MY CHRYSLER SIREN PROJECT

by Harry Barry

In July of 1991 I acquired a Chrysler Air Raid siren from a friend in Michigan. He lives in a residential area and has limited storage space, as well as not being able to operate it regularly. He knew that I would take care of the siren and give it a good home. I received the siren in trade for a brand new Leslie SL4T chime air horn that I had. The siren was in running condition when I got it, and was complete with its turntable base.

The first thing I did was to build a substantial mount for the siren using 6" x 8" x 10-foot treated beams and specially cut 8" x 8" maple beams. Then came the hiring of a large crawler shovel capable of lifting the 5,500-1b siren onto the timber mount. Before that, I had to buy some 5/8" cable, four forged alloy 5/8" cable slip hooks, 16 forged 5/8" cable clip clamps, and two four-foot lengths of 9" channel steel to use as cable spacers. With these items I built a special cable sling capable of lifting the siren without damage.

The siren is now mounted on its timbers near the bank of Lake Erie, not far from my diaphone fog horn. Since acquiring the siren, I have installed exhaust pipes, changed the oil and filter, and done a lot of cleaning; it had years of caked-on grease and dirt. I work on it as time permits, and some day I'll have it looking like fellow H&W member Jim Pritchard's Chrysler Siren, all cleaned, painted, and fully restored.

As far as performance goes, the siren is A-1 and right up to specs. Before I acquired it last month, I had never heard one up close, and I was totally overwhelmed by its colossal power. I thought that over the years I had gotten used to the loud sounds of whistles and horns, but the Chrysler is in a class by itself; it even makes my mighty diaphone fog horn sound weak in comparison. It generates 138 db @ 100 feet, and you really have to hear the sound to appreciate it. H&W members Bill Williamson, Jack Hardman, and Fred Berry will verify that. We were all together here at my place on August 3rd, and we ran the Chrysler.

For those unfamiliar with a Chrysler Siren, please refer to HORN & WHISTLE Issues 10, 28, and 37. The design was developed by Bell Laboratories and Chrysler during the 1950's for use as air raid sirens throughout the country, and they remain the most powerful sound signals ever made. They are powered by a 331 cu. In. Chrysler industrial hemi-head V-8 gasoline engine rated at 4600 rpm. They are real fun toys to play with. I will eventually have mine mounted on a trailer for portability, so I can take it to shows and test it at different locations.

The siren came from Detroit, Michigan; and I still hope to get my other Chrysler, in Pittsburgh, PA. It is on a high rooftop, and will require my hiring a 50-ton crane for removal.

A photo page accompanies this article.