
   

6. •Printed firehouse fact sheet booklet
   

7. •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 $339 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.

Division 3 was never released by Code 3, however this unit can be easily replicated from an existing GMC battalion chief vehicle. A printed sheet of unit numbers is included with the firehouse to assist in converting existing models.

Division 3:

1. •GMC Suburban (chassis and body by Code 3, 1998, decals by First Due Shops, 2021)
   

Ladder 24:

• Seagrave Rear Mount Ladder (series 4, #12854, 2006)