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Fire Engine 7

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I’ve been into fire trucks my whole life, and I’ve always wanted to see Lego come out with one that looks like a real engine.  The main fire truck in almost every Lego set seems to be either a ladder truck or a snorkel, and I get it: it makes the truck more playable for the kids.  In fact, the first time I introduced one of my earlier designs to my kids, they took one look at the truck and said “Where’s the ladder on top?” I, however, have always preferred the standard engine, or “pumper” as some call it.  In the town I grew up in, the fire station only had pumpers, so that’s what I connected with.

So, the goal of my project is to create a fire pumper that looks somewhat realistic and satisfies my criteria below, and after many modifications since I finished the prototype back in 2014, I now I am ready to present to you: Fire Engine 7.


The design process had 5 criteria that had to be met

The engine had to be the same scale as a typical Lego City truck (6 studs wide, standard Lego City truck tires, etc) so it could blend in with existing Lego City environments.

The engine had to be provisioned to incorporate minifigures (minifigs have to be able to sit in the cab, the truck had to be able to carry minifig tools, etc)

The engine had to fit in a standard Lego City Fire Station (hence, no side mirrors or anything sticking too far out of the sides.  It’s close, but it fits).

The engine had to be playable (after all, that’s what Lego is all about, right?)

Finally, it had to be somewhat realistic looking and still satisfy the previous 4 criteria.  (it had to look like a real fire engine, but if it was too hyper-realistic, it would probably violate #1 or #3).


The engine features: 

A cab that can accommodate 2 crew members (the driver and a 2nd fireman).  There is an on-board computer next to the driver and a radio next to the second crewman.  

A hose reel is located at the driver-side pump control section so the crew can lay down a line and fight the fire directly (I had trouble rendering the string for the picture, but there is supposed to be a string from the reel to the nozzle).  

On top is a deck gun, or “deluge gun” that can spray a high-volume of water while the crew readies the main line.  The deck gun can spin and articulate, allowing a full 360 degree range of effect. 

The engine has 4 intake valves:
- Driver side pump control section
- Passenger side pump control section
- Rear Deck
- Front Bumper

Cabinets in the rear driver-side that can hold air packs or masks and visors

A compartment on the rear passenger-side that holds an axe

On the rear deck, a door opens, revealing a drawer that pulls completely out.  The drawer holds a couple of tools.

Both the driver-side and passenger-side pump control sections have a fire extinguisher and an overhead light that raises and lowers

Extension ladder on the rear passenger-side

Two orange traffic cones on the upper-rear deck

4 flexible hoses (2 black and 2 yellow)

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