# One more that is nee to me.



## Shockdoc (Mar 4, 2010)

Is it still active? wired to a system? that was the old days before every household had a phone. Simply run to the call box and notify the FD of a fire.


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## michael3 (Mar 14, 2010)

Shockdoc said:


> Is it still active? wired to a system? that was the old days before every household had a phone. Simply run to the call box and notify the FD of a fire.


dont think so. the bottom of the box where it looks like wire would come in is empty and the terminal screws have no wires.


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## Shockdoc (Mar 4, 2010)

michael3 said:


> dont think so. the bottom of the box where it looks like wire would come in is empty and the terminal screws have no wires.


You have a pretty valuable antique on your hands.


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## michael3 (Mar 14, 2010)

Shockdoc said:


> You have a pretty valuable antique on your hands.


really?


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## Big John (May 23, 2010)

Tell the truth: That's basically the whole reason you even wanted to buy that house. :laughing:


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## BBQ (Nov 16, 2010)

michael3 said:


> Some kind of fire alarm.
> 
> Wife and I bought a house 2.5 years ago. Built in 1959. This is on a pedestal on side of the house.


That is a Gamewell street box, it works just like the 1800 telegraph systems. 

When you pull the handle it will 'type' out 8269 three times and stop.

If you look at the gear right in the middle you can see the bumps match the number on the front 8 bumps, space, 2 bumps space, six bumps space, 9 bumps and start over.

These were rock solid, simple and reliable sytstems, back at the fire station it would ring the bells in that pattern and operate a paper ticker tape to record it.

Here is a small pull station of mine that works the same way, click on the picture for video.


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## BBQ (Nov 16, 2010)

michael3 said:


> really?


:no:


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## Shockdoc (Mar 4, 2010)

michael3 said:


> really?


They are worth anywhere from $300 to $1000 depending on who's coming down the street. In NYC that could sell for $1k, somewhere in the Pocono, maybe $10.


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## Celtic (Nov 19, 2007)

Shockdoc said:


> You have a pretty valuable antique on your hands.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Considering the average price for the box it came with is $130K [Trulia Data]...the ROI on the Pull Station will be rather dismal :laughing:

I think it's pretty cool non-the-less tho :thumbsup:


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## michael3 (Mar 14, 2010)

Big John said:


> Tell the truth: That's basically the whole reason you even wanted to buy that house. :laughing:


Funny.. but to tell the truth I didn't discover it til 3-6 months after we moved in.


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## michael3 (Mar 14, 2010)

BBQ said:


> That is a Gamewell street box, it works just like the 1800 telegraph systems.
> 
> When you pull the handle it will 'type' out 8269 three times and stop.
> 
> ...


So, might you know where 8269 comes from, other than front of box? 

I am guessing that was my house code?


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## BBQ (Nov 16, 2010)

michael3 said:


> So do u know where 8269 comes from, other than front of box?
> 
> I am guessing that was my house code?


Probably not just your house, much more likely your block or area etc.

The numbers where assigned by the local fire departments, I have installed new ones of these as recently as 10 years ago. But most fire departments that have these systems are changing to radio based systems. 

To have these telegraph type boxes requires wiring between the boxes and the fire department which is expensive to maintain. The town I live in still uses this type system and the fire department has a full time employee whose job it is to maintain they system.


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## michael3 (Mar 14, 2010)

BBQ said:


> Probably not just your house, much more likely your block or area etc.
> 
> The numbers where assigned by the local fire departments, I have installed new ones of these as recently as 10 years ago. But most fire departments that have these systems are changing to radio based systems.
> 
> To have these telegraph type boxes requires wiring between the boxes and the fire department which is expensive to maintain. The town I live in still uses this type system and the fire department has a full time employee whose job it is to maintain they system.


Good point, makes sense.


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## LARMGUY (Aug 22, 2010)

If the glass is gone maybe it was used once? Do you see any evidence of fire damage?


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## michael3 (Mar 14, 2010)

LARMGUY said:


> If the glass is gone maybe it was used once? Do you see any evidence of fire damage?


No damage except the rust on front.

Glass is in tact.


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## fdew (Mar 26, 2009)

These boxes are quite high tech. Besides transmitting the number, they have a telegraph key and bell for communication. also they are non interfering. That is, if one box is pulled while another one is transmitting an alarm, the second one will wait and not transmit it's code until the first one has finished. Also, note there is a 3rd wire. That is a ground. If the series loop is broken, the box will seize ground and transmit it's signal from ground to the station on either half of the loop. The particular box you have with the small door with a small roof over it is the more desirable for collectors. Also, there are a lot more boxes then there are pedestals, so if you have that as well, hang on to it.

Frank


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## ugly1 (Dec 14, 2009)

The fire alarm system in New York City has over 12,000 boxes maintained by about 100 communications electricians. In the 1990's, there was an attempt to discontinue the system as it was thought no longer needed in the age of cellphones. A compromise resulted in removal of about 4,000 boxes. Many of the boxes are emergency response boxes with two pushbuttons that connect you to either the Police or Fire department. But the majority remain as telegraph boxes, tapping out their signal to the borough command center at a speed not much faster than Samuel Morse sending " what has God wrought".


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## RIVETER (Sep 26, 2009)

I had two of them that I bought thirty years ago. I paid $25 each and sold one about four years ago for $100.00. They are neat.


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