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 #10:

FDNY Engine 201/Ladder 114

“Emerald Isle”

The tenth release of First Due Firehouse Replicas:

FDNY’s “Emerald Isle”

Code 3 produced special holiday replicas of New York City Fire Department’s Tower Ladder 114 in 2009 and Engine 201 in 2010. These companies are part of Emerald Isle in Brooklyn—the tenth release from First Due Firehouse Replicas.

About the Firehouse

In 2007, the New York City Department of Design and Construction worked with the FDNY and RKTB-ERM Architects to build a new double company, 3-story firehouse on the lot of Engine 201’s existing 2-story firehouse. The new Emerald Isle firehouse was one of the first to be built under the DDC’s Design Excellence Program and set the general design standards for all new firehouses.

This project consisted of a complete demolition of the existing 2-story firehouse on a 25' x 100' lot and the construction of a new 3 story Engine, Ladder and Battalion Firehouse on a combined 50' x 100' lot. The new building has a reinforced concrete basement and the superstructure consists of a steel framed building with concrete floor slabs over metal decking.

The most used areas of the firehouse (lounge, courtyard, kitchen and dining facilities) are located on the ground floor. The second floor contains offices, bunkrooms, toilets and lockers, and shared storage facilities. The third floor is devoted to the private spaces of the firefighters and includes a dormitory bunk room, study facilities, and separate lockers and showers for men and women.

The importance the firehouse plays in the community is expressed through the use of symbolic elements in the design of the front facade including the use of glazed red brick and the Maltese Cross in a suspended, illuminated glass lantern.

Engine Company 201 was first established as Brooklyn Engine 1 on September 15, 1869, and was quartered at 633 4th Avenue. Ladder 114 was first established as Brooklyn Ladder 18 on April 15, 1898 and was reorganized as FDNY Ladder 114 on January 1, 1913. The two companies (along with Battalion Chief 40) moved in to their new shared firehouse on January 12, 2009.

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 201 and Ladder 114 (not included with firehouse purchase). Both models were special releases celebrating Saint Patrick’s Day (E201) and Christmas (L114). For many years during the Christmas season, Ladder 114 has performed a community service by “rescuing” Santa from the roof of a neighborhood four-story apartment building.

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.

These two models are also unique in that they are both the final (and most detailed) releases of these Code 3 Seagrave engine and tower ladder molds. Only three final Seagrave models would be produced by Code 3 (E40, E63, & L46) following the release of these models—all utilizing the new Marauder II cab.

Engine 201:

1. •Seagrave (series 4, #13031, 2010)

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

Location:

5113 4th Avenue

Brooklyn, New York, NY

Years in Service:

2009-present

Companies Quartered:

1. •Engine 201 (organized 1869, quartered 2009–present)
   

2. •Ladder 114 (organized 1898, quartered 2009–present)
   

3. •Battalion 40
   

Videos:

FDNY Full House Run Ladder 114 & Engine 201 Respond to Reported Fire

(code 3 response, 2021)

Release Date:

• March 2022

Dimensions:

• Base width: 10 inches

• Base depth: 12 inches

• Building width: 10 inches

• Building depth: 10 inches

1. •Building height: 9 inches
   

2. •Height to tip of flagpole: 12 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 $359 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.

Battalion 40 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.

Battalion 40:

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

Ladder 114:

1. •Seagrave Tower Ladder (series 3, #12568, 2009)