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When was the first Thunderbolt installed?
Posted: Mon Jun 30, 2014 7:25 am
by 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.
Re: When was the first Thunderbolt installed?
Posted: Mon Jun 30, 2014 1:34 pm
by sirendude2012
I think that could very well be it. Since they were making demo models sometime during 1952, early 1953 would make sense.
Re: When was the first Thunderbolt installed?
Posted: Mon Jun 30, 2014 6:22 pm
by 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.
Re: When was the first Thunderbolt installed?
Posted: Mon Jun 30, 2014 6:44 pm
by 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)
Re: When was the first Thunderbolt installed?
Posted: Mon Jun 30, 2014 7:18 pm
by Brendan W
stormsetter4 wrote: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.
Re: When was the first Thunderbolt installed?
Posted: Wed Jul 02, 2014 3:18 am
by Tyler
stormsetter4 wrote: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?
Re: When was the first Thunderbolt installed?
Posted: Wed Jul 02, 2014 3:24 am
by freebrickproductions
Thunderbolt10031 wrote:stormsetter4 wrote: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.
Re: When was the first Thunderbolt installed?
Posted: Wed Jul 02, 2014 3:41 am
by 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:
Re: When was the first Thunderbolt installed?
Posted: Thu Jul 03, 2014 1:42 am
by 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.
Re: When was the first Thunderbolt installed?
Posted: Sun Jul 06, 2014 1:50 am
by Brendan W
Thunderbolt10031 wrote: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?