I am currently working on a new project of preserving old Simplex stuff, and figured I would share this project here for anyone who’s interested in seeing it. I am working on obtaining all equipment, technical documents, advertisements, and more from before 2000. Progress has been slow, and it is certainly a huge undertaking, but I am really excited to have this been a long-term project, and am excited to share this project with everyone here.
This has been a project of mine since early 2022. This is where my collection stands today, nearly two years later. There may not be much to show now, but I am patiently chipping away at it more and more. Enjoy!
— More pictures to come later this week (I’ll keep updating this thread as I get more pictures of the stuff I have) —
Fire Alarm Control Panels, Annunciators, and other Control Equipment
Hi Kai, to answer your question - no, I did not. I have never worked in the fire protection industry as a matter of fact. My collection is simply the result of working with members of the National Fire Museum Network, or from eBay purchases.
That’s an awesome collection! Really like the older panels like the 4208 and 2001 (hope to get them at some point). I have a lot of Simplex panels myself: 4001 to the 4010 inclusive. Didn’t realize the 4051 had a higher current version; I was wondering why my 4051 was super loud.
Thank you! So do I, their equipment from that time period, and even the 1990s, has a special charm to it for sure. I saw your collection post the other day, and to be honest it is nothing short of impressive. You said you just started out this year?
Also, congratulations on scoring that System 3. I was wondering who got ahold of that. It almost looks like it was some sort of sales demo unit with the carrying handle on the top like that.
Yes, I started collecting earlier this year. My bank account hates me for it. And yeah, I wondered if the System 3 I got was some kind of demo panel to be carried around. In either case, I like the handle because that panel is very heavy.
That’s the one downside to this hobby, unfortunately. Fire alarm equipment is (unreasonably) expensive at times, and seems to have gotten much worse in the past couple of years especially on eBay. There are a lot of things I either absolutely need (like panel parts or just replacement parts in general), or would like to buy that I just haven’t due to the off-putting prices.
I wish my panels had some sort of carrying handle like that or a way to make moving them around easier. Most of mine are very large, and are an absolute pain to move (especially the 4120, it’s by far my heaviest with the extra power supplies/amplifiers inside).
I applaud your efforts for sure, what an amazing collection!
I am doing the same, but with Edwards stuff. Simplex was non existent in my area for older devices, Edwards was very dominant. I have a wide array of Edwards devices, including a full 6500 with cabinet and all, over 60 types of 270-SPOs and counting, Adaptabels, Durabels, Adaptahorns, panels, etc.
I have been buying as much as I can, but also have been starting up a preservation process, as there are many buildings around me that are abandoned or outdated and have outdated systems still. I missed the chance with my former high school by about a month or two in 2021… had I asked earlier, I would have had the system. & I was confident that was a system I was going to completely scrap (I might still, the school is set to be demolished in 3 years).
So now I am trying to save as much as I can. The hardest so far being an old mental institution that’s owned by the government. But I know has at least between 2 to 4 disconnected 6500 systems with single stroke bells, and then a massive, massive EST ESA-2000 voice evacuation system (or 8500 system). I really want it, that is the rarest of the rare.
But anyways, it’s great to see you are doing that as well, and what an impressive collection. I’ve always loved older Simplex stuff, but never saw it. Only places were usually cities that were closer to the border. I remember the first time I saw a Simplex 60s system. It was in a former school turned adult center. Simplex 4521s with the metal handle, Simplex 4050s behind Silver Metal Grilles, and a 6" Simplex Trouble Bell up front with the cursive on it.
Disgracefully replaced with a Mircom FX-2000 with Mini Horns.
Very nice collection. As a Simplex aficionado I can appreciate the effort it takes to get these devices, several I’m still searching for myself. On the subject of your 4251-50, the first generation of 4251 style pulls were made from 1972 to early 1974, and thus are pretty rare nowadays.
Your 4315 annunciator caught my eye as versions with the “dead front”-style indicators don’t seem to be common. I first saw one at a cruise terminal in Fort Lauderdale about 15 years ago (likely long gone by now)—it was identical to yours but had a brushed stainless steel finish—and I’ve seen very few photos of these annunciators online since. It appears that the white backlit indicators were the more popular choice. The combination of the black indicators and red finish looks fantastic on yours.
Interesting, the opposite is true for me where I am. Simplex systems were very prevalent in my area growing up, and still are given I only live about 10 minutes away from one of their branch offices (although they are slowly losing more contracts to Siemens and Honeywell distributors as of the past decade or so). I have always wanted to get my hands on old Edwards equipment (especially a 6500 or 6500 MK II), but have no idea where to look or where to start. I’ve had my eyes on eBay for a 6500 (or even just the parts to build one) forever now, but I think the chances of the Sun imploding on itself is higher than finding a full-fledged 6500 on there.
I’ve gotten a lot of my control panels from building demolitions or upgrades, and in my opinion, that’s sometimes the best way to get equipment (especially more hard-to-find things). My 4120, 4020 and 4208 all came from building demolitions. Sometimes it can be hard to get access, but it also depends on who you know and how you approach things as well.
But I wish you luck on trying to save as much as you can (especially with that old institution), it definitely is not an easy process but is well worth it. I think those things would make a very great addition to your already very impressive collection.
Not yet, but I will be working on that soon. I’m not sure if that Reddit post was mine, I am a part of that subreddit but don’t recall posting anything about that panel. And yes, I did have one of those at one point. It wasn’t functional however and was missing a ton of parts, so I sold it to make room for the 2001 I have now.
Thanks Cam, it takes a lot of patience to find these things for sure. I’ve been collecting for almost 13 years now (since about 10 years old), and it has taken me a very long time to find some of the things I have now.
And you’re right, those 1st generation t-bars are not common at all. That station actually appears to have originally had the break-glass window on it, but unfortunately at some point in time, someone removed it and dremeled off the plastic pieces where the window hinges in to at the bottom of the station.
Hey Samuel, I haven’t seen too many like that myself either. It does seem like the white window models were the standard/default models they sold back then. I’m thinking (and I don’t know how true this may be) that it may be possible that the “blacked-out” versions like mine may have been custom ordered. Just like the customer had to custom order a red panel cabinet in the 80s and 90s from Simplex (since their panels always shipped beige unless custom ordered), I’m wondering if it was the same for this style annunciator.
The stainless steel finish for these annunciators is incredibly unique, it’s a shame we don’t see those around more often. Stainless steel on any fire alarm appliance looks amazing in my opinion.
I’ve got a 1st gen 4251-41, functionally the same as your 4251-50, except without the break glass. I would’ve suggested finding a pull station to use as a parts doner, but the 1st generation uses a different style knocker than the more common later generations. I bought a 4251-32 with a broken knocker and I plan on using a parts doner station to restore to factory condition.
I also think you and I got our 9806/9101 strobe plates from the same Ebay seller, unfortunately the one they sent me didn’t come with the trim plate.
As for your annunciator from the 2001 system, I’ve seen them get used on 4002 systems installed as late as 1988. We decommissioned a 4002 system that had the 8 zone indicator only annunciator, also manufactured in 1981, but the system was installed new in 1988. Ive got it, along with the other devices from that system on my forum page.
