Gamewell Systems in Massachusetts

[Box 2565]

Per the 1941 Gamewell Company listing.  Since this was the company's home, the listing is quite long.
 
Does anyone out there have any of the following information?  Which towns still use their street box system?  How many boxes are in the system and are gongs still used in the fire houses?
 
If the system has been removed, can you give the approximate date when the system was discontinued?  What became of the fire alarm boxes, registers, and gongs?  Are any of these items still owned by the town where they could potentially be sold to collectors?
 
Massachusetts
 
Abington
Adams
Amesbury
Amherst
Andover
Arlington
Athol
Attleboro
Avon
Ayer
Bedford
Belmont
Beverly
Billerica
Boston  System Still In Service
Braintree
Bridgewater
Brockton
Brookline
Cambridge System Still In Service
Canton
Chelmsford
Chelsea
Cheshire
Chicopee
Clinton
Cohasset
Concord
Danvers
Dedham
Easthampton
Everett
Fairhaven
Fall River
Falmouth  System Still In Service
Fitchburg
Foxboro  
Framingham
Franklin
Gardner
Gloucester
Georgetown
Great Barrington
Greenfield
Hamilton
Harvard
Haverhill    
Hingham
Holbrook
Holliston
Hopedale
Hudson
Hull
Ipswich
Lawrence
Lee
Leicester
Lenox
Leominster
Lexington
Lowell
Ludlow
Lynn
Lynnfield
Malden  
Manchester
Mansfield
Marblehead
Marion
Marlboro
Maynard
Medford
Merrimac  
Methuen
Middleboro  
Milbury
Milford
Millis
Milton
Monson
Nahant
Nantucket
Natick  
Needham
New Bedford
Newburyport
Newton
North Adams
Northampton      
North Andover
North Attleboro  
Northboro
Northbridge  System Still In Service  Read the reply about the Northbridge alarm system.
North Easton      
North Scituate
Norwood        
Oak Bluffs
Orange    
Palmer
Peabody        
Pepperell
Pittsfield        
Plainville
Plymouth      
Quincy
Randolph      
Reading
Revere    
Rockland
Rockport      
Salem
Saugus    
Scituate
Sharon    
Shelburne Falls
Shirley    
Somerville
Southbridge  
South Hadley Falls
Spencer        
Springfield  System Still In Service  Read the reply about the Springfield alarm system.
Stoneham      
Stoughton
Swampscott      
Taunton
Three Rivers      
Turners Falls
Uxbridge        
Vineyard Haven
Wakefield      
Walpole
Waltham      
Ware
Watertown    
Wayland
Webster        
Wellesley
Wenham        
Westboro
Westfield      
Weston
West Springfield  
Weymouth
Whitman      
Williamstown
Wilmington    
Winchendon
Winchester    
Winthrop
Woburn    
Wocester

[Firecap4]

I was recently in Boston with the Coast Guard Reserve (in  October), and alarm boxes are still being used there. Not sure if there are gongs in the firehouses; I visited one house and didn't see one there.

Chuck Yeargin

[Box 2565]

These photos appeared in the November 27, 1929 issue of Fire Engineering.  The new fire alarm office at Newton was scheduled to open in 1930.  The FAO was constructed in a park at Centre ' Willow Streets at a total cost of $230,000.

The Newton FD was protecting 60,000 people and 18 square miles and operated 7 engines, 3 hose wagons, and 3 ladder trucks.

[Box 2565]

From Fire and Water Engineering Magazine, January 28, 1925.

[Box 2565]

This is an e-mail that I received on April 26, 2003 from John Gelinas regarding the Cambridge Fire Alarm system.

"The City of Cambridge Fire Department still uses the Gamewall box fire alarm system. There are approximatley 660 fire alarm boxes in service (both street boxes and master boxes.)
 
Gongs are still used in firehouses as part of the secondary system. Primary dispatch is CAD via Zetron alert system, dispatch ticket printers in fire houses, and dispatch laptops in some vehicles."

[daysleeper47]

Cambridge, MA Run Card

[Box 2565]

The Fire Alarm Office at Fall River.

[pumper611]

From the list the following municipalities still have a fire alarm telegraph system in place as of Jan. 24, 2004:
Arlington
Attleboro
Bedford
Belmont
Billerica
Brookline
Chelsea
Everett
Malden
Medford
Needham
Milton
Newton
North Attleboro
Saugus
Somerville
Stoneham
Wakefield
Waltham
Watertown
Wellesley
Weston
Weymouth
Winchester
Woburn

[Box 2565]

The box locations in Cambridge a long time ago....

[fire_rn]

The Town of ARlington still uses the box system.  The gongs are gone in the station.  Too bad, the old gongs have a much better sound. AL

[Box 2565]

West Springfield still has an active alarm system.  In the first photo is a Gamewell cable box located at the intersection of Main & George Streets. Next up is a modern style pedestal for Box #34 at Field & Elm Streets.

[Box 2565]

More about West Springfield

Box 318 - Main & Park Streets - A street box with a cable box combined.

Box 322 - Lathrop & Southworth Streets - Philip G. Coburn Elementary School
A wall mounted alarm box with a small indicator.

[Box 2565]

A view of the Boston FAO along with a running card for Box 1432 at Kingston & Essex Streets.

[Box 2565]

This tapper was recently sold on eBay (Final bid - $615.00).  It was reportedly used in Boston and was made by the firm of Thomas & Gleeson, which is a new name to me.

[UxFDFF15]

Uxbridge Ma still uses the system. I'm not sure on the # of boxes. The system runs through the Center Firehouse, and then it's dispatch from the PD. There is a large gong in the firehouse and a horn that sounds.