6340 - Hook & Ladder

Rating:
Pros: A lovely little ladder laden fire truck (not too difficult to say three times fast)
Cons: The support strut for the ladder is not very stable and the ladder is supposed to be the main feature
Contents: 173 pieces including two mini-figs
Price: About $20 - Discontinued
Reviewed: 29-Jan-1998
Reviewed by: Joseph Gonzalez

Fisk Industries Inc. caught fire early this morning. The city's fire department shows up in full complements and has been battling the blaze for only twenty minutes when a scream issues from the fourth floor. A technician is trapped and engine 6340 is in perfect position for recovery.
In seconds the ladder extends to the panicking worker and firefighter Jacob Jameson begins his ascent toward the victim who has now fallen down inside and is no longer visible.

---

My main reason for picking up this set was that I noticed how much the current models for this genre seem to be going down in quality. Remembering I had seen a copy of this older model at a nearby store, I picked it up to have on hand for future comparisons.

The Hook & Ladder is a fairly decent ladder truck including two firefighters, a lengthy extension ladder, and equipment. Nice details on the truck include the additional steering wheel at the rear of the truck for maneuvering around tight city street corners (it's aesthetic of course and doesn't really work), security stands that stabilize the truck when the ladder is up (and fold nicely back onto the truck when not in use), and a small locker for tools. There are also two street barriers included to block traffic.

The set came with a lot of bricks which always make it more fun to put together. There were no particularly new or unique pieces except for the tank and oxygen mask for a mini-fig, four white ladders, and a black mini-fig-head-size black peg that goes on the back of the truck (though I can't tell what it is supposed to be).
Mini-fig details include a regular smiley face with eyebrows (was this one of the first indications our classic smileys were going to change radically?) and a fig with a small mustache. One fig is suited in a uniform and the other has a grey hazard-type suit.

Teeny complaints include the fact that the cab could have looked a little nicer with doors and the reinforcing arm that is supposed to hold the ladder up is very flimsy (I don't think I'd want to be at the top of the fourth ladder when this guy decides he can't handle the pressure).
Disregard my whining. If you are building a fleet of firefighters this is a must-have and if you don't yet have anybody to protect your city from pyromaniacs it's a good engine with which to start your collection.