K-Line #K-42313 Fire Fighters Figure Set

In 1954 Marx introduced the #3481 Fire House set as part of its Marxville line of plastic buildings marketed along with their O-gauge trains.

Included in that set were: three firemen; a little boy wearing a fireman's helmet (and trying to carry a heavy pair of boots); and a dog (presumably a Dalmatian)

By 1983 K-Line releases its #K-4091 Firehouse Set based on the old Marx tooling that Maury D. Klein had purchased.

The figures are the same but the colors have changed

In 2003 K-Line introduces a deluxe set of firemen which was a blend of the older Marx tooling and all new sculpts. It also included two extending ladders and a hose which, when laid out straight, was quite long. I found the best way to maintain its shape was to insert a length of wire in it.

The four figures to the far left are all holdovers from the old Marx sets. The remaining eight figures are all new sculpts.

Here we see some firefighters in action on my Milwaukee North Western train layout back in 2023. This scene has been moved to a different location on the layout.

Be Blessed and Relish Life! Ed

MTH-RailKing #30-11060 6-Piece Figure Set Fire Scene

Yesterday I posted a set of Deluxe Reading 60mm ringhand firemen, the result of going through old photos. Well, it turns out there are some more firemen photos I can post in the next couple of days. Here's a set made by MTH for their RailKing line of O-gauge trains. According to my notes, this set was featured here on the blog before but I think it was included within a post of a broader fire scene and not given its own coverage. I did not do my standard 12-shot photo essay for these figures.

This is an excellent set consisting of firemen and victims. There's a man wrapped in a blanket, a woman on the ground in her PJ's (also in a blanket), and a small child - all presumably victims of a structure fire. Then there's the firemen kneeling down giving aid, while another one holds a baby in his arms, while the third one is holding the family dog. Be Blessed and Relish Life! Ed

Deluxe Reading 60mm Ringhand Firemen

Going through old photos again... 

For years I was posting posting a ton of fire and emergency vehicles and toys. While my collecting has almost stopped, every now-&-then I still pick up a piece. Also too, every now-&-then I come across photos that should have been posted years ago but never were. This is one of them. These were bought a few years ago when I was hot and heavy into acquiring MPC and Andy Gard 60mm ringhand figures. The first photo below is the result of several job lots purchased over a year's time. While I'm attributing these to Deluxe Reading, they may have been made by another manufacturer for inclusion into Deluxe Reading fire and emergency playsets. Be Blessed and Relish Life! Ed

The only four poses I'm aware of.

A Plethora of O-Scale Fireman Figures

Putting together the fire scene on my train layout has been fun. It was also challenging at first trying to find suitable figures to use. I wanted to use painted figures which immediately ruled out the old Marx and K-Line figures used in their fire house sets. I really had to settle on the newer issue K-Line, RailKing, and Arttista pieces even though they all wear the more updated fire fighting uniforms  - those with large glow-in-the-dark stripes on them - which I believe became standard in the 1980s. Some early uniforms had a single stripe on the trench coat/overcoat but not in the bright neon yellow or orange that we see today. Enjoy! Opa Fritz

Arttista #1314 Fireman w-Bullhorn

Only one of about five or six firemen figures offered by Arttista. All Arttista figures are cast metal.

K-Line #K-42313 Fire Fighters Figure Set 

K-Line, RailKing, and Marx figures are all made of plastic. The boys holding the boots and the fireman running with axe are from the original Marx tooling

I did not use the guy in the Hazmat suit (far right in the photo) for my fire scene - way too modern for my liking.

This set has a fireman climbing a ladder - PERFECT! Just what the doctor ordered!

RailKing #30-11060 6-Piece Figure Set Fire Scene

This set focuses on the hapless victims of a fire and not on putting the fire out

Korber(???) Kolber (???)

I want to say these cast metal figures were made by Korber or Kolber but don't quote me - I'm working from faulty memories going back over 20 years and there's no original packaging left (I think). This set of figures was bought back in 1999 for a previous layout and are shown in these photos in use on that layout. I still have the figures but never got around to photographing them by themselves. The set focuses on the fire crew at the station - sitting on a bench, talking, etc.

Honorable mention: Marx and K-Line

The Marx and K-Line (made from original Marx tooling) figures are just fine on O-gauge layouts

Marx #3781 Fire House Set

You need a cop to direct traffic away from the fire. This figure is also included in the Marx Police Station set.

Some people confuse this figure as being a fireman. Look closely. It is a little boy wearing a fireman's helmet and holding a pair of adult fireman's boots.

If the dog looks green that's because he is. I didn't have an original cream colored Marx dog but did have the set of Marx Canada figures - which are green!

K-Line #K-4091 Firehouse Set

Hasbro 'Fearless Fireman' Game - Update

Back on 17 Oct 2010 Toys & Stuff featured the 'Fearless Fireman' game from Hassenfield Brothers, aka Hasbro, but at the time we only had what came inside the box. Now, nearly a year later, we can present to you the box it all came in! The artwork is both colorful and wonderful - full of 1950s era childhood whimsy. We're all old enough to realize that fire fighting is a serious business, but when you're a kid playing fireman, it's just different, it's fun. The artwork really 'pops' and the large box draws you to it. I'm glad to be able to finally share this with you! Enjoy!

 Quite frankly, I'm not sure what the original packaging arrangement looked like and cannot determine what went in that lower left corner. Were there more components to the set that I am as yet unaware of?

Hasbro 'Fearless Fireman' Game

Today I've got a ton of pictures and scans for your enjoyment.  Our pick is Hasbro's 'Fearless Fireman' game from 1957.  It's actually a hybrid toy: kids could play the game of fireman, spinning the wheel and taking turns  OR use the pieces as a stand alone toy making up the rules as they go along.  Unfortunately I don't have the original box nor all the figures, but there's enough presented here to give you a real good idea.  Also, I have included high res scans of the building pieces for use as project material.  The tabs and slots were all edited out of the scans and by printing these out on self-adhesive backed photo paper, you can then mount them to either foam core board or cardboard and make your own building!  The set comes with three bright red, hard plastic fire engines and a multitude of brightly colored firemen and civilians, also in hard plastic.  The ends of the figures outstretched arms fit into holes in the back of the firemen and slots on the feet allow the figures to be posed either in the open windows or on the rungs of the fire engine ladders.  In the photos you'll notice a gray fire engine and some cream colored firemen.  These are from Marx and, for our Marx collecting friends, were included in the photo to help show size comparisons.  This building would also look great on a 3-rail O-gauge toy train layout and I've included photos showing it in place on my home layout.  Enjoy!