Chicago Thunderbolt still works!

[Brendan Ahern]

Yeah it does look to be pointing a bit more south than it was the last time I drove by there.

No, there is no official map of the old system. As far as the city is concerned, it doesn't exist anymore. Most of the locations have been removed, some a long time ago, some more recently. Seems like when they replace a roof on a building with an old siren, it gets removed. I believe almost every fire station had a siren at some point, now you would be hard pressed to find one. Most have been removed and several old stations have been razed.

[Brendan W]

I remember there was a photo somewhere of a Chopperless gridfaced thunderbolt on an old fire station somewhere in Chicago.

I have a few old Chicago locations:
Midway Int'l airport (Siren in the post)
Oriole Park School
Pulaski & Diversity (Old Ice Factory, I think)
School at E. 70th and S. Merril
Hanson Park (Siren is on a school nearby)
Old FD at 1722 W. Greenleaf

[Brendan Ahern]

The chopper-less, grid faced tbolt is on an abandoned fire station on Kostner Ave a little north of North Ave. There is also an STL-10 on a school at 94th and the Dan Ryan Expressway. There is a 2001 next to the school. I would say there are less than 20 left up. None of the Chryslers are still up, nor is there any trace of them left.

[Notre.Dame1003]

The Oriole Park STL was recently removed after a roof replacement.

[Stevan Z]

I pass that siren everyday on my way to work in Cicero. The old system was put in place in the 1950's. Mainly Model 5's, STL's, a few Chryslers and I believe a couple HOR's. Thunderbolts were added a little later. Some were not added until the 70's. The system was decommissioned between 1988 and 1992, only 15 would operate, keep in mind they were all landline. 1988 I believe was the last year they actually tested them and 1991 or 92 was when they actually unhooked controls and possibly removed some of the sirens. Most are gone now either way. New system was promised by Mayor Daley in 1993, but no sirens were installed until late 1997 and the system was finished and turned over in early 1998. 2 additional sirens were added in 2007, one 2001-B and one Modulator. All but one lone siren are pole mounted. Most on regular wooden poles, a couple downtown are on steel poles. (Vaults under street, could not set a wooden pole.) The sirens are silently tested every Monday morning around 7:30. Sirens rotate but do not sound. Then a 30 second blast on monthly test day. I believe the final number for the "new" system is 114 sirens within the city limits. The city lets a lot of things go, and sometimes take forever to fix things. But the sirens seem to be something they are insane about. They get fixed very quickly if there is a problem. I imagine the weekly silent checks find most of the problems, but I would say they probably don't have a lot of trouble with these sirens.

7:30 huh, I have always wondered what time. I knew Monday but did not know the time.

[Stevan Z]

Are there any H.O.R Super Sirex's left in Chicago?

[TrainsAndSirens1]

Are there any H.O.R Super Sirex's left in Chicago?

No.

[Brendan Ahern]

Probably no HOR sirens left. Very few of any old sirens left, and there were not many HOR
s to begin with. The 7:30 time varies a bit, but it is between 6 and 8 AM. When I worked downtown I used to see it happen walking from the train station. They don't growl, just rotate half a turn or so.

[Stevan Z]

Probably no HOR sirens left. Very few of any old sirens left, and there were not many HOR
s to begin with. The 7:30 time varies a bit, but it is between 6 and 8 AM. When I worked downtown I used to see it happen walking from the train station. They don't growl, just rotate half a turn or so.

Oh I wish their was an exact time so I could go see it. Do you have a youtube? I'm ChicagoSirens.

[Notre.Dame1003]

Are there any H.O.R Super Sirex's left in Chicago?

There was a post on here awhile back of a photo of what appeared to be an HOR still up on the Field Building downtown.