Green Horn

[Westgate Thunderbolt]

Well, it took a month of pestering, but I finally made it here! I joined on August 22 and just got my membership activated today (Thank you Adam!).

I figured I would tell a little about myself. I'm 35 years old and a native to Omaha, Nebraska. I moved to the very small town of Kearny, Arizona exactly 14 years ago to work in a very large open pit copper mine. Been working there ever since, except for a couple short term career choices as a conductor and engineer for two different short line railroads in the area.

I recently have been collecting very old traffic signals and traffic signal controllers. I mostly am interested in signals from the 1920's and 1930's. I am also no stranger to noise makers as a hobbies. I have collected locomotive horns since I was probably 16. I also had a thing for police lightbars and sirens. Spent quiet a bit of money on all over the years. Mostly on the locomotive horns and traffic signaling equipment.

I have always had an interested in sirens since I was very young. Specifically, the Federal Signal Thunderbolt. Growing up and living in Omaha, Nebraska from the mid 1970's to the mid 1990's That was all I knew and heard for the most part.

I went to Westgate Elementary School when I was a kid. They had a Federal Signal Thunderbolt right on the side of the building just outside the gym. That was when I was first introduced to the Thunderbolt. I remember the first Saturday of each month was test day. I would make a point to ride my bike up there just in time to watch and listen to it on those days. I also remember on the same days I could faintly hear a 1003 far far in the distance doing the Hi/Lo signal. It was probably was in Ralston or La Vista, just outside of Omaha, for their volunteer fire department. Anyway, that is why I chose Westgate Thunderbolt as my user name.

I have checked on Google to see if that Thunderbolt is still beside my old school. I can't tell for sure, but it looks a though it could still be standing. There is most definitely either a new Federal Signal 2001 or a new ASC T-128 there. Who knows how old the Google satellite photo is though.

Anyway, I am happy to be here.

Justin

[uncommonsense]

Welcome to the board!

I did a little Street View hunting for you. There's definitely a nice T-128 next to your school now. A fine successor to the T-Bolt in Omaha if there ever was one!

http://bit.ly/ahHTKh

[Westgate Thunderbolt]

Thanks!

It has been some time since I've been back to Omaha. From what I can remember, it seemed as though the Thunderbolt was closer to the road on the side of the school than that T-128 is. Maybe it is hiding behind that tree. From the Google sat. view it looks like it still may be there. There even seems to be a shadow cast of the blower box and a pole. From the sound of it the Thunderbolt is probably long gone though. Wishful thinking?

Justin

[almdoc]

Glad you finally got in. Theres a lot of info on these pages. Enjoy !

[Daniel]

Welcome to the board! I lived in Omaha for a while, around 90th and Blondo, and while most of their sirens are now T-128's, I remember the old Thunderbolt system. The only surviving T-bolt that I found then was a lone siren head in Carter Lake. Ralston had a 2T22 and a couple of Model 5's that could be heard in many parts of Omaha when they got a fire call. Boys Town had three 3T22's that sound in hi-lo when Omaha's system sounds. I admit that I was a little disappointed in your post, in that I was expecting to find a photo of a green (air) horn!

[JasonC]

Sorry about the mess Justin, I got your e-mail last week. It's been a mess with hundreds of spam bots flooding our systems by signing up.

[3t22]

I admit that I was a little disappointed in your post, in that I was expecting to find a photo of a green (air) horn!

Here's a green horn you Daniel



my Ex Burlington Northern Prime Manurfacturing PM-990 locomotive horn

(sorry couldn't help myself)

anyway welcome abord Justin

[Westgate Thunderbolt]

Thanks everyone!

Sorry about the Green Horn tease. That was green horn as in new guy. I do like the Prime PM-990 with all Prime parts. I hate Leslie/Prime hybrids. I am personally partial to the PM-920 with the internal air pop off valves for the 25 and 31 bells.

Sorry about the mess Justin, I got your e-mail last week. It's been a mess with hundreds of spam bots flooding our systems by signing up.

I noticed that there was a large number of new members from England with unusual user names. I am just happy I got in .

I guess I could fill everybody in on sirens I've seen around where I live. Except for one, they aren't much to talk about.

Kearny has three. One is a Federal Model 5 or 7 used for the volunteer fire department. That is the good one. There are also two Federal Signal Modulators. My best guess is that they are or were used for flash flood warning sirens as they are only on the lower end of town. There is a river not too far away on the lower end of town. Flash floods in Arizona come easy and they come fast since the ground doesn't soak up the water very fast. One is across the street from my home. The other is at the baseball fields which is just a very short walking distance from the river. In 14 years of living here, I have never heard them test these Modulators even once.

The Town of Hayden, about ten miles from Kearny, has one Federal Signal Modulator at the volunteer fire station.

The Town of Winkleman, just outside of Hayden, has two sirens. One is a Whelen WPS in the town yard. It has an antenna on the side of the pole probably for radio activation. The other is at a camping area on the river. It is another Federal Signal Modulator. It also has an antenna on top of the control box. I have never heard either one of these sirens sound as well. I figure the Modulator is also used as a flash flood warning being so close to the river and camping area.

That is all that I have found locally.

Justin

[System 7000]

Welcome to the Board, Justin! It is always nice to see such eloquent and well informed posts.

Regards,
Jerry.

[Hacksaw]

Welcome! A number of people here have their own Tbolts, as you probably know by now.