I had the American version (590) of this set, which is exactly the same, the only difference is the colors: the walls are red, the windows are white, the doors are transparent, the ladders are yellow. I got later the European version as well, as I am also European, let me have one of these. The flag piece is not a national flag but has a Lego logo sticker on it. And this set doesn’t come with a small window for the clock tower.

It was the first fire station to be made for minifigures. And I really like that it’s different from other fire stations. Since there are minifigures, all fire departments have been red. Finally a different color! The yellow of this building is good. It reminds me of the Busy World cartoon.

When I started building the clock tower and put on the sticker, I noticed that the hands of the clock stand just like in the movie Back to the Future! But this set was released 7 years earlier than the movie! What a coincidence! Although, according to the history of the movie, the clock stopped in 1955. And this clock sticker was already used in the 148 set in 1975.

What is also special about this set is that it is completely closed but openable, not dollhouse-like. That's why I like it so much! And I like it because the building is almost made of bricks and plates. Easy to modify and improve.

The furniture was very rough and could have put at least one fire alarm lamp inside. (1x1 transparent red round brick from the 575 set)

We have in stock 2 rare and expensive pieces, a old gray ladder and an soft plastic antenna.

Vehicles

Vehicles are the weakest points in the set. They don't have a steering wheel! Yet it already existed in 1978. And there is no means by which fire can be extinguished. Unfortunately, this limits the gaming experience. Yet a rubber hose and string already existed, as well as a technic pin that could have been used to make a fire extinguisher, as I showed with the 590 set.

Minifigures

4 minifigures are added to the set. The torso was not painted yet, but a sticker was used instead. All 4 minifig are the same. At least 1 of the 4 minifigs could have been civilian to save the crew. Or he/she could work in the office as a dispatcher.

Overall

It is a very special set, also because of its color and features. Which compensates for its shortcomings. The main elements of the building are easily and cheaply accessible, (even the spare stickers) but only small vehicles can be stored in it. Regardless, I recommend this set, more useful than today’s Junior set, or +4 set.

Approximately 5 years ago my interest in vintage Lego was sparked (see 6073), and I made a decision to start collecting a few Lego sets from the first year of the minifig that I liked the look of, this set had the lowest set number so figured I should start here. I soon found a boxed set on ebay listed as just 'vintage lego' with one blurry poorly taken photo of a tatty box with some bricks, no description no nothing... Watches and bidders were low and I won the auction for £14, paid and waited for the postman.

And.. my gamble paid off, what I received was a complete set with all pieces the correct period, side pips, many pat pend etc, all shiny and bright with no scratches or tooth marks, smart smiling minifigs and all the original stickers in amongst the pieces. Over the years I have since added a original empty sticker sheet.

The set itself is a wonder with two vehicles that emerge from behind closing doors, a tree, lovely happy firemen, the station itself has a canteen and office with a phone, and a secret room in the clock tower. My favourite touch is the extra ladder hanging on the exterior wall. Again with these early sets, the box art is a joy.

Everything changes in a modern town or city. My Lego Fire Brigade outgrew this station, so once they moved out I had to find another use for it...

I bought some custon Yellow Taxi's from eBay, plus made a couple of my own, so to give them a home this former Fire Station was converted to a Taxi Garage!

I extended the rear by adding a yard to allow for cleaning/repairs to the cabs, took down the tower and converted the front office to a reception/waiting room, while the back part of the office became the drivers rest room.

As a Fire Station it functioned well, but if you are looking for other uses a taxi garage could well be a possibilty...?

This is probably the first major lego set I received as a child. I still have the outer sleeve of the box with the alternative models on the back. Currently the set is in pieces but will soon be restored to its former glory as a display only item.

It is a superb set, from the opening office with the book on the desk, to the turntable ladder engine and the uniforms of the firefighters. It stands as a testament to when Lego developed children's hand/eye coordination (construction), comprehension of instructions and developing logic, and imagination (playing). Sure, we can all see no glass in the windows, or indeed just gaps in the wall and a lack of steering wheels, but it did not matter. They were fire engines and firefighters and they worked long and hard defending my town from the many conflagrations that developed there. Lego still offers these things, but perhaps a bit less imagination is required with the super-detailed models of today.

DRM.

One of my very earliest Lego memories was being in a toy shop and Dad asking the store attendant for this set. The store attendant tried to sell us the older firestation from 1973 but Dad insisted he wanted "the larger one". We eventually got hold of this set and it formed the cornerstone of my town collection for years.

I feel a little guilty looking back now because from 1981 onwards I never really appreciated this set as much as I should have. The reason...set 6382. When that set appeared, this firestation seemed dated almost immediately. With vehicles with no steering wheels, no fire hoses, and ladders that couldn't really support a minifig, the play value of this set paled in comparsion to 6382.

I eventually converted this set into a Town Council works depot after modifying it to accommodate taller vehicles (pictures at http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?m=mawich). Since then however, I've restored the set to it's former glory, replacing all the lost and worn out stickers, bricks and plates and boy...do I appreciate the charm of this set now.