Vintage set of the week: Firemen
Posted by Huwbot,
This week's vintage set is 218 Firemen, released during 1977. It's one of 8 Building Set with People sets produced that year. It contains 274 pieces.
It's owned by 198 Brickset members. If you want to add it to your collection you might find it for sale at BrickLink or eBay.
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23 comments on this article
Looks like more than 274 pieces to be honest.
They've got the whole company there! That's impressive.
It occurred to me seeing this set that these kinds of figures have had a handful of different expressions from the beginning, but minifigures didn't graduate to alternate expressions for over a decade until they were pirated in 1989 (not counting blanks).
That ladder looks a little small for those guys. Actually, the whole truck does. But then, when it comes to sets with figures, Lego only has a nodding acquaintance with the concept of scale.
Men, I called you all here today to say...YOU'RE FIRED!
@PurpleDave said:
"Men, I called you all here today to say...YOU'RE FIRED!"
... as Lego City burns down around them.
I like this, very nostalgic. I don't actually own this set, but I got a piece of history when a good friend of mine gave me one of the fire fighters.
@Maxbricks14 said:
"Looks like more than 274 pieces to be honest."
Build methods have changed a lot in the last 50 years. A 1977 set like this one would use a lot of bricks, as large as possible, and only a few, relatively large plates. They didn't use a lot of 1x2 plates like today's sets do.
If you were given the parts for this set and the photo above, you could probably puzzle out the entire build, since it's quite simple. There's no hidden pink brain bricks or the like.
…where are any of those trucks keeping any actual water? What are they going to do, climb the fire?
Here we see evolution at work. The figs grew upper limbs and developed faces, but we still don't see lower extremities at this stage.
My very first LEGO set ever! From my grandfather, who was a fireman. Still got it, love it
I can't unsee the face with glasses as the face from the grandma from the Family set. So there's two grannies in the force now and you can't change my mind.
And a boy on stilts.
@Brickalili said:
"…where are any of those trucks keeping any actual water? What are they going to do, climb the fire?"
???
Fire engines usually carry little to no water. They're transports for firemen, gear (especially hoses), pumps, and act as ladder platforms. Water comes from the closest fire hydrant.
@gearwheel said:
" @Brickalili said:
"…where are any of those trucks keeping any actual water? What are they going to do, climb the fire?"
???
Fire engines usually carry little to no water. They're transports for firemen, gear (especially hoses), pumps, and act as ladder platforms. Water comes from the closest fire hydrant."
To which the immediate follow up oration is “what pumps and hoses?”
Delicious Solid blue cylinders!
Probably my first ever Lego set and I think I still have all the bricks ??
Suspect they are a bit worse for wear though as I played with Lego a lot as a kid.
All just classic goodness, though honestly, I would have guessed this set was a bit older than 1977. Also not familiar with that crane piece, it kinda looks like the old winch from that era but with more angles and a boom attached. All in all not the most refined set, but I guess at the time this was aimed more at younger kids.
@Brickalili said:
"…where are any of those trucks keeping any actual water? What are they going to do, climb the fire?"
We don't need no water, let the motherbricker burn!
Burn motherbricker, burn!
@Brickalili said:
" @gearwheel said:
" @Brickalili said:
"…where are any of those trucks keeping any actual water? What are they going to do, climb the fire?"
???
Fire engines usually carry little to no water. They're transports for firemen, gear (especially hoses), pumps, and act as ladder platforms. Water comes from the closest fire hydrant."
To which the immediate follow up oration is “what pumps and hoses?”"
They don't need that stuff if they are the firemen from Fahrenheit 451...
@gearwheel said:
" @Maxbricks14 said:
"Looks like more than 274 pieces to be honest."
Build methods have changed a lot in the last 50 years. A 1977 set like this one would use a lot of bricks, as large as possible, and only a few, relatively large plates. They didn't use a lot of 1x2 plates like today's sets do.
If you were given the parts for this set and the photo above, you could probably puzzle out the entire build, since it's quite simple. There's no hidden pink brain bricks or the like."
I don't believe I could force myself to make the attempt.
True, it's way too narrow for them and the rungs are spaced too closely. It is the triple-part variant of the ladder, though, so it does extend pretty long/high.
I think this is one of many reasons Lego transitioned to minifigures - figures at this scale are just too expensive and too unwieldy for playsets unless you seriously degrade the play value by making all the vehicles, buildings, and equipment ridiculously underscaled - which is precisely what Lego was forced to do until the advent of minifigures.
It is interesting to me, though, that according to Bricklink these larger figures were produced until 1982. I seem to recall there's even a home/family set of these where a minifigure is the baby.
@tmtomh said:
"I seem to recall there's even a home/family set of these where a minifigure is the baby."
208. The set has been RSotD and the minifig has been RMotD.
My dad's first set.
Fireman Battle Pack!