dbigtex56 Posted December 2, 2008 Author Share Posted December 2, 2008 Houston had Federal signal Thunderbolt 1000, 1000T & 1003 sirens. There was also one located on the corner of long point & campbell Rd. at an elementary school. I lived very close to it & heard it wail every friday at 12pm. There were many others located around houston, but they were all taken down in the early 90's. They were used for civil defense & storm warning.Thanks for the info Jpayne9207, and welcome to HAIF.How did you learn about the sort of sirens we had in Houston? Is there a club for this sort of thing? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rsb320 Posted December 2, 2008 Share Posted December 2, 2008 I worked directly across from City Hall, at One Shell, in the late 80's-early 90's and remember it very well. We called it the Friday lunch bell.There was also one on Bellaire Blvd. near Auden/Braes at a Shell facility. This one sounded into the mid-90's. I don't remember on what schedule, though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jpayne9207 Posted January 5, 2009 Share Posted January 5, 2009 Thanks for the info Jpayne9207, and welcome to HAIF.How did you learn about the sort of sirens we had in Houston? Is there a club for this sort of thing?There are many siren websites on the internet. I & other siren enthusiasts found some articles on what happened to the sirens we had. There are a few websites you can go to & learn about the type of sirens we had, or what sirens certain city's have. Here are a few:http://airraidsirens.com/forums/http://www.civildefensemuseum.com/sirens.htmlhttp://www.jmarcoz.com/sirens/sirenarchive.htmarticle on Houstons sirens:http://www.chron.com/CDA/archives/archive....id=1992_1051028there was also a short discussion on the houston sirens on the first links board archives somewhere.there are many more Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Witch King Posted March 27, 2009 Share Posted March 27, 2009 The "Official" death of Houston's air raid sirens was at 12:00 noon on April 24, 1992. I managed to "get one" a series A Federal Thunderbolt 1000T. It's a duel toned model with a 5/6 port ratio which produces a Minor Third pitch. This gives the siren it's characteristic "doomsday"sound. The "Houston test" consisted of first the alert signal (one minute steady tone) followed immediatly by the attack signal (one minute rise and fall tone). On a slightly off-topic note does anyone know of a "scandal" about the sale of Houston's sirens to a town in west texas? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JLWM8609 Posted May 29, 2009 Share Posted May 29, 2009 I swear I just heard an air raid siren go off a few mins ago. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EMME Posted May 29, 2009 Share Posted May 29, 2009 The "Official" death of Houston's air raid sirens was at 12:00 noon on April 24, 1992. I managed to "get one" a series A Federal Thunderbolt 1000T. It's a duel toned model with a 5/6 port ratio which produces a Minor Third pitch. This gives the siren it's characteristic "doomsday"sound. The "Houston test" consisted of first the alert signal (one minute steady tone) followed immediatly by the attack signal (one minute rise and fall tone). On a slightly off-topic note does anyone know of a "scandal" about the sale of Houston's sirens to a town in west texas? Every Friday at noon. I swear I just heard an air raid siren go off a few mins ago. Somebody's having a FLASHBACK! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JLWM8609 Posted May 29, 2009 Share Posted May 29, 2009 Every Friday at noon.Somebody's having a FLASHBACK! Nope, no flashbacks. Two other folks with me heard it as well. Perhaps it was a siren from one of the refineries? Though I don't think the sound would carry out this far. Also, Centerville, TX has an alarm that goes off on Sunday at noon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EMME Posted May 29, 2009 Share Posted May 29, 2009 Nope, no flashbacks. Two other folks with me heard it as well. Perhaps it was a siren from one of the refineries? Though I don't think the sound would carry out this far.Also, Centerville, TX has an alarm that goes off on Sunday at noon.Where are you? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JLWM8609 Posted May 29, 2009 Share Posted May 29, 2009 Where are you?Riverside, which is just south of third ward. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EMME Posted May 29, 2009 Share Posted May 29, 2009 Riverside, which is just south of third ward. If you discover the source, please update us. If the air is dry, sound from the ship channel could be heard miles away. I am stuck in an office building, so I don't know if it is humid or not. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JLWM8609 Posted May 30, 2009 Share Posted May 30, 2009 If you discover the source, please update us. If the air is dry, sound from the ship channel could be heard miles away. I am stuck in an office building, so I don't know if it is humid or not. I think I remember the weather report mentioning that the air would be dryer than usual these next few days. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Witch King Posted June 1, 2009 Share Posted June 1, 2009 I swear I just heard an air raid siren go off a few mins ago.JLWM8609, What did it sound like? a Thunderbolt (Duel toned mechanical)? orWhelen (Electronic single toned)?There are a bunch of Whelen Modulators along the ship channel and HWY 225 (Refinery Row)Where is Riverside? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JLWM8609 Posted June 1, 2009 Share Posted June 1, 2009 JLWM8609, What did it sound like? a Thunderbolt (Duel toned mechanical)? orWhelen (Electronic single toned)?There are a bunch of Whelen Modulators along the ship channel and HWY 225 (Refinery Row)Where is Riverside?I guess it sounded like a Thunderbolt as it did the dual tones. Riverside is near 288 and S. MacGregor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
houwest Posted June 1, 2009 Share Posted June 1, 2009 Legendary drag racer Don Garlits has restored a hemi powerd siren:http://billetproof.com/billetproofvideo/av...mp;categoryid=0 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silverartfox Posted June 1, 2009 Share Posted June 1, 2009 I swear I just heard an air raid siren go off a few mins ago.Just saw this post today - yes, I heard it too! I was in Broadmoor, near Lockwood and the GulF Fwy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JLWM8609 Posted June 2, 2009 Share Posted June 2, 2009 Just saw this post today - yes, I heard it too! I was in Broadmoor, near Lockwood and the GulF Fwy.Well, I guess all there's left to do is listen out this upcoming Friday at 12:59pm. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Witch King Posted June 2, 2009 Share Posted June 2, 2009 Well, I guess all there's left to do is listen out this upcoming Friday at 12:59pm.Man! I've have to get to the BOTTOM of this! I know it's not my siren, its locked up in my storage shed! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lyndongolden Posted October 5, 2012 Share Posted October 5, 2012 There are a few old Thunderbolt sirens still standing around Houston...sadly all inoperative. 1. HazMat Fire Station #22, located at 7825 Harrisburg Blvd has one.2. Hennessey Park (right next door to Saint Arnold Brewing Co - 2000 Lyons Ave) has one3. Smith Education / Career Center (corner of Lyons & Gregg) has a nice yellow T-bolt on the roof. Easily seen from the intersection.4. Nordling Park (I-45 & Nordling Rd area) is said to still have one up.For all you other siren geeks / siren chasers...you MUST drive by and enjoy these sights! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
readam Posted October 11, 2012 Share Posted October 11, 2012 Well it looks like my E.O. Smith siren is still up even after 41+ years after I started teaching. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GEM Posted October 15, 2012 Share Posted October 15, 2012 Still heard into the mid 80s.??......Harrisburg location??.......... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sinister1 Posted October 23, 2012 Share Posted October 23, 2012 Yeap, I remember hearing them all the time around noon back in the early 80's when I use to live in the First Ward. I was just thinking whatever happened to them. Cool. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lynna Kay Shuffiel Posted February 9, 2014 Share Posted February 9, 2014 Allen Brothers Statue Project -- Joseph Finger's original plans for City Hall included two statues of the Allen Brothers ... Houston Press (Houston, Harris Co., TX), Fri., 17 Nov 1939, p. 11, c. 1-2 Texas Star Chapter, Daughters of the Republic of Texas is wanting to finish Finger's vision and install the statues as original planned 75-years ago. For more information on the project, visit ... http://www.lksfriday.com/DRT/DRT-018.htm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elseed Posted February 14, 2014 Share Posted February 14, 2014 Why have two small Statues when we can have two HUGE statues in a park somewhere....make it kind've a tourist attraction....or even kind've a walk-of-fame type thing in downtown....have statues of all the famous people/people who have achieved great things from this city...Allen Bros, another Sam Houston, ZZ Top, Beyonce, Michael Debakey, Dr Red Duke, all the mayors...etc.......Or have this in Midtown and contribute the skyline....how crazy would that look....a few stories tall.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyEitel210 Posted August 23, 2019 Share Posted August 23, 2019 Sorry for the late reply but the type of air raid siren that was atop Houston City Hall & other locations throughout the city was a "Thunderbolt" supercharged electro-mechanical siren made by the siren manufacturing company Federal Enterprises (now Federal Signal) of University Park, IL. Many municipalities across the country had these from through the mid 50- early 80's as Civil Defense sirens but most up today are in the Midwest and used as tornado sirens. Thunderbolts were capable of producing a sound output of 126dB or higher from close range and had an audible radius of up to a mile away from the siren. However, the single tone variants of the Thunderbolt made a very similar sound to a Chrysler. The siren was removed from the city hall back in the late 80's but others are still standing abandoned in place at the following locations: * JP Henderson Elementary School * Burnet Elementary School * Northline Park * Two along the refineries along Buffalo Bayou * Blodgett St & Ennis St * Denver Harbor Swimming Pool. Other communities in the Houston area such as Friendswood, Pasadena, Deer Park, La Porte, Baytown, and Texas City have sirens in place used to warn of chemical spills from nearby refineries and are tested regularly. Here is a list of their siren testing times: La Porte & Deer Park: Saturdays at Noon Baytown: Wednesdays at 9:00 am Texas City & LaMarque: Wednesdays at Noon Mont Belvieu: 1st Wednesdays at 4:00 pm Pasadena: 1st Thursday of every month at 6:00 pm Friendswood: 1st Friday of every month at Noon Hope y.all can find this information helpful :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ross Posted August 24, 2019 Share Posted August 24, 2019 On 11/27/2008 at 6:53 PM, Jpayne9207 said: Houston had Federal signal Thunderbolt 1000, 1000T & 1003 sirens. There was also one located on the corner of long point & campbell Rd. at an elementary school. I lived very close to it & heard it wail every friday at 12pm. There were many others located around houston, but they were all taken down in the early 90's. They were used for civil defense & storm warning. Here's a 1003 in action 1000T in attack mode Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vandelay101 Posted September 16, 2020 Share Posted September 16, 2020 I have a historical question that would be best answered by anyone that worked at city hall area during the early 80s or late 70s. Anyone in this forum been? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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