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:
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:
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!
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!