metamagic67
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Restored air raid siren with mystery background

Sun May 19, 2024 5:15 am

Hello
I am researching a restored WWII air raid siren for The Northern Rockies Museum in Hinton Alberta.
A little bit is known about its use in the community but almost nothing is known about its manufacture or provenance. All that IS known is this:
- it was repurposed as an emergency siren when the local paper and pulp mill opened in 1957
- at some point it was dismantled and put into storage
- recently, a local retrieved the siren and restored it.
Pretty thin huh?
There is a manufacturer's (or repairman's?) plate on the siren.
Among other info, it states the following:
- Reliable Electric Sales and Service Ltd.
- Woodstock, Ontario
-Make: Lincoln
There is also some information about volts, horse power, serial etc. I have attached a photo of the plate as well as a shot of the siren itself.

Does anyone out there know anything about this siren or the manufacturer? When was it produced? Does the company still exist? (I can find nothing but it is a few decades old)

Any information would be most appreciated!
Attachments
siren view 2.jpg
siren view 2.jpg (324.87 KiB) Viewed 600 times
siren manufacturer plate.jpg
siren manufacturer plate.jpg (339 KiB) Viewed 600 times

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Darley Champion
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Re: Restored air raid siren with mystery background

Mon May 20, 2024 9:33 pm

I believe this may be one of those so-called "CLM Carter" sirens, I don't have much information about them but there's a few known variants, yours apparently being one of the 20:24 low-RPM units.

Although the CLM name is kinda conjectural on my end, I'm going from old and potentially incorrect info from years ago.
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singlestrobe
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Re: Restored air raid siren with mystery background

Mon May 20, 2024 11:39 pm

it looks like a clm i’m pretty sure you’re right

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Snowpix
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Re: Restored air raid siren with mystery background

Tue May 21, 2024 4:37 am

It's a CLM Type 5223, a 5-horsepower 20/24 port siren. These would've been produced during the Cold War, primarily during the 1950s and 1960s. It was made by Canadian Line Materials, LTD, which was part of the McGraw-Edison company. The sirens haven't been made in at least 50 years, by the 1980s sirens were seen as unnecessary in Canada and many were being decommissioned by that point. CLM itself ceased to exist in 1985 after being acquired by Cooper Industries, but their factory survives in Scarborough, ON with distinctive "CLM" painted smokestacks.

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metamagic67
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Re: Restored air raid siren with mystery background

Sun May 26, 2024 4:39 am

Wow!
This is great! Wonderful and exactly what I was looking for. Everyone at the museum thought it dated to WWII. I must tell you that your information has caused a bit of a stir!
Snowpix, I hope this isn't an imposition, but would you be able to direct me to more information about CLM itself, its products, or anything? Has anyone ever written a book or magazine article about CLM and/or these sirens? Have you or anyone you know ever given an interview?

Thanks to your information, I have started researching CLM but so far all the information I have found it on bulletin boards and public forums. Not that I doubt the honesty and expertise of yourself or any other posters. It's just that as this is a formal research project for a museum, I need as many verifiable and citable sources as possible.

Any further direction would be most appreciated. And is there any way in which you would like to be referenced in the research project? I have already cited both this forum and your Wiki site. If you would prefer to communicate more directly, I would be happy to share my email.

Thanks again everyone and keep any info coming! :D

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