This is a splendid truck for the fire brigade. It has all you need to fight fires. You have got two ladders, two black hoses, two round bricks and two taps. With the latter two things you can build fire extinguishers. And the trailer has two modified bricks 1x1 which have one additional stud on one of their sides. So I usually connected one of the hoses with one of those modified bricks. On the other end of the hose I put a tap. The tap is necessary so the minifig can hold the hose at its end. You must connect the "head" of the tap - where the stud is - with the hose.

The trailer is a bit small, but that's the only thing I can criticise. I love the set's siren and its flashing light. If you turn around the light, it has a solid mode. The siren is also cool and can make two different noises. Of course, the battery box takes away a lot of space, but for me it was always the water tank of the truck.

The minifig comes with oxygen bottles, an axe and a wallkie-talkie, and the truck has a hose made of twine at its end. Of course, the hose has a gray handle for the minifig.

Apart from the obvious one piece battery block of special effects, these sets often come with a rudimentary selection of parts. Its accepted any higher cost with Light & Sound sets is just for that, the special effects. As kids would normally make up their own, I must admit remembering being quite surprised at the new dimension it added to the games, especially when you closed the curtains for some fake night time scenarios.

Minifigures:

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One standard white helmet fireman by now some variation might have been added.

Battery Not Included

This is a beefy six wheel truck style fire engine and the white wheels are decent for the refreshing hubcap design. By this stage either fourteen by two stud long plates were not available or for strength they just used multiple parts as happens here. This study black base holds two short red chassis, more plates and a set of wheel arches so its a good long vehicle. Added to this is a socket joint to tow a trailer but its worthwhile considering most of the main build is the power box. Four clips are used to hold an axe, CB radio, shovel and broom. The build around the power box is mainly red plates to hold the heavy item securely, hold grey oxygen tanks on the back and as a base for a nicely hinged double ladder that has a turntable and can extend out with really good action.

The trailer is pretty good except for the lack of rear lights where there is the exact accommodation for them. Similar frustration is found in just a few other sets where its as if the design was passed on and some detail missed out along the way. This is a probable water supply or generator with its tubing, taps and cylinders and gets a strange hinged stabiliser piece that looks like a pair of tiny fake wheels.

The power box comes with power plates: part metal plates - 'conductor elements' that create a circuit or extend the lights and siren ability. The switch is a grey two stud spring loaded piece and the controls a slightly chunky black cylindrical turntable with a grip that control the two types of sound. The lights were a smooth and seemingly advanced shape compared to usual one stud plates and sit on their white, metal laced piece. I remember how the coloured bulb covers were removable and easily lost so they are best just left on being so light. The whole box gets two large but very smart black fire badges with symbolic designs. A decent sticker I would find preferable to an easily scratched off print if, however, such stickers were freely or cheaply replaceable. Remember not to leave batteries in for ages as they leak acid.

Alternative Building

There is not much worth mentioning, just a slimmer slant front truck with an overloaded trailer covered in garb but at least the fireman gets a twin water cannon turntable on top!

9V Of Fun

This passes as a decent fire engine and definitely as a novelty bit of special effects fun for play and scenario depth. How they sit together is another view. Its a good model and well worth being part of a fleet but imagination is always stronger than such battery powered tricks and this is surely not the best fire engine out there. It may sound greedy but the back of the engine is so high, some more bricks would have been appreciated to make a bulkier, larger engine including the cab front. When the power box leaves less to build, some parts for a fancier or bigger truck would seem fitting for a price that will be higher anyway for the electric feature. Its a really good fire engine but not quite as good as its impressive audio and visual display which is awarded the extra brick for what it adds to play but not to the set. A great model special effects make not.

This is the first light and sound set that we've owned and I really think it's great! It was complicated enough to make (not too simple and not too hard) and the results were very satisfying. A fab addition to any 80s town layout and let's face it - every town needs a fire department :o)

This was my only set with the light & sound feature. That is among the set's best qualities; it is a fairly ordinary fire truck except for that. As with all light & sound sets, the siren had two tones and the lights had a flashing and solid mode, which was great.