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Fireman Sam Electronic Pontypandy Fire Station Review

I don’t know a single little boy that hasn’t at some point loved Fireman Sam, this got me thinking about when it first came onto our screens. I was shocked to find out that it first appeared in 1987! That means its almost thirty years old, which would make sense as I am sure my little brother use to watch it. Of course its undergone some TV magic since then and the version which Monkey watches now is a lot more modern shall we say! Incase you haven’t seen it the series focuses on Sam and his other fireman friends as they try to sort out mishaps and mayhem in the little Welsh village of Pontypandy. Those of you who are avid watchers like Monkey will know that the fire station burned down in 2015 and he now has a brand new one. This toy is the first one of this new fire station and replicates the one in the TV show.

I was attracted to it due to the fact that it has a carry handle on the top and so is reasonably portable. In the box you get the fire station itself, Fireman Sam and Elvis, an electronic control panel, test dummy, ladder, bucket and fire extinguisher.

Its an ideal toy for little ones to re in act their favourite episodes of the show and has several features

Fire engine turntable to allow you to speed out of the station – please note Jupiter is not included in this set
There is also a vehicle maintenance ramp which pulls up from the centre of the turntable
Moveable firemans pole, you can attach the character to the pole and watch them spin down it just as they do in the TV series
On the other side of the pole is a lift which can be raised up and down
Hinged garage doors for a speedy get away, the side doors also open
The electronic console lights up as well as giving out sounds and phrases

So how did Monkey find it?

He really enjoyed playing with it, I struggled to get photos as he was so engrossed with his play. We had the fire engine going out on missions left right and centre lead by the console, at one point they were going into the lounge to rescue a cat! I love listening to him talk through the stories as he plays and then demanding I get involved.

He was keen to try out all the moveable parts especially the lift and the fireman pole. Sam and Elvis are a good size and ideal for his age range, they also bend at the waist which means they can be made to sit down in the fire engine. He did find it a little fiddly attaching Sam to the fireman’s pole at the top. It was easier for him to do it at the bottom and push him up the pole before letting him rotate down. I did try and get a picture of it but it goes too quickly!

Things we liked:

Monkey really liked the electronic console as it gave him ideas as to what mission Sam and Elvis were to go on either by boat, engine or helicopter.
There is attention to detail on the figures and the platy set itself, it is also a good representation of the TV series.
Its open ended so Monkey can play with the set anyway he wants to
Lots of moveable parts
Its portable, although it doesn’t become a box which means you would need to take the little bits separately so as not to loose them.

The only thing we weren’t keen on was the hinged doors as ours popped out and it was quite difficult to get them back in again. If a child tried it one their own then they may break them. However overall Monkey was very impressed with the playset and I would recommend it for all your little Fireman Sam enthusiasts. The fire station is suitable for ages 3+ and retails at £39.99 and is available to buy from Character Online.