LA Sirens

[dansolo500t]

Hi, I am new to the board. My wife and I grew up in the San Fernando Valley north of Los Angeles and have recently taken an interest in the old sirens down there. We live in Portland Oregon now but recently went down to LA and took pictures of sirens and shared our interests with a high school friend Dennis (LA sirens r us) Dennis told us about this site so here we are! We are looking forward to a return trip in March and I am sure we will see a siren or two while we are there.

[Justin]

Welcome to the board, Dan!

[Daniel]

From one Dan to another, welcome to the board and to Oregon. Sorry you have to travel so far for sirens. Portland once had the nation's most sophisticated civil defense setup, and apparently had several Chrysler sirens as well as possibly some Hedberg and Decot models. Today if you could find a single siren in Multnomah County, I would be surprised. Most small towns in the Willamette Valley have a siren, and most of these are still in use. Towns on the coast are scraping up money for tsunami sirens, and Seaside, Cannon Beach, and Rockaway Beach have working systems. Little Waldport has three Thunderbolts and a Whelen! If you're travelling down the I-5 corridor, there are interesting single sirens in some towns like Harrisburg, Creswell, and Roseburg -- mostly antiques -- plus Ashland installed four new Modulators a couple of years ago. Other than those, and a scattering of air horns and diaphones in northern California, you won't find any towns with siren systems until the Sacramento area. If you drive north, Thunderbolts are scattered unused in the Longview area, and I believe Olympia has some Thunderbolts too.

[jerrylovessirens]

"some Hedberg and Decot models"

Really, the Decots made it all the way there??

Anyways, welcome to the board first Dan!

[kswx29]

Hello, im Dylan...i hope you have fun on your trip...and enjoy these boards!

[SirenMadness]

Welcome. Make yourself right at home!

[Hacksaw]

Welcome. A couple of guys from the DWP in LA were able to get an old 500AT:

http://home.earthlink.net/~jmkord/federal_500t.htm

[scooterbugs25]

Welcome. A couple of guys from the DWP in LA were able to get an old 500AT:

http://home.earthlink.net/~jmkord/federal_500t.htm

IMO.. I think that is one of the best videos of a siren set up

[SirenMadness]

That is a great video, and I still enjoy watching it. The siren is a 500T, though.

[Trey]

Welcome, Dan! Hope you enjoy your trip and enjoy the forums.

I have to agree that is a great video.