By:
Larry Lorance
The Review
Reviewed: March 2005 I asked Orlando Ramos, R&D Director for Code 3 Collectibles, why this apparatus was chosen. He said "Although I was not here when the decision was made to produce this model, I can tell you the story behind the apparatus itself had a major influence behind why Code 3 Collectibles decided to make this model." This model is, without question, the finest example of the modeler's craft I have ever seen. You may see small difference between the model and some photographs of the real apparatus. Ken Martin reminds us "Most of the better apparatus photographers will tell you that the picture they take today, may NOT represent the rig tomorrow. Most especially in and outfit like the FDNY, where the rigs get "personalized" on a regular basis." Squad is the largest and heaviest 1:32 scale model ever made by Code 3 Collectibles. The model is 11.75 inches long, 4.5 inches high, and 3 inches wide. It weighs 3 1/2 pounds. The model comes packed (and I mean packed) extremely well. This is great news for international collectors of Code 3 Collectibles who might worry about breakage during shipping. It took me about 10 minutes to get the model out of the packaging. My advice is to take your time no matter how nice the model looks and don't throw away the packaging. Another piece of advice I've learned over the years is to put on a pair of soft cotton gloves when handling the models, especially one like this model. But, don't let it slip out of your hands. The model comes with a serial numbered certificate of authenticity, a bound informational leaflet about the Squad, and a paper detailing how to work the model's windows. There is also a matching serial number on the bottom on the model. A diamond plate display stand is also included. Squad 61 displays even better under a dust free display case. I highly recommend you get a Plexiglas display case as soon as the model arrives, if not before. This extra large 15.5" x 7"x 6" mirrored clear case with a wood bottom is available from Cheap Diecast for a very good price. One very important note! ALWAYS remove or replace the Plexiglas top by lifting it straight up, NEVER at an angle.
Code 3 Collectibles enlisted the support of veteran FDNY firefighters and a FDNY historian to help create this masterpiece. One senior FDNY firefighter said "we spent quite a few hours making sure it was right for Code 3 Collectibles." They are all proud of the accuracy of this 8th Diamond Plate model. I am struck by the model's unbelievable detail. Over 520 individual parts were used to capture the the spirit and honor the real Squad 61. You can see the pride Code 3 Collectibles and everyone involved put into this project. The murals are the highlights of this apparatus. Squad 61 is the only fire apparatus in the United States to have an American flag and an eagle on both sides of the apparatus. For the mural design, Seagrave enlisted the expertise of Bob Marx of RJ Marx, Inc. Seagrave told Bob they were donating a truck to the FDNY and wanted to incorporate a "Solid Patriotic Theme" in the truck's graphics. Bob presented them with the graphic we see now. Seagrave President Hebe added the words "Never Forget" to remember the friends they lost on 9-11. RJ Marx, Inc. also created the graphics on FDNY Ladder 10, which was another Code 3 Collectibles release. These murals have been masterfully recreated using a new heat transfer process that makes the colors stand out. "By using this process, the compartment doors do not open; it would take away from the actual artwork", Ramos said. There is a small difference in the model's mural and the truck's mural. Bob Marx and I talk briefly about the difference between the two murals. He speculates it is due to the smaller size Code 3 Collectibles was dealing with, they had to alter the graphics in order to give the murals more of a 3-D effect. Otherwise it would have looked like a eagle sticking his head out of an American flag.
Cab Interior
All four cab doors open. The hinges are not
visible. The cab doors open to a 60-degree angle. The interior of both of the rear doors have a STOP sign imprinted on
them. All of the seats have the FDNY logo on their headrest. You can see this on the photo to your left. Talk about detail; built into the seat is the SCBA. On every SCBA you can clearly see "Scott FDNY". Like Diamond Plate models before it, you can raise and lower the cab windows using a small clear tab on the door's side. In the rear crew compartment are four FDNY SCBA seats and a fire ax, canopy heater and other equipment. Topside The model, like the real apparatus, comes equipped with six, diamond plated, storage boxes. The hinges on these boxes that open are well hidden and do not distract from the display of the model whether they are kept in the opened or closed position. The diamond plating is recreated throughout this model. Inside the storage boxes are various pieces of firefighting gear. You can see the attention to detail, with some of the gear clearly marked "FDNY" or "SQUAD 61". There is storage for a ladder on the officer's side storage compartment. Both of the compartment doors can be lifted for display purposes. You can see nicely detailed fire extinguishers and foam cans. Additionally, the photo-etched grill and AC unit covers are a nice touch. Photos of Model's storage boxes
Retired FDNY firefighter Ken Martin sent along some
photos of the contents of Squad 288's storage boxes. Ken notes
that the contents and location of gear may be different than that of
Squad 61.
The hose bed is typical of recent Diamond Plate releases. The simulated woven textile hose displays extremely well. One minor suggestion would have been to make the hose bed cover out of material other than plastic. There are two deck guns. One above the cab, the other amidships. These do no swivel. It would be nice to see swiveling deck guns in future Diamond Plate release. The model's emergency lights are recreated in extreme detail. I could not find any emergency warning lights that did not have clear or color lenses. Some of these features are not visible until you look closely. Take a look at the colored lights just above the model's headlights. At first glance, I thought they were red. However, under closer inspection, they are half red and half orange. Yes, even the turn arrows look good! Code 3 Collectibles should include a magnifying glass with the next Diamond Plate to view all of the detailed craftsmanship. The model, like the real truck, has overhead strobe emergency warning lights. These lights replace the red lights that were there when the truck was delivered.
The Rest The pump panel is very well detailed (click on photo to right to enlarge). There are two pike poles attached to the drivers side cab. The Federal Nightfighter Telescopic Light has plastic lenses. Code 3 Collectibles did their usual superior paint job. It appears the paint color is an exact match of the real Squad 61's. The chrome is perfect all the way around. The magnificent graphics set a new standard! These photos below can not give justification to the graphics presented on this model. Examples of graphics
A perfect paint job and a new standard in graphics There is a problem with the rear wheels; they were not drilled out. I would have never noticed it until is was brought to my attention. Conclusion At the beginning of this review I wrote "I could not come up with the words to describe this masterpiece!" I've tried, and still find to hard to describe this work of art. However, one word would sum it up..... WOW! This may be the best fire / rescue model ever released. This, like the previous Diamond Plate's, is sure to be a sellout. "Never Forget" On a Wow factor of 1 - 5, I give this model a 5!
Special thanks to:
FF Michael Martinelli -
for his outstanding photographic talents. Mike's website
www.FDNYtrucks.com
is the largest site on the Internet devoted to photography of fire
apparatus. Mike is also a photographer with Fire Apparatus
Journal Magazine.
Retired New York City FF Ken Martin - Ken is always the firefighter, he continues to respond to any assignment. Ken contributed photos of Squad 288's storage boxes for this project. If you have a question about firefighting or the FDNY ask Ken. If Ken does not know the answer, he knows someone that does. FDNY FF Dave Collado - Dave is a Squad 61 firefighter and the webmaster of www.fdny-squad61.com , the Squad's website. If you are looking for information or want to purchase Squad 61 merchandise, this is the place to go. George Kanugh, Seagrave Marketing Department - George supplied me with everything I needed from Seagrave Corporation.
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