CFD Lightbars with Green Over the Passenger's Side

[dg0223]

I know the Chicago Fire Department has had a tradition of putting a green light on the passenger side of firetrucks and other fire vehicles. I know this goes back to one of the former CFD chiefs being a nautical enthusiast.

I also know the green light has been on CFD cars since the cars had Mars lightbars on them. I also know when CFD cars had Vision/Vector lightbars on them, the furthest pod at the end of the passenger side was solid green. I've also seen lots of other clear lensed lightbars with green filtered rotators on the passenger side. However, I have a question. Looking at pictures, mostly on the Illinois Fire Trucks website, CFD cars that were equipped with Aerodynics seem to have a clear panel at the farthest end of the passenger side dome. Did they have a green bulb under the clear lens? Were there ever any that had a solid green panel?

Does anybody have any Chicago Fire Department lightbars in their collection?

 

[coop359]

A single greenlight is a traditional for many FD rigs. CFD has added a blue rotator to the back of their new rigs on both sides - Vision SLR. They usually have one directional green led flasher above the headlights on the nose of the cab.

I worked for a suburban department where they sprayed clear panels of aerodynics with green gel paint or added a green sealed beam behind a clear panel. Some local departments have up to half their lights green.

 

[Lt.214]

This is my vector that I set up as a Chicago FD bar. This was bought from a former co worker so it isn't a true "CFD" bar but still holds the CFD concept. The white/clear pods function as intersection/sweep lights. The remainder are a mix of high and low speed rotating pods.



Chris

 

[Maxim2Eng]

Article XVII, Section 43, Subsection 2a, Paragraph 1 of the Uniform Code of Conduct regulating posts to this forum CLEARLY STATES: "Any photograph of any warning device posted to this forum, unless for the express purposes of depicting repair or modification processes, MUST INCLUDE A VIDEO of said warning device."

Dude, where's the vid? ;-)

 

[Lt.214]

Article XVII, Section 43, Subsection 2a, Paragraph 1 of the Uniform Code of Conduct regulating posts to this forum CLEARLY STATES: "Any photograph of any warning device posted to this forum, unless for the express purposes of depicting repair or modification processes, MUST INCLUDE A VIDEO of said warning device."

Dude, where's the vid? ;-)

The bar is in storage and photo is from when I changed the lens a couple years ago... I will attempt to dig it out and get a video added tomorrow, I always thought try to have videos, just didn't with this bar....

 

[JennyCop]

This is my Mars Skybolt Combo CFD lightbar.
Video & Photo credit: Cyril "Fireball3"

 

[Windycity411]

This is my vector that I set up as a Chicago FD bar. This was bought from a former co worker so it isn't a true "CFD" bar but still holds the CFD concept. The white/clear pods function as intersection/sweep lights. The remainder are a mix of high and low speed rotating pods.



Chris

The CFD Vectors are R, C, R, C, R, C, G. 2 of the clear pods are oscillators, 1 clear is a TCL.

 

[Windycity411]

I know the Chicago Fire Department has had a tradition of putting a green light on the passenger side of firetrucks and other fire vehicles. I know this goes back to one of the former CFD chiefs being a nautical enthusiast.

I also know the green light has been on CFD cars since the cars had Mars lightbars on them. I also know when CFD cars had Vision/Vector lightbars on them, the furthest pod at the end of the passenger side was solid green. I've also seen lots of other clear lensed lightbars with green filtered rotators on the passenger side. However, I have a question. Looking at pictures, mostly on the Illinois Fire Trucks website, CFD cars that were equipped with Aerodynics seem to have a clear panel at the farthest end of the passenger side dome. Did they have a green bulb under the clear lens? Were there ever any that had a solid green panel?

Does anybody have any Chicago Fire Department lightbars in their collection?

I have a CFD Aero. Most were 4 panel, some were 3.5 panel. Sedans and ambulances had clear sections for each sealed beam. They had 3 red and 1 green sealed beam on the bars. Some engines had red and clear aeros that had 2 rotators and a TCL on each side.

 

[Windycity411]

The tradition

I know the Chicago Fire Department has had a tradition of putting a green light on the passenger side of firetrucks and other fire vehicles. I know this goes back to one of the former CFD chiefs being a nautical enthusiast.

I also know the green light has been on CFD cars since the cars had Mars lightbars on them. I also know when CFD cars had Vision/Vector lightbars on them, the furthest pod at the end of the passenger side was solid green. I've also seen lots of other clear lensed lightbars with green filtered rotators on the passenger side. However, I have a question. Looking at pictures, mostly on the Illinois Fire Trucks website, CFD cars that were equipped with Aerodynics seem to have a clear panel at the farthest end of the passenger side dome. Did they have a green bulb under the clear lens? Were there ever any that had a solid green panel?

Does anybody have any Chicago Fire Department lightbars in their collection?

of the starboard green light goes back to the 1920's. CFD Commissioner Goodrich's family owned a steamship line.

 

[801]

Green steady burn, love it. Red and green steady burn, best of both worlds.

 

[348]

This is my Mars Skybolt Combo CFD lightbar.
Video & Photo credit: Cyril "Fireball3"

I noticed in the video that the par lights were steady burn both front and back. Was that common practice on CFD vehicles when this type of light bar was in service?

 

[Lt.214]

The CFD Vectors are R, C, R, C, R, C, G. 2 of the clear pods are oscillators, 1 clear is a TCL.

I know it wasn't exact, bit was as close as I could get. I wasn't able to source a TCL for the center pod. Project for the future. I was happy at the time to obtain the green lens from FS at the time.

 

[JennyCop]

I noticed in the video that the par lights were steady burn both front and back. Was that common practice on CFD vehicles when this type of light bar was in service?

It varied from vehicle to vehicle, lightbar to lightbar based on who did the installation and if a flasher was available at the time of assembly or repair. Lightbars where received from Mars in individual pieces, so you see them set up different. Some had 888's some had mechanical sirens, some had electronic sirens, etc.... Whatever was available at the shop during make ready. Check out the CFD Mars light thread we have in vehicle media.

 

[emtanderson51]

The flasher for the pars was in the vehicle I believe...

 

[ERIC6913]

Back in the day when aerodynics first came out, the flasher for the pars were inside the vehicle as well

 

[mls60442]

Looking at pictures, mostly on the Illinois Fire Trucks website, CFD cars that were equipped with Aerodynics seem to have a clear panel at the farthest end of the passenger side dome. Did they have a green bulb under the clear lens? Were there ever any that had a solid green panel?

Does anybody have any Chicago Fire Department lightbars in their collection?

This is about a year too late, but I have one of those CFD Aerodynics. It has a green sealed beam lamp on the passenger side front and the rest are all red.

I have the Aerodynic, a Vector, an Excalibur, and a XF2300 which was formerly mounted on an ambulance. All of them are original CFD bars. I'll try and get some pictures posted tomorrow. Maybe even some video!

 

[- cor0colorado]

I have a set of 4-pod FS viewpoint original CFD lightbars as well as a clear, chrome bumper mount clear TCL light. Not too old or rare, but cool pieces of CFD history. I've restored the TCL light, as it was broken when I received it, but both the viewpoint bars and the TCL still have the original Chicago Fire controlled asset / "property of" stickers on them

 

[mls60442]

Here are the CFD bars I have. I just got the Excalibur and XF2300 last week. I've had the Vector and the Aerodynic for a while. Nothing has been cleaned up really since I got it. I plan on getting around to cleaning them up eventually. I'll try and get some videos posted tonight or tomorrow.

Code 3 Excalibur
2 rotators (green/passenger, red/driver)
1 Oscilaser (clear/center)
14 LED modules (red/lower)

I was told this came from an O'Hare Airport command vehicle.

Code 3 XF2300
Red LEDs with white inner corner LEDs
Front LED modules only
Takedowns

This was mounted on an ambulance. The only modules not originally found in the bar are the takedowns. Those were leftover parts from a command vehicle bar and the guy I got the bar from tossed them in.

Federal Signal Vector
4 rotators (pods 1, 3, 5, 7)
2 intersection lights (pods 2 and 6)
1 Meteor light (pod 4, center)

No information on what vehicle it came from.

Federal Signal Aerodynic
4 rotators
2 sealed beam front flashers (green/passenger, red/driver)
2 sealed beam rear flashers (red/passenger, red/driver)

No information on what vehicle it came from.

 

[mls60442]

A couple of quick videos. I noticed there is a module out on the XF2300 now. I looked at it and a soldered lead broke. No big deal. I'll have to try and get better videos later. The Vector needs several bulbs replaced and the Aerodynic need the wires extended and a flasher so it will be a little bit before I get videos of those.

 

[Jeep YJ Dude]

Here are the CFD bars I have. I just got the Excalibur and XF2300 last week. I've had the Vector and the Aerodynic for a while. Nothing has been cleaned up really since I got it. I plan on getting around to cleaning them up eventually. I'll try and get some videos posted tonight or tomorrow.

Code 3 Excalibur
2 rotators (green/passenger, red/driver)
1 Oscilaser (clear/center)
14 LED modules (red/lower)

I was told this came from an O'Hare Airport command vehicle.
View attachment 206220 View attachment 206221 View attachment 206222
Code 3 XF2300
Red LEDs with white inner corner LEDs
Front LED modules only
Takedowns

This was mounted on an ambulance. The only modules not originally found in the bar are the takedowns. Those were leftover parts from a command vehicle bar and the guy I got the bar from tossed them in.
View attachment 206223 View attachment 206224 View attachment 206225
Federal Signal Vector
4 rotators (pods 1, 3, 5, 7)
2 intersection lights (pods 2 and 6)
1 Meteor light (pod 4, center)

No information on what vehicle it came from.
View attachment 206226 View attachment 206227
Federal Signal Aerodynic
4 rotators
2 sealed beam front flashers (green/passenger, red/driver)
2 sealed beam rear flashers (red/passenger, red/driver)

No information on what vehicle it came from.
View attachment 206228 View attachment 206229 View attachment 206230

Here are the CFD bars I have. I just got the Excalibur and XF2300 last week. I've had the Vector and the Aerodynic for a while. Nothing has been cleaned up really since I got it. I plan on getting around to cleaning them up eventually. I'll try and get some videos posted tonight or tomorrow.

Code 3 Excalibur
2 rotators (green/passenger, red/driver)
1 Oscilaser (clear/center)
14 LED modules (red/lower)

I was told this came from an O'Hare Airport command vehicle.
View attachment 206220 View attachment 206221 View attachment 206222
Code 3 XF2300
Red LEDs with white inner corner LEDs
Front LED modules only
Takedowns

This was mounted on an ambulance. The only modules not originally found in the bar are the takedowns. Those were leftover parts from a command vehicle bar and the guy I got the bar from tossed them in.
View attachment 206223 View attachment 206224 View attachment 206225
Federal Signal Vector
4 rotators (pods 1, 3, 5, 7)
2 intersection lights (pods 2 and 6)
1 Meteor light (pod 4, center)

No information on what vehicle it came from.
View attachment 206226 View attachment 206227
Federal Signal Aerodynic
4 rotators
2 sealed beam front flashers (green/passenger, red/driver)
2 sealed beam rear flashers (red/passenger, red/driver)

No information on what vehicle it came from.
View attachment 206228 View attachment 206229 View attachment 206230

On this Aerodynic. How are the steady burn PAR 36s connected on the power block. Thanks. Dave