When was the first Thunderbolt installed?

[Hacksaw]

Yes, nailing down when the first one was installed may be a challenge. Here's one of the earliest news pieces about them I've seen:

http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1 ... 12,4100823

January 13, 1953.

[sirendude2012]

I think that could very well be it. Since they were making demo models sometime during 1952, early 1953 would make sense.

[Brendan W]

There is allegedly a 1952 one in the Birmingham, AL area, but I am not sure which siren it is, IF there is one. There are 3 gridfaced Tbolts in the Birmingham area, but one of them is sitting in a boneyard.

[Stormsetter4]

There are 3 gridfaced Tbolts in the Birmingham area, but one of them is sitting in a boneyard.

Isn't one of them famous for the the Jail bar Thunderbolt video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IwNUIhM52Iw
(No offense to thunderbolt10031)

[Brendan W]

There are 3 gridfaced Tbolts in the Birmingham area, but one of them is sitting in a boneyard.

Isn't one of them famous for the the Jail bar Thunderbolt video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IwNUIhM52Iw
(No offense to thunderbolt10031)

Yeah, That one was on a school in (I think) Vestavia Hills. If I am correct, then a 2001 replaced it.

[Tyler]

There are 3 gridfaced Tbolts in the Birmingham area, but one of them is sitting in a boneyard.

Isn't one of them famous for the the Jail bar Thunderbolt video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IwNUIhM52Iw
(No offense to thunderbolt10031)

None taken. If those tbolts were from 1952 wouldn't they be bumble bolts?

[freebrickproductions]

There are 3 gridfaced Tbolts in the Birmingham area, but one of them is sitting in a boneyard.

Isn't one of them famous for the the Jail bar Thunderbolt video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IwNUIhM52Iw
(No offense to thunderbolt10031)

None taken. If those tbolts were from 1952 wouldn't they be bumble bolts?

They were, but they got repainted later on from my understanding.

[Tyler]

Hmm...that may be the reason why the inside of the projector on the famous "jail bar thunderbolt" looked black to me but I don't know It could have been the shadow.

Here's what it looks like:

[Mark N]

I don't know why, but looking at the horn of a Jailbar creeps me out.
Anyways, perhaps Federal kept the first one made. I don't know why, but I've thought about it before.

[Brendan W]

Hmm...that may be the reason why the inside of the projector on the famous "jail bar thunderbolt" looked black to me but I don't know It could have been the shadow.

Here's what it looks like:

image removed

I noticed that siren was black on the inside of the horn when I was there. Maybe it was a "Bumblebolt" at one time?