Thunderbolt 1000T Air Raid Siren

The awesome, powerful Thunderbolt 1000T Air Raid Siren on Epley Drive next to the Green Township Senior Center in White Oak, manufactured by the Federal Signal Corporation in the early 50's as a Civil Defense Siren. I was about 100 feet from it when it fired up and it was LOUD! Could feel the rumble in my chest lol. The Thunderbolt 1000T is a dual-tone version of the 1000 model, operates on three motors, and produces a sound level of 125 decibels at 100 feet. It was produced mainly as the warning signal for a Soviet air attack/nuclear fallout during the Cold War but is used for tornadoes and severe weather nowadays. Because it required so much maintenance and only operated on AC power, it was discontinued and replaced with the 2001 series in 1988. This particular Thunderbolt I filmed has a rotator setting of 8RPM, which is the highest speed and if you listen closely during the alert mode you can hear the blower running.

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• thunderbolt
• 1000t
• air
• raid
• siren
• epley
• drive
• green
• township
• senior
• center
• white
• oak
• cincinnati
• ohio
• loud
• roar
• deep
• sound
• growl
• alert
• attack
• mode
• warning
• rotator
• roots
• blower
• chopper
• cold
• war
• soviet
• 8RPM
• electromechanical
• tornado
• severe
• weather
• federal
• signal
• 50's
• 125
• decibels
• 100
• feet
• civil
• defense
• yellow
• monthly
• test
• supercharged
• 10hp
• three
• phase

[Schutzraumtechnik999]

I have to LOL at the whole "next to a senior center" thing. worse placement ever (although the siren was probably there before)

[truemetalist89]

@Schutzraumtechnik999 yes i couldn't agree more. why they moved it there i don't understand, but every first wednesday of the month those seniors will get a nice, loud wake-up call lol

[timeslip325]

that Tbolt sounds great! theres nothing like a dual-tone Thunderbolt! great that you got a growl, attack, and alert - well done!

[truemetalist89]

@timeslip325 thnx! luckily i got there just in time to record the growl and the audio came out surprisingly well. the video itself isnt all that great because i zoomed in at 100% but oh well. im gonna try to get closer to the 1003 next month. hopefully 2 hats and ear muffs will be enough to protect my ears lol

[timeslip325]

@truemetalist89 Cool. Seems all of the Tbolts i know of in MI have been recorded and shared already. But, Im the type that doesnt mind repeats, simply because i LOVE Thunderbolts!

[truemetalist89]

@timeslip325 im gonna try to film some others too in the upcoming months (ASC T-128, 2001, etc.)

[Tbolt1000TForLife]

@TboltSiren1000T yeah, where did you hear that?!?!

[carexpertandy]

Also a T-128 standing next to this one now, also most likely not hooked up yet

[briefroboboy]

it looks new to me, cuz it looks like it's been freshly painted.

[catman5169]

Don't know about the '50's, but a town I lived in at the time put up two T-Bolts in 1973...alert for the county VFD, attack for the city VFD, and the dual tone for tornado. That dual tone late at night during a severe storm will send chills up your.....back.

[Raap123]

the airatack warning sounds like this.

This is the sound.

Lady's and Gentlemen  let me present Frankie goes to Hollywood.

[terminator6267]

I just fucking froze....with my eyes popping open...then a shockwave of goosebumps followed...

[Chingstrom]

The attack mode of the Thunderbolt makes a sound like no other. Just sends chills through your spine!

[XxSSJ5GogetaxX]

@truemetalist89 The old WWII vets proly freak the fuck out and grab a knife.

[opel1111]

Put a Chrysler Air Raid Siren next to them :D

[LNERMallard]

@TboltSiren1000T Dude, that is a HOAX and will never happen. As much as I like Thunderbolt sirens, they are somewhat high maintenance, and could not easily utilize battery backup. Those are the reasons the 2001 REPLACED the Thunderbolt series.