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 #8:

LAFD Engine 39

“The Big House”

“Hub of the Valley”

The eighth release of First Due Firehouse Replicas:

LAFD Engine 39

Between April 1997 and October 2000 Code 3 released five models of units quartered at Los Angeles City Fire Department (LAFD) Fire Station 39. These included two versions of Engine 39 (Seagrave and Pierce models), Truck 39 (Ladder Towers Incorporated), Ambulance 39 (Ford), and Battalion 10 (GMC).

These units are all part of LAFD’s Big House, Hub of the Valley—the eighth release from First Due Firehouse Replicas.

About the Firehouse

Up until November of 2019, LAFD Fire Station 39 located on Sylvan Street in the city of Van Nuys was the oldest active fire station in the department. The neoclassic building (first built in 1919 and rebuilt in 1939) is located on a narrow street across from Van Nuys Civic Center which has very little room to maneuver the vehicles in and out of the station.

Unfortunately the station could not adequately accommodate modern-sized fire apparatus and the current infrastructure needs of firefighters, so after a decade of planning a new $19.2 million Fire Station 39 was opened in November 2019 at 14615 Oxnard Street. The beloved and missed old Sylvan Street fire station proudly served the community for 100 years. It will be used by the city for a yet undetermined purpose.

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 a replica of LAFD Seagrave Engine 39 in 1997 (not included with firehouse purchase). An updated version of their latest Pierce pumper was released in 2000. Division 3 and Battalion 10’s GMC Suburbans were produced in 1998, and Ambulance 39 & Truck 39 were released in 1999. Division 3 (now known as Valley Division) is not quartered at this firehouse, however the 39 units & Battalion 10 are all part of this division.

Engine 39:

• Seagrave (series 1, #02450-0039, 1997)

About the Apparatus

How to Order

Engine Company 39 was organized in 1919 and responded from their quarters on Sylvan Street for 100 years.

Truck 39 was organized in 1939 and responded from their quarters on Sylvan Street for 80 years.

fire station 39, 1930s

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:

14415 Sylvan Street

Van Nuys, Los Angeles, California

Years in Service:

1919–2019

Companies Quartered:

• Engine 39 (organized 1919, quartered 1919–2019)

• Truck 39 (organized 1939, quartered 1939–2019)

• Engine 239 (responds with Truck 39 as Lightforce 39)

• Paramedic Rescue Ambulance 39

• BLS Rescue Ambulance 839

• Battalion 10

• HazMat Squad 39 (organized 1978, quartered 1978–2001)

Video:

LAFD Engine 39 and Rescue 839 responding (code 3 response, 2019)

Release Date:

• February 2022

Dimensions:

• Base width: 18 inches

• Base depth: 14 inches

• Building width: 18 inches

• Building depth: 12 inches

• Building height: 7 inches

• Height to tip of hose tower: 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
   

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.

Truck 39:

• LTI TDA (#12664-0039, 1999)

Engine 39:

• Pierce (#12888, 2000)

Ambulance 39:

• Ford E350 (#12053-0039, 1999)

Battalion 10:

• GMC Suburban (#12400-0010, 1998)

Division 3:

• GMC Suburban (#12400-0003, 1998)

Corgi Fire Heroes produced a 1:64 scale LAFD Hummer Brush Patrol Unit in 2003. This unit is quartered at Fire Station 109 on Mulholland Drive and is included here for display purposes.

Brush Patrol 109:

• Hummer H1 (Corgi Fire Heroes #90236, 2003)

Matchbox produced a 1:64 scale LAFD Fire Chief sedan as part of their Code Red television show series.

Fire Chief 1:

• Mercury (Matchbox #59b, 1981)

LAFD fire station 39, 1930s