B & M Siro-drift siren

[Undertaker]

Does anyone have a soundclip of one of these older mechanical sirens? If memory serves me correct, they were a more lower toned than the Federal with a faster windup to peak. Thank you in advance.

[zetronist]

http://www.lafd.org/hs.wav

You'll hear three of them.

John

[AllSafe]

they sound like air-raid sirens

[Nelso90]

Those sound a lot like my old 8-port Darley. I like the lower pitch ones myself.

[zetronist]

they sound like air-raid sirens

What you are hearing is a response out of an LAFD fire station. The engines are the old Hall-Scott gasoline engines used by Crown Firecoach back in the 1950's and into the 1970's.

The sirens on the trucks are B&M S-8's. Though the last truck pulling out may be a Super Chief.

If you're familiar with Crown Firecoach, the S-8 siren is what is mounted behind the grille that is centered on the front of the pumper. The sirens were recessed. If you see a siren protruding from the front of the Crown, it usually is a Super Chief.

While they are all 8 port sirens, the Super Chief had a more nasaly sound, the S-8's had a deeper sound. Some of that had to do with how they were mounted on the trucks.

Crown with a Super Chief:
http://www.crownisking.org/cpsantamonicae7.html

Crown with an S-8
http://www.crownisking.org/cproyaloaks.html

Once in a while, you'll see a Crown with an external S-8
http://www.crownisking.org/cporcft36.html

Not all of the Crowns used B&M. There are more than a few that sported a Q2B:
http://www.crownisking.org/cplaco572.html

Also, during the 1970's the new look was the dual Federal electronic speakers:
http://www.crownisking.org/cplacitye3.html

Not to take this thread off topic, but one cannot really speak about B&M Sirens without talking about Crown Firecoach. Crowns made the B&Ms famous.

John

[Daniel]

I'd like to hear what that horizontal, dual-tone B & M air raid siren sounds like.

[zetronist]

I'd like to hear what that horizontal, dual-tone B & M air raid siren sounds like.

Amen to that!

>>Lex orandi, lex credendi

Amen to that, too

[zetronist]

Here's a Quick Time Video of the B&M Super Chief. It's a short clip but gives you an idea of what it sounds like and how the brake works:

http://www.siro-driftsirens.com/images/SC8B_63434b.MOV

B&M posted wiring diagrams and prices for their sirens this weekend, too.

I'm glad to see that they're back in the competition. They make great sirens. If you ever lived in the Los Angeles area, this should be a familiar sound to you.

John

[q2bman]

Great video! And wow that brake sure stops that rotor!