The great Thunderbolt project (updated 9/30/13)

[holler]

We've kept it on the down low but many of you may recall the 8 Thunderbolts we hauled back from Norman, OK a few months back. Well it's time to give everybody an update. Upson County, GA has agreed to buy 6 refurbished Thunderbolts, and the installations should begin around the middle of October. In a state where old sirens are vanishing a new system of them is going back up. The EMA in Upson county asked for Thunderbolts by name since they used to have two of them. I've almost got one siren ready to go back up. Here are a few pictures.

Siren head when it was still in Norman (it's a 1000, from Lindsey & Wylie). The rotator on it was so rusted we had to pound the chopper tube off with a sledgehammer. But it works fine now. Picture credit goes to Bryan D.



Parts after being painted






Blower before and after

[Andys Live WX]

Nice to hear some people still have a good taste for refurbed old sirens.

[woodyrr]

It's great to hear that some of Norman's Thunderbolts are getting a new lease on life. The citizens of Upson County are fortunate to be getting such fine warning sirens.

[PeachtreeSirens]

A very wise EMA indeed. And a great restoration job!

[DJ2226]

Bison: Yes!!! Yes!!!
I can't wait to see them go up; that one looks like it came right from the factory. I wish our EMAs down here would request thunderbolts (If I told them about the SD-10 on the CSU campus, they'd flip and go "What siren... Civil defense... ").
What chopper level do you plan on using?

[holler]

Probably 5, since it's a 1000 and the only signal they run is attack. It's got a 5M blower and a single slot cap so it should have a pretty hard punch.

[holler]

No none of the 2001s are getting taken down. The Thunderbolts will be new additions to areas that didn't have coverage. We will be removing an STH-10 but it's getting installed on the other side of the county after an overhaul. The only siren that's not going back up is the ancient model 7 in Yatesville. It will probably go on display with the first fire truck the county bought.

We will also be removing, overhauling, and reinstalling a STH-10 behind the tech school. It's on way too small of a pole and leaning over pretty bad.

[jradms]

I will also be part of the great Thunderbolt project since I live in Upson County, and Jeb will be buying all of the electrical supplies from my Dad.

[tony991]

Looks like you're doing a great job!!

[Trevor]

WOW that blower is snazzy! I'm sure it will turn out to be a great restoration and install as usual.