NEXT UP – Trumpeter’s 1/25 scale American LaFrance Eagle Fire Pumper Fire Truck which is a commission build. The client trained and served as a volunteer fireman on this truck. This is the first time I built a fire truck so this will be an interesting build for me. The client also furnished many photos of the actual fire truck. I am also going to use resin accessories from Three Inches Under. They have accessories for their line of hundreds of American made resin detail parts and graphics for scale model funeral cars, ambulances, police cars, fire apparatus, taxis, commercial vehicles and related dioramas. The kit comes with s sheet of photo etch details and the decal set matches the exact truck the client worked with helps with this build.
Starting off I am starting with the chassis. I painted all the items that mount to the frame with Tamiya semi-gloss black. For the shocks I used flat black for the rubber covering on them and the batteries. I also assembled the pump and transfer case. These were painted using Vallejo Metal Paint in duroaluminum. The other brackets, mounts, oil filter were all assembled. The frame itself was painted using satin Frame black. The suspension and rear axle were assembled and mounted onto the frame as well. The tires are a soft plastic. I the scrubbed 400 grit sandpaper to replicate some minor wear/usage on the tires tread pattern. I still have some minor details to add to the frame then the exhaust system and to properly install the wheels and tires. Then on to the building the rest of the truck.
Hi David,
I’ve been a Fire Police officer for 26 years. What you are building is a fire engine, not a truck. Engines carry hose, trucks carry ladders. Aerial towers are trucks. You’ve got a great build going, will be following.
Hello!
Lookin’ good! Are you building the engine “ultra clean” or would you weather it just a little bit?
As for the hoses, modellers from Poland recommend using well chosen shoelaces for fire hoses laid out flat - if you get the right ones the colour and the weave are just spot on.
Hope that helps - good luck with your build and have a nice day
Paweł
As a retired police officer, we had a fire station next door to us. Rarely, and I do mean RARELY, did we ever see a fire engine, truck, pumper, ladder, etc, that was not spotlessly clean. They washed their equipment all the time.
Nice project. Trumpeter did a nice job on this and I was hoping they will continue with the subject matter and do more fire trucks and equipment but they didn’t
Your progress is looking good and Connor wait until it’s paint booth time
My city got a new ladder truck last year and it is pretty cool. I would love to have a model of it but since there is not specific kit then it will have to be scratch build. Btw, it was almost a 1 million dollar I didn’t know they get that expensive
Damn shame someone doesn’t do a line of Engines and Trucks.I’m sure there is an untapped market for this stuff, and given that some Fire departments use the same vehicles albeit in differing liveries with some customisation you could have multiple options! Would love to build Truck 81 or Engine 51 from Chicago Fire.
Great photo, Mike! Speaking of costly vehicles. 2 weeks ago I had the luck to drive directly behind BW2, a water thrower truck of the german police, based in the State Baden-Württemberg. When I checked this vehicle in the internet, I learned that these trucks cost 900.000 Euros per truck … And every state has a few of them.
The Trumpeter kit is really a great kit. I finished mine about 3 months ago. All the main assemblies fit onto the chassis very easily and quite snugly. The only challenge was some of the photo etch, which seems more like stainless steel. I wish Trumpeter would reissue the kit with different decals. There are several big cities that used ALF Eagle pumpers, Chicago, Portland, San Francisco, And Fort Worth TX just to name a few .For the hoses, I used athletic tape, with aluminum and plastic tubing for the connectors. I think they came out really good. I have never been a fan of the shoelaces for hoses. Good luck with your build.
The second week of the American LaFrance Fire Truck has the chassis completed. I drilled out the end of the exhaust pipe and thinned out the pipe wall to make it more realistic. The drive shafts were then installed and all the wheels were installed.
The next section to work on is the pump section which has a control panel on one side and outputs on both sides and finally a nozzle on top. To start with the kit control panel has three control levers molded flat on the surface. I cut these levers off and drilled out the slots. I then used some styrene rod to make the levers. For the knobs on the end I used a candle to heat up the end and create the knob. I then detail painted the panel. The kit comes with decals for the gauges and placards. The gauge decals are too large for the panel. The decals do not fit inside the rim rings. To correct this I scanned in the decal sheet and reduced the size by 3% and then printed out a new decal sheet. The gauge decals now fit perfectly inside the gauge trim rings. For the chrome trim rings, dials, and hose connections I used a Molotow Chrome paint pen.
While certain areas on the control panel were drying I started looking at the opposite side panel and the top panel. On the opposite side panel is a “tower light” this portable light has a reel of cable to provide power. The reel on top had molded area to represent the cable. I opted to sand these down and use actual 30 gauge yellow wire. The light is stored on the side panel. The kit has the cable molded to the panel I trimmed this off and replaced it with the yellow wire. Once the section is assembled I will route the wire to the reel. On top of the panel was a long hand bar. The reference photos show a smaller bar. I cut off the one on the kit and then using styrene rods I scratch built the correct one. I then detailed the passenger side panel to match the reference photo.
I am hoping to finish the pump section this week which includes a scratch built yellow hose with a scratch built nozzle this is stored in the bottom of the control panel in the reference photos. I will cover how I am replicating hoses next week.
You can see all the photos and details from the start in the build log at: 1/25 Trumpeter American LaFrance Eagle Pumper Fire Truck
The third week of the American LaFrance Eagle ended with the pump section being built up and completed. I assembled the walls and then added the upper fixed nozzle. The wire for the tower light was attached to the reel. The kit came with a plastic tube for the feed line to the fixed nozzle I replaced this with a section of aluminum tubing. The reference photos show hoses stored in the bucket of each panel. On the control panel side is a small yellow “trash” hose with a small hand held nozzle. I scratch built the nozzle using round and square styrene rods and a photo etch lever. The outlet panel on the other side has a medium hose with couplers on each end. The couplers were made with styrene tubing. On a side note the deck for the fixed nozzle has a light in a chrome bezel. Cutting the chrome bezel off the tree leaves a part of the chrome missing. The Molotow chrome paint pen matches the chrome of the kit perfectly.
Now for the hoses themselves, I used 3M glass cloth tape. This is a cloth tape with a silicone adhesive. I have two rolls. One that is 0.75 inches wide and on that is 0.3” wide. The smaller width is perfect for the small hoses. It is folded in half and creates the perfect width for them. The larger width is folded to make the medium and larger hoses. Folding this ¼ of the way and wrapping the other over this creates the medium hoses and then half and half creates the large hose. Once folded the adhesive holds them together but I run CA glue across the seams to hold them permanently. These white hoses are unpainted. The dirty white appearance looks exactly like the reference hoses. The yellow is Vallejo Model Air paint. This is thin enough to be absorbed by the cloth tape so when folding or shaping the hoses there is no cracking or flaking of the paint.
With the pump section completed I then began work on the rear section. This required the outside sections to be painted Fire Engine Red. I also decided to paint the front cab as well. I painted the upper area of the cab with gloss white and the lower section with the red. While these were set aside to dry I then assembled the rear bed. The kit provides the dividers in photo etch. After I installed the dividers I took the reference photo of the bed and scaled it to the kit. This allows me to measure the width of the hoses so I can replicate them to stack them up.
It looks like I will be spending most of next week making many hoses. I am hoping to finish off the rear section by next weekend and then starting on the cab.
The fourth week of the Eagle was spent making fire hoses. There are not a lot of photos this week as it is taking a little more time making the fire hoses than I originally thought. This is due to the numerous hoses and their length. The bed has small and two sizes of medium hoses. Some of the medium hoses are yellow. So these hoses needed to be painted. To match the faded yellow hue I used a 50/50 mix of Vallejo yellow and ivory white.
For reference, the small hoses are 0.15” wide, the yellow medium hoses are 0.25” wide and the white medium hose that I am working on now are 0.21” wide.
The small white hoses have couplers that attach to the outputs on the back panel. On the reference photo one of these have the nozzle shown in the middle of a stack as well. All of these are scratch built using styrene rods and tubes. I am hoping to finish all the rear hoses this week and then adding all the details and finish the painting on the rear section.
You can see all the photos and details from the start in the build log at: 1/25 Trumpeter American LaFrance Eagle Pumper Fire Truck
Your pumper is really coming along great! The hoses look really nice. A little bit of weathering, and they’ll be spot on. Remember, your 4" supply line will have a Stortz connector every 100ft, where your attack 1-3/4" line will have a connector every 50ft or 100ft, but usually 50ft.
Yes, there is a LOT for hose on an engine. On ours we have 1200ft of 4", two 250ft loads of 3", two 1-3/4" attack line of 150ft, one 1-3/4" at 250ft, and a 1-3/4" trash line at 100ft. Not to mention all the spare hoses loaded in the compartments. Were you have your trash line, we have a 25ft 4" curb-jumper to connect to the hydrant if we are close, or to connect to the 4" supply line so a firefighter can connect the supply line to the pump without interfering with the pump operator. It’s not right or wrong, that’s just how our department does it. You really are inspiring me to pull my kit out of the stash.
Just wait until you get to all the “junk” in the cab!
Here we are at the fifth week of the Eagle and I am still working on the hoses. The client sent me a drawing of a little better detail on what and how the hoses in the hose bed are stored. Using this and the reference photo I had to add some more details. Four of the smaller hoses have nozzles on them. Using styrene rods I scratch built these and inserted them into the hose stack. For reference I have currently used over 30 feet of the cloth tape making hoses. I have one more stack of the medium hoses to make which will complete all the hoses in the bed.
One more thing that I need to scratch build is a “Humut Valve” that sits on the rear bumper deck. One of the yellow hoses is also hooked to this valve as well.
I will be finishing the last hose stack tonight then I can start detailing the rear section. My goal is to have the rear section completed by the end of the week and then start working on the front section and cab.
You can see all the photos and details from the start in the build log at: 1/25 Trumpeter American LaFrance Eagle Pumper Fire Truck
The sixth week of the Eagle I finally finished the hoses! I do need to mention one correction. The hoses on the right side needed to have the routing corrected. The second to the end hooks up the truck and then goes to the third from the right. I also added the “dog ears” to the small hoses which is used to pull the hoses off.
I then scratch built the “Humat” valve that sits on the rear and has the large yellow hose coupled to it. I used styrene tubing and rods with a couple of photo etch pieces for the top.
With the hoses done I then began adding the decals and gloss clear coat to the rear section. This was done at this point as I did not want to clear coat the chromed parts. The clear coat will dull the mirror finish of the chrome parts. A side note about the kit chrome parts, trimming them off the trees leaves a part not chromed. The Molotow chrome paint pens match the chrome finish perfectly. Just remember that once painted with the pen it needs to dry overnight.
I started adding the details like the door latches and the lights to the rear section. First was the blue light and chrome bar on the top along with the rear lights under the hose bed. The latches and side lights were then added to the right side. On top of the right side is a rack that sits under the ladder racks. This holds more hoses in red nylon bags. The kit part is smooth with lines molded in for the straps that hold them in place. I sanded off the molded straps and covered the bags in red nylon cloth and then made straps using strips cut from the cloth tape. While the touched up chrome parts were drying I then needed to make the license plate. The kit does provide the light that shines on the license plate but they do not include the plate of the plate mount. I used the reference photo and duplicated the plate. I will use some thin sheet styrene to make the plate holder.
I am currently working on the left side lights, tail lights, and the light bar that mounts on top. I then need to work on the ladder racks and ladders. I believe this will complete the rear section and I can then move onto the front section and cab interior details.
The seventh week of the Eagle the rear section is now finished and mounted to the frame. I had to correct the license plate. The sample I used was for truck 122 and this is truck 121. I then installed the sides and the ladder rack with ladders. I used a resin cover from Three Inches Under. The resin required some minor work to clean up the resin and a little sanding to properly fit over the ladder ends. The cover kit also includes the “KEEP BACK” decal however the decal sheet had some issues. These look like they were printed with an ink jet printer so they clear coated the decals. There was dust in the clear coat and when I soaked it in the water the dust allowed water to get to the ink causing the ink to fall off. I made my own decal and applied it. The aft section was mounted on to the frame. The fit was a little tight but went on perfectly.
I then started working on the front section. I started with the front bumper. This required one large hose and one small hose. These were coiled into the front baskets. The large light required some sanding to get rid of the seam and the Molotow chrome paint pen matched perfectly. In the reference photo there is a metal logo in the center of the lens. I will make this decal later. Once the front bumper was finished I then turned to the cab interior.
The seats that have open backs are to hold the SCBA packs. I am using some tubing and sheet styrene to scratch build these. I installed the photo etch panels in the cab area and then painted the dash board. I used a clear sheet of styrene to replicate the clear panel over the gauges then installed the steering wheel assembly.
With all the seat belts and belts for the SCBA packs I ordered some photo etch buckles which are due to arrive early next week. In the mean time I am working on the rest of the cab interior and the cab itself. I estimate I am only a couple of weeks from completing this build.
You can see all the photos and details from the start in the build log at: 1/25 Trumpeter American LaFrance Eagle Pumper Fire Truck
The eighth week of the Eagle I continued with assembling and detailing the interior and the cab. Before I go thru the work done on the interior and cab I need to do a look back at the front bumper. The item on the driver side that I noted as a large light is not a light. This is a Federal Q siren. This is the very loud siren that is heard when rushing to a fire. I do not know why Trumpeter has a clear lens when they could have just added a photo etch piece to replicate the screen. To correct this I removed the lens and installed a screen. For the outer ring and the Federal logo I printed these on clear acetate using my laser printer. These were then trimmed and glued into place. The outer ring was then painted with the chrome paint pen.
Moving back to the interior I made the decals representing the SCBA tanks and added them. While making the decals for them I also made the decal for the silver helmet that is in one of the reference photos. While waiting for the seat belt buckles to be delivered I applied all the cab decals and clear coated with a high gloss clear to seal them. I then painted the chrome trim and the aluminum plate on the back of the cab. There are a few more details on the cab that need to be painted but I will do those when I start adding the external details on the cab.
The photo etch seat belt buckles arrived on Wednesday so I started making the seat belts, SCBA tank straps, and the SBCA harness straps. The photo etch buckles are very nice and easy to work with. It provides four different styles of buckles and latches and ten of each style. The seat belts were painted gray and the SCBA belts were painted black.
This coming week I will add all the external details to the front section and assemble/mount it. I am hoping to have it completed by next weekend!
Btw, it was almost a 1 million dollar 
I didn’t know they get that expensive 
And every state has a few of them.
