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SoundOff
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Orange County, CA siren hunt (Pics from Buena Park)

Wed Apr 02, 2008 4:42 am

I already know about Huntington Beach (T-128s), the Whelen's in San Clemente, and Brea's Thunderbolt but I wonder what other siren I would find around my old stomping grounds. (I used to live in Placentia)

I remember Justin from Australia seeing a Thunderbolt by Knott's Berry Farm and from what I've gathered from that thread, there may be more located at other fire stations in that area. Another possibility would be Brookhurst Park Anaheim which was mentioned by another member.

I'm planning a hunt in the Orange county area for Thursday or Friday. Does anyone know of other possible locations (Yorba Linda, Fullerton, Placentia) ?
Last edited by SoundOff on Sun Apr 06, 2008 5:25 am, edited 1 time in total.
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C. Bryant
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Wed Apr 02, 2008 7:00 am

Their was a Thunderbolt on a Golf Course North of the 91 freeway
many years ago I cant remember if it was Alta Vista CC in Placentia
or Yorba Linda C.C. but I am almost certin its long gone it was on the
South side of one of those two country clubs .
Also as late as the mid 1980's one
fire station also had a LOW mounted T-bolt at the rear of the Fire
Station, my first guess would be the FD close to & south of EL. Dorado high school.
try the 1700 & 1800 block Valencia drive ,Placentia. If no T-bolt
there then perhaps some one story F.D. in the Yorba Linda area.
Find someone active in one of the above Fire or P.D. in the mid 1970's
to find out more on the one T-bolt at one of the above country clubs.
I dont think Fullerton has any C. D. Sirens , Buena Park one
model 5 and two T-bolts all at Fire Stations ,I have not been by
any of those in over five years :roll:

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Wed Apr 02, 2008 3:24 pm

When I lived on Gilbert Street in Anaheim back in the 1970's, there was a T-bolt 1000T located in Brookhurst (aka Moon) park located on the NW side. I'm sure it's also gone now. I lived just a block down from the park.
I remember it being rather low mounted (what is with California and low siren mounts like that 2t22 at the one college?). Anyways that thing roared to life one night and scared me witless. It was indeed a T-bolt because 1. Dual tone 2. Sound grew louder then softer then louder 3. It looked like a big yellow "loudspeaker horn" which I was in error (hey, I was only 6 or 7 years old at the time so I just assumed it was a big yellow speaker with a screen at the horns mouth. I though it was used to announce the softball / baseball games with. LOL -- The park had ball fields by Melbourne Gower Elementary. ).
That one night I found out what the thing really was. :shock:
My goodness was that thing loud!
I'm quite sure it is gone now. When I visited the park back in 1992 while on vacation, I don't remember seeing it then.
I am Thunderbolt. Hear me ROAR!

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Wed Apr 02, 2008 11:06 pm

Fullerton never had any sirens as far as I know. If they did it would probably be mounted in the police station dome. Brea used to have an model 5 in the scout center building. I was at one of Buena Parks t-bolts a couple of months ago, I forget witch fire station though. I accidently erased the photos off my camera.

Whittier had a 2t22 on a hospital. :shock:
Last edited by CABLEVision on Wed Apr 02, 2008 11:09 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Daniel
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Wed Apr 02, 2008 11:07 pm

The only siren I remember seeing in Orange County was a small, Q-sized Hedberg siren at the main fire station in La Habra, just below a place where a diaphone or air horn had been.
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Sun Apr 06, 2008 5:55 am

Well I went on my hunt Friday morning to some of the places listed. I was hoping to also get Huntington Beach's noon test as well but I later figured I won't get to Huntington for the test since I had to eat lunch and head to work.

Anyway, my first stop was Brookhurst Park in Anaheim where Ronatello mentioned there was a Thunderbolt. Unfortunately though, the Thunderbolt that was there was long gone; likely removed in the late 80's. I asked a few park maintenance people if they knew of a siren in the park. Two of them were newer guys so they didn't know but one person who had worked for the city for a while mentioned that he had remember seeing a siren at Juarez Park located at 841 S. Sunkist Street and described it as having a horn on top of the pole with a rectangular base (that should be a Thunderbolt). However, he did also say that the siren has also been removed some time in the 90's but if I look around, the concrete pad for the blower should still be there.

I thanked him for the tip and started to leave. While exiting the park, I noticed this strange pole with an electric meter on it by the entrance that I didn't see on the way in. I doubt if it held a siren though as it looked thin and was directly underneath some electrical lines.
Image

My next stop was Buena Park Fire Station 61 at Western and La Palma; directly across from Knott's Berry Farm. This is the T-Bolt that Justin mentioned seeing on his exchange trip.

Image

Image
Image

I also talked to a person in the station and had him get a picture of the blower.
Image

I didn't see an AR timer in the bays though and the person I talked to at the station said it may have probably been removed when the station was remodeled sometime in the late 90's. I did ask if they ever used the siren to call volunteer fire fighters but was told that the station was built in 1962 after they went full time so it's only purpose would have been for Civil Defense.

I went to a Carl's Jr for lunch before heading to work but that particular location was also next to Buena Park's 2nd fire station on Beach Blvd and Artesia. Well, there's another Thunderbolt there. Unfortunately, a communications antenna had been added to the pole which blocks the rotation of the horn.

Image
Image

Image
Image

While eating, I met some people who were X-ray technicians at a nearby hospital. One of them was old enough to remember Civil Defense sirens and siren test on the last Friday of the month at 10:00 AM when he grew up in the area. His co-worker also mentioned seeing a siren at fire station in the hills (Very Likely La Harbra Heights) that was used for calling volunteer fire fighters.

There was traffic on the freeways so I had to leave after eating to get to work quickly but I plan to visit the other possible locations mentioned by the people I met that day.
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Wed Apr 09, 2008 5:24 am

I live by LaHabra heights and ride my bike there every day. I'll look and ask around.
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Wed Apr 09, 2008 11:52 am

Thanks for the more detailed pictures, SoundOff. :)

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Wed Apr 09, 2008 2:56 pm

SoundOff wrote: Image
Why not stand off that antenna so the horn could still rotate 360?
Or lower the antenna so its tip would just clear?

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Wed Apr 09, 2008 4:19 pm

I bet that the antenna was added after the 'Bolt was decommissioned.
SoundOff wrote:Well I went on my hunt Friday morning to some of the places listed.
GREAT photos!!! I took a horrible blurry one after dark when I was there a few days after Justin. Thanks for posting those! It definitely looks to be higher than some of the other 'Bolts.
CABLEVision wrote:I live by LaHabra heights and ride my bike there every day. I'll look and ask around.
No kidding? I was thinking you were farther south than that. I have a friend near Whittier Bl and Hacienda in La Habra Hts.

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