4820 turntable ladder fire engine review

[playmofire]

Well, today I smuggled in the new 4820 turntable ladder fire engine and managed to do a few preliminary photos before Diane came home.  In a number of areas the 4820 and the 4821 are the same, for example, the cab unit, and some of the equipment has been reviewed elsewhere, so this review won't be as long as the 4821 review.  Where appropriate, I'll put in a link to other reviews.  For today, though, we just deal with the box pictures, in the order front, back and each side.  (The end pictures are the front one at a reduced size.)

Further posts will appear from Sunday as I have another opportunity to do some more photos then.  However, having only looked at the model in the box and handled it a bit unassembled, I can say that I think it is the best turntable ladder appliance Playmobil have ever made.

Having seen those side views on the web, I think I'll redo them, concentrating on the pictures themselves.  This is what comes of working too quickly.

[Richard]

This looks like a really beautiful fire engine, Gordon!

The last time Susan and I were in London I remember seeing a fire engine that to me (not being an expert in fire equipment) that looked a lot like this splendid vehicle from Playmobil. Does the London fire brigade have anything at all that resembles this vehicle?

BTW ... How do you keep getting Diane to leave the house? ... 

All the best,
Richard

[Bill Blackhurst]

I like the looks of this new ladder appliance, but I'm used to 80% of the ladder trucks in the USA being equipped with dual rear tandem's as the early 3525, 3879, & 3182 Playmobil ladder trucks. I'd like it alot more if the 4820 was equipped the same way.

[WarriorOfToys]

Cool fire engine!
I can't wait to see the rest of the reveiw...
The swivel ladder is reallt neat.

[playmofire]

This looks like a really beautiful fire engine, Gordon!

The last time Susan and I were in London I remember seeing a fire engine that to me (not being an expert in fire equipment) that looked a lot like this splendid vehicle from Playmobil. Does the London fire brigade have anything at all that resembles this vehicle?

BTW ... How do you keep getting Diane to leave the house? ... 

All the best,
Richard

London Fire Brigade does have turntable ladder appliances still but they would be on Mercedes chassis, but quite similar to this one.

Diane had to go to the hospital for the morning (nothing serious I'm glad to say, it was planned some time ago).

[playmofire]

I like the looks of this new ladder appliance, but I'm used to 80% of the ladder trucks in the USA being equipped with dual rear tandem's as the early 3525, 3879, & 3182 Playmobil ladder trucks. I'd like it alot more if the 4820 was equipped the same way.

The three axle turntable ladder is very rare in Europe.  Where vehicles are three axle ones they are usually aerial ladder platorms (ALPs) or prime movers or specialist industrial machines.  Usually, the TLs (turntable ladders) have twin rear wheels which largely serve the same purpose.  In fact, in the UK turntable ladders are getting fewer and fewer as brigades go for aerial ladder platorms (ALPs).

Am I right in saying that the US ladder trucks also have a water tank?  European ladders don't have water tanks, relying on a good hydrant supply or taking water via a pumper.  A few have built in pumps of their own. 

There are new developments in the UK called CARPs (Combined Aerial Rescue Pumps) which have had a mixed success.  These are a single vehicle which combines the role of pump (with water tank and aerial rescue appliance).  A company called TVAC which had a good record in building fire engines on other makers' chassis had orders for some of these some years ago when it was taken over by one of these firms which sets out to be all things to all men in the fire brigade sector.  Whether management changes caused problems or what, but the end result was that for two brigades (South Yorkshire and Humberside) when the CARPs finally arrived they were illegal as they were overweight.  They were returned on a batch basis to the makers for modification at the maker's expense,but just after the first few had been modified the new owners of TVAC put TVAC into administration (i.e. closed it down) so now the taxpayer is having to foot the bill!  (Isn't it funny how private enterprise is always complaining about the level of taxation but is quite happy to pass the bill on to the taxpayer when things go wrong or ask the governent for "government money" - i.e. taxpayer's money - when they are faced by economic problems?)  CARPs built by other suppliers have been OK.  CARPs are three axle appliances because of their size and weight.  (Before CARPs there were a few brigades with ARPs - aerial rescue pumps - which were similar to CARPs; some of these were two and some three axle but none were particularly successful.)
Here are some links which might interest you, Bill:

http://www.graeme.kirkwood.btinternet.co.uk/SFB/ARP.htm

http://www.graeme.kirkwood6.btinternet.co.uk/Photos/SFB/ARP.htm

http://www.angloco.co.uk/zoomimage.asp?vehicleid=215

[Richard]

Diane had to go to the hospital for the morning (nothing serious I'm glad to say, it was planned some time ago).

Glad to read that it's nothing serious, Gordon!

[playmofire]

Glad to read that it's nothing serious, Gordon!

Thanks, Richard.  She went in at 07:30 and I collected her at 12:30, more or less fighting fit.

[Richard]

Thanks, Richard.  She went in at 07:30 and I collected her at 12:30, more or less fighting fit.

Five hours is a long time to be in hospital!
However, five hours isn't much time at all for Playmobil ... 

[playmofire]

Five hours is a long time to be in hospital!
However, five hours isn't much time at all for Playmobil ... 

Well, there was waiting time at the start as there was an order of patients to follow and then time to recover from the anaesthetic in that time.  I was actually told I could collect about 11:30 so the extra hour she was waiting for me.  At one time the whole thing would probably have meant two or maybe three days in.

As for time with Playmobil, I've got maybe 90 minutes this morning while she's off out.