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 #19:

Yonkers Engine 313/Truck 73

“Far East”

The nineteenth release of First Due Firehouse Replicas:

Yonkers Engine 313/Truck 73 “Far East”

Code 3 produced a special Christmas edition of Yonkers Fire Department Engine 313 in 2008. This model is ready to parade down the streets of Yonkers as it replicates the actual Engine 313 all decked out for the holidays.

Engine 313 was designated the Santa Engine for 2008 in this inner suburb of New York City (Yonkers shares a border with The Bronx) and was used in Christmas parades and to thrill kids as it arrived to deliver special packages at a magical time of year. Carefully decorated by the members of Station 13 on Kimball Avenue in Yonkers, it faithfully conveys the goodwill of this stellar Fire Department.

Engine 313 and Truck 73 are part of the “Far East” in Yonkers—the nineteenth release from First Due Firehouse Replicas.

About the Firehouse

The Far East firehouse is located at 340 Kimball Avenue, Yonkers, New York, and was constructed in 1956. Each year, the Yonkers Fire Department responds to over 15,000 alarms. The department is an ‘all-hazards’ fire department—while fighting fires remains their primary duty, the department’s missions also include providing emergency medical care, controlling hazardous materials incidents, vehicle accident extrication, technical rescue, disaster preparedness and response, fire prevention, plans review, fire safety education, fire investigation, and more.

Engine 313 is a model CMU 1000, Series 60 Detroit sporting a Waterous 1000 GPM pump. This apparatus was put into service in 2002 and has a Freightliner chassis with an American LaFrance cab and body. The apparatus carries one officer and three firefighters and has four regular and two jump seats.

The Yonkers Fire Department has six ladder companies—four are Smeal 100-foot rear mount aerial ladders and two are American LaFrance/LTI 75-foot tower ladders. In addition to typical equipment such as portable ground ladders, saws, forcible entry tools, and salvage equipment, the YFD’s ladder companies are also supplied with special purpose equipment such as power extrication tools, lifting air bags, carbon monoxide detectors and high angle rescue equipment.

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 holiday Christmas release of Yonkers Engine 313 in December of 2008. A total of 1,500 units were made of this special edition.

Engine 313:

1. •American LaFrance (#12806, 2008)

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.

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

Location:

340 Kimball Avenue

Yonkers, NY 

Years in Service:

1956-present

Companies Quartered:

1. •Engine 13 (organized August 13, 1956, changed to Engine 313 in 1978, quartered 1956–present)
   

2. •Truck 6 (organized March 27, 1956, changed to Truck 13 in 1975, changed to Truck 73 in 1978, quartered 1956–present)
   

3. •Foam Unit
   

Videos:

Yonkers FD Ladder 73 + Engine 313 Responding (full house response, 2019)

Yonkers fire department engine 313 (spare) and *NEW* ladder 73 responding 1/21/22 (full house response, 2022)

Release Date:

• June 2022

Dimensions:

• Base width: 9 inches

• Base depth: 11.5 inches

• Building width: 9 inches

• Building depth: 9.5 inches

1. •Building height: 7 inches
   

2. •Height to tip of flagpole: 8.5
   

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.

Code 3 never produced a replica of Yonkers Truck 73 (a Smeal 100 foot rear-mount aerial), however—they did produce a beautiful replica of Truck 71, an American LaFrance/LTI 75 foot Tower Ladder.

Ladder 71:

• American LaFrance Tower Ladder (#12720-0026, 2002)