FEDERAL SIGNAL CORP /DE/
11-K, 1999-07-02
MOTOR VEHICLES & PASSENGER CAR BODIES
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                       Securities and Exchange Commission
                             Washington, D.C. 20549
                      ------------------------------------

                                   Form 11-K


  [x] Annual Report Pursuant to Section 15 (d) of the Securities Exchange Act
                                    of 1934
                  For the fiscal year ended December 31, 1998


                                       OR


  [ ] Transition Report Pursuant to Section 15 (d) of the Securities Exchange
                                  Act of 1934


                         Commission file number 1-6003



               Federal Signal  Corporation 401(K) Retirement Plan (Full
     title of plans and address of plans if different from that of the issuer
                                  named below)



                           Federal Signal Corporation
                       1415 West 22nd Street, Suite 1100
                           Oak Brook, Illinois 60521
                        --------------------------------
             (Name of issuer of the securities held pursuant to the
            plans and the address of its principal executive office)


<PAGE>

                     Federal Signal Corporation
                       401(k) Retirement Plan

                        Financial Statements

                     December 30, 1998 and 1997


<PAGE>




                           Contents


                                                             Page

Independent Auditor's Report                                   1

Statement of Net Assets Available for Benefits,
December 30, 1998 and 1997                                     2

Statement  of Changes in Net Assets  Available  for
Benefits, With Fund Information,
Year Ended December 30, 1998                                   3

Notes to Financial Statements, December 30, 1998 and 1997      5

Schedules:

  1 - Line 27a - Schedule of Assets Held for Investment
      Purposes,  December 30, 1998                             9

  2 - Line 27d - Schedule of Reportable Transactions,
      Year Ended December 30, 1998                            10


<PAGE>





               Independent Auditor's Report


Plan Administrator
Federal Signal Corporation
  401(k) Retirement Plan

We have audited the accompanying  statement of net assets available for benefits
of Federal Signal Corporation 401(k) Retirement Plan as of December 30, 1998 and
1997, and the related statement of changes in net assets available for benefits,
with fund  information,  for the year ended December 30, 1998.  These  financial
statements are the responsibility of the Plan's  management.  Our responsibility
is to express an opinion on these financial statements based on our audits.

We  conducted  our  audits  in  accordance  with  generally   accepted  auditing
standards.  Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain
reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material
misstatement.  An audit includes examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting
the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements.  An audit also includes
assessing the  accounting  principles  used and  significant  estimates  made by
management,  as well as evaluating the overall financial statement presentation.
We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.

In our opinion,  the financial  statements  referred to above present fairly, in
all  material  respects,  the net assets  available  for benefits of the Plan at
December 30, 1998 and 1997, and the changes in net assets available for benefits
for the year ended  December 30, 1998, in  conformity  with  generally  accepted
accounting principles.

Our audits  were  conducted  for the  purpose of forming an opinion on the basic
financial statements taken as a whole. The accompanying  supplemental  schedules
of assets held for investment purposes and reportable transactions are presented
for the purposes of additional analysis and are not a required part of the basic
financial   statements  but  are  supplementary   information  required  by  the
Department of Labor's Rules and Regulations  for Reporting and Disclosure  under
the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974. The supplemental  schedules
have been  subjected  to the  auditing  procedures  applied in the audits of the
basic  financial  statements  and,  in our  opinion,  are  fairly  stated in all
material  respects  in  relation to the basic  financial  statements  taken as a
whole.



PHILIP ROOTBERG & COMPANY, LLP
Chicago, Illinois
June 21, 1999


<PAGE>





FEDERAL SIGNAL CORPORATION
401(K) RETIREMENT PLAN
STATEMENT OF NET ASSETS AVAILABLE FOR BENEFITS

- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

December 30,                                            1998              1997
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------





Assets

   Contributions receivable from:
    Federal Signal Corporation                    $3,319,716      $  2,917,893
    Participants                                     863,542           727,984
   Dividends and interest receivable                 382,904           357,535
   Investment at contract value:
    Investment contract at guaranteed rate of 5.62%      -             184,219
   Investments at fair value:
    Vanguard Wellington Fund                      11,723,077         8,318,922
    Vanguard Explorer Fund                         3,358,123         2,817,886
    Vanguard Index 500 Portfolio                  41,456,256        30,670,319
    Vanguard Primecap Fund                        22,922,159        16,466,048
    Vanguard Retirement Savings Trust             37,375,188        30,502,270
    Federal Signal Corporation common stock       32,570,471        28,064,641
   Participant Loan Fund                           4,366,085         1,601,897
                                                 -----------       -----------
Net Assets Available for Benefits               $158,337,521      $122,629,614
                                                 ===========       ===========

See accompanying notes to financial statements

<PAGE>

<TABLE>
FEDERAL SIGNAL CORPORATION
401(K) RETIREMENT PLAN
STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN NET ASSETS AVAILABLE
FOR BENEFITS, WITH FUND INFORMATION

- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<CAPTION>

Year Ended December 30, 1998
- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


                                                                            Participant Directed

                                                                                                   Federal
                                                                                     Vanguard       Signal
                               Vanguard   Vanguard  Vanguard  Vanguard    Vanguard   Retirement   Corporation  Partic.
                              Investment Wellington Explorer  Index 500   Primecap     Savings      Common      Loan      Other
                              Contracts     Fund      Fund    Portfolio     Fund        Trust        Stock      Fund    Receivables

<S>                           <C>       <C>         <C>        <C>         <C>        <C>          <C>           <C>   <C>
Additions

 Contributions from employer     $  -   $  149,312   $ 70,986  $  403,603  $  323,152  $  524,177  $  238,303   $ -    $(1,050,423)
 Contributions from partic.         -    1,123,158    548,514   2,982,466   2,103,646   2,092,823   1,514,308     -        135,558
 Transfer of assets from plan
  mergers                           -    1,004,141    126,226   1,037,506     525,959   1,874,285      97,005   41,039        -
 Interest and dividends          8,768   1,266,302     31,234     631,465     872,361   1,976,273     393,043  255,818      10,025
 Net appreciation (diminution)
  in fair value of investments      -   (  109,964)    19,013   8,473,413   3,584,495        -      2,532,350     -           -
                                ------   ---------    -------  ----------  ----------  ----------  ----------   -------  ----------
                                 8,768   3,432,949    795,973  13,528,453   7,409,613   6,467,558   4,775,009   296,857   ( 904,840)
                                ------   ---------    -------  ----------  ----------  ----------  ----------   -------  ----------

Deductions

 Withdrawals by participants  (    403) (  403,736)  (173,450)( 1,448,383) (  820,747) (2,775,127)  ( 646,936)  (199,877)      -
 Loans, net of repayments     (  2,705) (  156,475)  ( 63,017)( 1,023,668) (  441,830)   (644,726)  ( 335,800) 2,668,221       -
 Other                              -   (    1,027)  (    268)(     1,174) (    1,010) (    4,190)     11,333  (   1,013)      -
                               -------   ---------    -------  ----------   ---------   ---------    --------   --------   --------
                              (  3,108) (  561,238)  (236,735)( 2,473,225) (1,263,587) (3,424,043) (  971,403) 2,467,331       -
                               -------   ---------    -------  ----------   ---------   ---------   ---------   --------   --------
Interfund Transfers           (189,879)    532,444   ( 19,001)(   269,291)    310,085   3,829,403  (3,892,405)     -           -
                               -------   ---------    -------   ----------   ---------   ---------   ---------   --------   -------
Net Additions (Deductions)    (184,219)  3,404,155    540,237  10,785,937   6,456,111   6,872,918  (   88,799) 2,764,188  ( 904,840)
Net Assets Available for
 Benefits - Beginning of Year  184,219   8,318,922  2,817,886  30,670,319  16,466,048  30,502,270  13,764,361  1,601,897  3,979,118
                               -------   ---------  ---------  ----------   ---------   ---------   ---------   --------   --------
Net Assets Available for
 Benefits - End of Year       $   -    $11,723,077 $3,358,123 $41,456,256 $22,922,159 $37,375,188 $13,675,562 $4,366,085 $3,074,278
                               -------  ---------   ---------  ----------   ---------   ---------   ---------   --------   --------


See accompanying notes to financial statements
</TABLE>

<PAGE>

FEDERAL SIGNAL CORPORATION
401(K) RETIREMENT PLAN
STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN NET ASSETS AVAILABLE
FOR BENEFITS, WITH FUND INFORMATION - Continued

- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Year Ended December 30, 1998
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------

                                           Non-Participant Directed
                                -----------------------------------------------
                                   Federal
                                    Signal
                                 Corporation
                                   Common
                                    Stock          Receivables          Total
                                 -----------       -----------        ---------

Additions

  Contributions from employer           $2,250,669     $1,452,247   $ 4,362,026
  Contributions from participants            -              -        10,500,473
  Transfer of assets from plan mergers       -              -         4,706,161
  Interest and dividends                   477,408         15,343     5,938,040
  Net appreciation (diminution)
   in fair value of investments          3,221,989          -        17,721,296
                                        ----------      ---------    ----------
                                         5,950,066      1,467,590    43,227,996
                                        ----------      ---------    ----------

Deductions

  Withdrawals by participants           (1,041,877)         -        (7,510,536)
  Loans, net of repayments                   -              -             -
  Other                                 (   12,204)         -          (  9,553)
                                        ----------      ---------     ---------
                                        (1,054,081)         -        (7,520,089)
                                        ----------      ---------     ---------

Interfund Transfers                     (  301,356)         -             -
                                        ----------      ---------     ---------

Net Additions (Deductions)               4,594,629      1,467,590    35,707,907

Net Assets Available for Benefits -
  Beginning of Year                     14,300,280         24,294   122,629,614
                                        ----------      ---------   -----------
  End of Year                          $18,894,909     $1,491,884  $158,337,521
                                        ==========     ==========   ===========
<PAGE>


FEDERAL SIGNAL CORPORATION
401(K) RETIREMENT PLAN
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------

December 30, 1998 and 1997
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------




1  -   Significant Accounting Policies

    Basis of Accounting - The accompanying  financial statements are prepared on
    the accrual basis of accounting.

    Estimates - The  preparation  of financial  statements  in  conformity  with
    generally accepted accounting  principles requires the plan administrator to
    make  estimates and  assumptions  that affect certain  reported  amounts and
    disclosures. Accordingly, actual results may differ from those estimates.

    Valuation of Investments - Values for securities are based on the quoted net
    asset  value  (redemption  value)  of  the  respective  investment  company.
    Investment  contracts are carried at contract value, which approximates fair
    value.  Values for Federal Signal  Corporation common stock are based on the
    December 30, 1998 and 1997, closing prices.

    Accounting  Method - Security  transactions  are  accounted  for on the date
    securities are purchased or sold (trade date).  Dividend  income is recorded
    on the ex-dividend  date.  Interest  income is recognized  when earned.  Net
    gains and losses from securities transactions are computed using the average
    cost method based on the beginning of year market value.  Contributions  are
    recognized based on payroll dates and accrued if applicable.

    Fees - Investment  advisory fees for portfolio  management of Vanguard Funds
    are paid  directly  from fund  earnings  and will not  reduce  assets of the
    Federal Signal  Corporation  ("Company")  401(k)  Retirement  Plan ("Plan").
    Purchase  fees, if  applicable,  are paid by the  participants  investing in
    those funds which are subject to such fees.


2  -   Description of Plan

    The following  description  of the Plan  provides only general  information.
    Participants  should  refer  to  the  plan  agreement  for a  more  complete
    description of the Plan's provisions.

    General - The Plan is a defined contribution plan covering a majority of the
    Company's  employees who have three months of service.  It is subject to the
    provisions of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 ("ERISA").
    On April 1, 1994,  the plan sponsor  adopted the Vanguard  Prototype  401(k)
    Savings Plan. The Plan is sponsored by the Company.

    Contributions - Each year,  participants  may contribute up to 15% of pretax
    annual compensation,  as defined in the Plan, and after-tax contributions of
    up to  6% of  compensation,  limited  to a  maximum  employer  and  employee
    contribution of 23%, as defined in the Plan.  Participants may also transfer
    amounts  representing  distributions from other qualified defined benefit or
    contribution  plans.  Company  contributions  are based on a  percentage  of
    employee  contributions  or as a  discretionary  amount  based  on  eligible
    employee compensation and/or participant eligible months in the Plan.


<PAGE>



    Participant  Accounts  - Each  participant's  account is  credited  with the
    participant's contribution and allocations of (a) the Company's contribution
    and (b) plan  earnings  and is  charged  with an  allocation  of  investment
    management  fees and, for  terminated  employees,  administrative  expenses.
    Allocations  are based on  participant  earnings  or  account  balances,  as
    defined.  Forfeited balances of terminated  participants' nonvested accounts
    are used to reduce future Company contributions  depending on location.  The
    benefit  to which a  participant  is  entitled  is the  benefit  that can be
    provided from the participant's vested account.

    Vesting - Participants are immediately  vested in their  contributions  plus
    actual earnings thereon. Vesting in the Company's matching and discretionary
    contribution portion of their accounts plus actual earnings thereon is based
    on years of continuous  service.  A  participant  is 100% vested after three
    years of credited service.

    Investment  Options - Upon  enrollment in the Plan, a participant may direct
    employee  contributions in 5% increments in a variety of investment  choices
    at Vanguard  Fiduciary Trust Company  ("Vanguard")  including Federal Signal
    common stock. Participants may change their investment by calling Vanguard.

    Participant  Notes  Receivable  -  Participants  may  borrow  from their own
    contributions  a minimum  of $1,000 up to a maximum  equal to the  lesser of
    $50,000 or 50% of their account balance.  Loan transactions are treated as a
    transfer to (from) the investment fund from (to) the participant  loan fund.
    Loans are required to be repaid within five years, with the exception that a
    loan which is used to acquire a  principal  residence  may be repaid  over a
    longer reasonable period as determined by the plan administrator.  The loans
    are secured by the balance in the participant's account and bear interest at
    a rate of prime plus one  percent.  Principal  and interest are paid ratably
    through payroll deductions.

    Payment of  Benefits -  Participants  are  eligible  to  receive  the vested
    portion of their plan account upon retirement, termination of employment, or
    total and permanent disability.Payment will generally be made in a lump sum.

    Forfeited  Accounts - At December 30,  1998,  forfeited  nonvested  accounts
    totaled  $36,737.   These  accounts  are  used  to  reduce  future  employer
    contributions. Also, in 1998, employer contributions were reduced by $32,794
    from forfeited nonvested accounts.


3 - Related Party Transactions

    Substantially  all  assets  of the Plan  are  held in trust by the  Vanguard
    Group,  trustee for the Plan.  Administrative and trustee fees in the amount
    of $88,275  were paid  during the year ended  December  30,  1998,  from the
    Company and Plan assets.

    The Plan has no reportable  transactions with nonexempt  parties-in-interest
    as defined by the Department of Labor for the year ended December 30, 1998.



<PAGE>



4 - Mergers

    Effective February 27, 1998, the Technical Tooling,  Inc. Retirement Savings
    Plan was  merged  into the  Plan.  The  transferred  net  assets  have  been
    recognized  in  the  accounts  of the  Plan  as of  February  27,  1998,  as
    previously carried in the accounts of the Technical Tooling, Inc. Retirement
    Savings Plan.  The changes in net assets of the combined  plans are included
    in the  accompanying  statement  of  changes  in net  assets  available  for
    benefits  from  February  27,  1998,  and are  included  in the  net  assets
    available  for  benefits  as  of  December  30,  1998.  The  fair  value  of
    transferred investments was $1,976,645 at February 27, 1998.

    Effective September 30, 1998, the Saulsbury Fire Equipment Corp.  Retirement
    Plan and Trust was merged  into the Plan.  The  transferred  net assets have
    been  recognized  in the accounts of the Plan as of September  30, 1998,  as
    previously  carried in the accounts of the Saulsbury  Fire  Equipment  Corp.
    Retirement  Plan and Trust.  The changes in net assets of the combined plans
    are  included  in the  accompanying  statement  of  changes  in  net  assets
    available for benefits from  September 30, 1998, and are included in the net
    assets  available  for benefits as of December  30, 1998.  The fair value of
    transferred investments was $2,729,516 at September 30, 1998.


5 - Income Tax Status

    The Internal  Revenue Service ("IRS") has ruled that the Vanguard  Prototype
    401(k)  Savings Plan which was adopted by the plan sponsor  qualifies  under
    Sections 401(a) and 501(a) of the Internal  Revenue Code ("IRC") by a letter
    dated  September 7, 1994. The IRS has determined and informed the Company by
    a letter dated July 31, 1996,  that the Plan and related  trust are designed
    in accordance with applicable sections of the IRC.


6 - Plan Termination

    Although it has not expressed any intent to do so, the Company has the right
    under the Plan to discontinue its contributions at any time and to terminate
    the  Plan  subject  to the  provisions  of  ERISA.  In  the  event  of  Plan
    termination, participants will become 100% vested in their accounts.


<PAGE>



7 - Subsequent Event

    Effective  December 31, 1998, the Jetstream of Houston,  Inc. Profit Sharing
    Plan and Trust was merged  into the Plan.  The  transferred  net assets have
    been  recognized  in the accounts of the Plan as of December  31,  1998,  as
    previously carried in the accounts of the Jetstream of Houston,  Inc. Profit
    Sharing  Plan and  Trust.  The fair  value of  transferred  investments  was
    $791,822 at December 31, 1998.


<PAGE>



<TABLE>
FEDERAL SIGNAL CORPORATION                                  Schedule 1
401(K) RETIREMENT PLAN
LINE 27a - SCHEDULE OF ASSETS HELD FOR INVESTMENT PURPOSES

- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

<CAPTION>
December 30, 1998
- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


                           EIN:  36-1063330

                               PN:  004

<S>                <C>                           <C>                               <C>             <C>

      (a)
  Party-in-                                                                                              (e)
   Interest                (b)                              (c)                          (d)            Current
Identification       Identity of Issue            Description of Investment              Cost            Value
- --------------       -----------------            -------------------------          ------------   ------------
    *               Vanguard Wellington
                     Fund                         Common/Collective Trust            $ 10,758,443   $ 11,723,077
    *               Vanguard Explorer Fund        Registered Investment Company         3,248,460      3,358,123
    *               Vanguard Index 500 Portfolio  Registered Investment Company        24,147,540     41,456,256
    *               Vanguard Primecap Fund        Registered Investment Company        15,956,656     22,922,159
    *               Vanguard Retirement
                     Savings Trust                Registered Investment Company        37,375,188     37,375,188
    *               Federal Signal Corporation
                     Common Stock                 Common Stock                         23,582,714     32,570,471
    *               Participant Loan Fund         Interest at Rates From 7% to 10.04%   4,366,085      4,366,085
                                                                                      -----------    -----------
        Total                                                                        $119,435,086   $153,771,359
                                                                                      ===========    ===========







* Party-in-interest as defined by ERISA
</TABLE>




<PAGE>




<TABLE>
FEDERAL SIGNAL CORPORATION                                                              Schedule 2
401(K) RETIREMENT PLAN
LINE 27d - SCHEDULE OF REPORTABLE TRANSACTIONS

- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

<CAPTION>
Year Ended December 30, 1998
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

                                         EIN:   36-1063330


                                            PN:   004


<S>              <C>                          <C>           <C>             <C>              <C>                 <C>

                                                                                                    (h)
                                                                                  (g)             Current
    (a)              (b)                          (c)             (d)          Historical      Value of Asset          (i)
 Identity of     Description                    Purchase        Selling         Cost of       on Transaction        Net Gain
 Party Involved   of Asset                        Price          Price           Asset              Date             (Loss)

Vanguard Group   Federal Signal Corporation
                  Common Stock                 $ 6,955,723    $     -        $    -           $ 6,955,723         $      -
Vanguard Group   Federal Signal Corporation
                  Common Stock                      -           8,204,231      7,296,842        8,204,231             907,389
Vanguard Group   Vanguard Index 500 Portfolio   12,162,038          -             -            12,162,038                -
Vanguard Group   Vanguard Index 500 Portfolio       -           9,849,515      7,410,929        9,849,515           2,438,586
Vanguard Group   Vanguard Retirement
                  Savings Trust                 17,763,075          -             -            17,763,075                -
Vanguard Group   Vanguard Retirement
                  Savings Trust                     -          10,890,158     10,890,158       10,890,158                -
Vanguard Group   Vanguard Primecap Fund          7,269,731          -             -             7,269,731                -
Vanguard Group   Vanguard Primecap Fund             -           4,398,116      3,517,500        4,398,116             880,616
Vanguard Group   Vanguard Wellington Fund        5,472,338          -             -             5,472,338                -
Vanguard Group   Vanguard Wellington Fund           -           1,958,219      1,730,591        1,958,219             227,628

</TABLE>


<PAGE>


              Consent of Independent Auditors






We consent to the  incorporation,  by reference,  in the Registration  Statement
(Form S-8 filed  December 28, 1990,  and its  amendments)  to our reports on the
latest annual reports with respect to the financial  statements and schedules of
the Federal Signal  Corporation  401(k)  Retirement  Plan included in the Annual
Report (Form 11-K) for the year ended December 30, 1998.






PHILIP ROOTBERG & COMPANY, LLP
Chicago, Illinois
June 21, 1999


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