Another Siren Mystery - Sterling...Denver...or What?

[Chicagosiren-hunters]

Hey all!

I'm back once again to detail more mysteries from the Heartland, this time from a small unincorporated community in western Wisconsin.

While scoping out a Wisconsin map when I saw a strange-looking siren on StreetView, as seen below:

Red Mound StreetView.jpg (25.49 KiB) Viewed 2532 times

After showing it to some peers, we originally thought this to be one of those early Sterling Duplex sirens based on the large "X" on the front, so I set out for reconnaissance...

A few weeks later, I found myself in Red Mound, WI, and here's what I saw:

Red Mound Mystery 7.JPG (4.03 MiB) Viewed 2532 times

Red Mound Mystery 8.JPG (4.07 MiB) Viewed 2532 times

Red Mound Mystery 9.JPG (2.79 MiB) Viewed 2532 times

Now...I'm not certain what this thing is; It's not like any other Sterling we've seen before, and it resembles more of an early type of Denver siren. It has a double-sided rotor like a Duplex, but the size, vane structure, and stator are nowhere near what we've seen.

While there, I encountered a local at the machine shop underneath the siren, and he claimed it had not worked (or seen relevant use, for that matter) in quite some time.

After a bit more time and getting a better camera, I journeyed today for better photos, so here's what we have!

Red Mound Mystery 1.JPG (3.06 MiB) Viewed 2532 times

Red Mound Mystery 2.JPG (2.49 MiB) Viewed 2532 times

Red Mound Mystery 3.JPG (2.74 MiB) Viewed 2532 times

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Red Mound Mystery 5.JPG (4.39 MiB) Viewed 2532 times

Red Mound Mystery 6.JPG (2.42 MiB) Viewed 2532 times

I was granted access to the area below the siren on the building's backside, which gave me a nice side-on shot of the unit. The verdict? Well...we still don't quite know what this is! The most unique thing is the rotor; its curved "bowl-style" vanes, and the fact that the rear portion of the rotor appears shallower than the front throws me off. While there, I did encounter the same gentleman, and after recognition and a brief conversation, I gave him my contact information in case it were to be removed so that it could be saved and preserved. Given how it's about to fall into the DOT shop below, I'd assume they'd want to bring it down safely as opposed to fixing a large hole in the roof, and I was told I'd be contacted once that happens for some better photos on the ground.

So let the games begin! What could this type be? Let's try and dig deep! Thanks for reading!

[flatlandsparky]

Great pictures! Im digging that coupler between the motor and the chopper, also that romex feeding the motor has held up very well!

[clarksburg_1000t]

looks like a Denver duplex but then again, it doesn't

[JJ_OFU]

I just noticed a tag on the conduit box for the motor... Maybe it tells what this thing is, or the brand of the motor?(Sorry for the bump.)

[LukeH]

The tag on the conduit box simply says "CONNECTION DATA - SINGLE PHASE".

As for the siren, the only thing I can think of, is around 1911, Sauk City Fire Department tested some early contrivance of a Denver Siren brought up by William A Box himself. The test was dissatisfactory, and one Theodore Decot would begin designing his own sirens. Being that Red Mound is just over an hour away from Sauk City, I can only deduce that this siren is either some early experiment of Decot or Box. It appears too well made to be a random machine shop one off, and takes on similar characteristics of Denver Sirens that were patented just a few years later.

I am hesitant to say this is one thing or the other without seeing it on the ground, but that is the most probable likelihood I can come up with. As far as the motor goes, I am almost 100% certain that it is not original to the siren, and has likely been replaced at one time or another.