Marx 1938 General Alarm Fire House

First listed in catalogs in 1938 selling for 94 cents, the General Alarm Fire House is predominantly red and yellow, has a windup mechanism that rings an alarm bell, and ejects the Chief Car and then the Patrol Truck from the Garages. The ejection mechanisms are metal plates that are spring loaded. To operate, the plates are manually reset. The Alarm Box on the right front corner has a small lever. The 17” X 11” base has lettering that includes “Chief”, “No Crossing When Bell Rings”, “No Parking”, and “Pull Hook to Right”. The rear is lettered “Training School”.

The toy comes with a red sedan that is rubber stamped “Chief” in black and with a red stake truck that is rubber stamped “Patrol” in black. Both vehicles are otherwise unmarked.

Ads of the time showed the Fire House with just two vehicle, but its possible that the toy came with an ambulance as a third vehicle. The vehicles are made of heavy gauge steel. The car consists of a one-piece body with a grille, while the stake truck and ambulance have one-piece bodies each with a separate grille and back section. The ambulance has never been seen listed on any box as part of the contents. Note the box for this General Alarm Fire House lists the contents. Similar sets also show the same contents listed.

The Fire House structure consists of a central building with lithographed entrance and “Fire Department Headquarters” at the top front and two red-roofed garages. The left garage roof is lettered “General Alarm” and the right roof is lettered “Fire House”.

The patent for the Fire House, #2,135,584, which was applied for in 1937, shows now vehicles in the drawing, but mentions them in the description.