An Eclipse 8H
Next up was Cresaptown, they have the ACA Screamer that replaced the Model 2 that Bubblefox hopefully obtained. They built a new firehouse across the street from the old one.. when I went around back to park imagine my surprise when I found this:
up against the wall. It seems that one of thier members drives for Pitt Ohio and was making a delivery somewhere... well wherever it was... the county was replacing the weather siren and gave him the old one (lucky bastard)... the boxes are out of the picture but they are there. They are going to be mounting this up on a big hill behind thier firehouse and using it as a fire siren.
Next up was Westernport, a small town right on the WV line. They have green fire apparatus so I actually built my whole trip around this station, they have a yellow STH-10 on top of thier firehouse
and this behemoth up on the hill by a cemetary
From there it was into Garrett County to shoot Bloomington, the siren Gods must have smiled on me because I found my second Eclipse 8H in one day
which was next to a Model 5 that was in throwing distance of the firehouse with a Model 2 on it.
I had to pass through the town (well... not town exactly.. more like paper mill) of Luke, MD... they have a fire station in the paper mill. I stopped at security to ask about photographing it.. they said no dice since there is a no camera policy. I happened to notice behind him that there was a big ATI box... so I knew they had at least an intercom system of some kind. I left the plant and drove into Piedmont, WV and stopped at thier firehouse, I drove down the block towards the other side of the paper mill (still looking for sirens) and saw in the distance the one thing that is capable of causing me to have a stroke.....
An Alertronic 6000R.... now for most of you who dont' know me... this is my favorite siren in the whole darn world. I have only ever seen one of these before... but here... on the grounds of a paper mill was another one (for in case anyone is wondering I shot this from the roadway with a telephoto lens set on 200). I almost HAD a stroke at this point because A) I couldn't get to it to see it closer and B) I was trying to figure out what the HELL does a paper mill need with a siren.. especially one so large (and awesome).
Next up was Lonoconing, Md... they had 3 sirens on the same platform.. one is worse shape than the next. There is a GSC Model 5, a Sterling and a Model 2 on this platform:
Now let's examine this Model 2 closely.. it was a first for me to see a Model 2 with not sound slots... but sound holes. Has anyone else ever seen a Model 2 housing with holes instead of slots???
Last up was Frostburg... they have a GSC Model 5 at Station 2 (my picture turned out badly so you will not see that one) and I found this sitting on the ground behind the station
they also have a 16 port Sterling on a hill, something that SOUNDED like a 16 port sterling on thier firehouse in a bell tower ( I was just in time for the 6:05 test) and a dual rotor siren that we have seen once or twice on here but no one can name (I didn't take a picture) for sure (I have heard Federal Model B a couple of times).
What a darn fine day of photographing this was!!
