By Michael J. Legeros |
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This month, some fun with numbers. By my count, Code 3 will have produced 396 emergency vehicles in 1/64 scale by the end of the year. Four short of 400 since those first Seagrave pumpers produced in early 1997. And I'm counting individual models, mind you, no matter if sold separately or as part of a set. Buildings are not included, nor are the differently scaled marine, police, Diamond Plate, or Franklin Mint releases. That's 207 pumpers, 44 ladders (including 22 tractor-drawn aerials), 36 command cars, 34 towers, 26 ambulances, 20 heavy rescues, 14 crash trucks, 5 helicopters, 3 command vans, 2 tankers, 2 telesquirts, 1 ESV unit, 1 REP unit, and 1 little ol' Squad 51. Or, enough to fill approximately 20 free-standing display cases. The most popular make? Seagrave, hands down, with 110 releases, followed by Pierce (50), GMC (36), Mack (34), Saulsbury (32), Ford (24), and E-One (22). I count at least 28 different ingredients in the stew, though there are probably more: American LaFrance, Baker, Bell, Crown, Dodge, Duplex, E-One, Ferrara, Ford, Freightliner, FWD, GMC, HME, International, LDV, LTI, Luverne, Mack, Oshkosh, Pierce, Pirsch, Ranger, Reading, Saulsbury, Seagrave, Simon, Sutphen, and Ward LaFrance. The most popular model? Again, Seagrave, with 94 custom cabs produced for four early models-- two pumpers, a tractor-drawn aerial, and a rear-mount ladder. After Seagrave, the next most popular are GMC Suburban (36), Mack CF (21), Pierce Quantum (21), Pierce Dash (15), American LaFrance Eagle (14), and Pierce Lance (14). Of those 396 releases, there are 57 special editions, ranging from Chief's Editions to Christmas releases to assorted "show pieces." Of the remaining 339, the models replicate 96 departments in 25 states and 3 provinces. The most popular? FDNY, with 90 releases, followed by LA City Fire Department (28), Chicago Fire Department (21), Boston Fire Department (11), and a three-way tie between the fire departments of Honolulu, LA County, and Philadelphia (9 each). Which states and provinces are the most popular? New York, with 111 releases, followed by California (41), Illinois (30), Florida (26), Pennsylvania (16), and Massachusetts (14). Which are the least popular? So far, we've seen only single releases from Louisiana, Missouri, Oregon, Tennessee, Wisconsin, and British Columbia. Not to mention my home state of Minnesota, which hasn't appeared at all. Total number of axles? 901. Percentage of airport or space center apparatus? 5.56. Number of police or corrections vehicles? 7. Most popular color for fire apparatus? Take a guess. Finally, for distinct toolings, I place the number at 50. Here's my list, subject to correction by readers undoubtedly more knowledgeable than myself:
A version of this column originally appeared at
Code 3 Collectibles
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Copyright 2023 by Michael J. Legeros |
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