Radio base station - 2
4: Remove the micro-
wave dish from the top
of the tower.
3: Begin disassembly of the
microwave tower by cutting
the wires at the base.
than the unseen, adding a radio base installation to a lay-
out is a fast and easy project that fills a void in modern era
detailing while demanding very little space.
Study the real thing
Before we start our project, let’s briefly look at a typical
radio base station. Located at MP 193.85 of the Norfolk
Southern’s Chicago Line is an easily overlooked short lattice
style tower and standard railroad style equipment enclo-
sure, carrying a small sign displaying FCC ID# 1261384 in
black lettering. A check of this Federal Communications
Commission identification number shows that this par-
ticular tower was erected in
February 2008 with an overall
height of 22’ 9”.
A visual inspection shows
it carrying one whip style
antenna at the top, with
smaller yagi antennas
mounted on the lattice
framework of the tower. This
short tower requires no guy
wires for stability. It is exempt
from the FAA requirement
of aviation orange and white
striping with warning lights, a
regulation generally applied
to installations in excess of
200’ above ground level.
Now that we’ve looked at the
basic components of a base
installation, we can begin constructing our own vignette
using an accessory commonly found in the scrap bins of
many train show vendors – the Tyco Microwave Tower.
Originally marketed in the Tyco Light-Ups line, this model
is still available today from NJ International (#525-1974).
Although it's unreasonably short for its intended microwave
installation, its 38’ scale height and lattice framework make
it ideal for kitbashing into a base station antenna tower.
First step: Disassembly
Initially produced in the 1960s, the Tyco tower is typi-
cal of many older accessories, with thick paint and copi-
ous amounts of glue making disassembly the first step in
enabling the tower to be tailored to its new use.
As this was designed as an operating electrical accessory,
we’ll begin by cutting the two wires extending between the
rear of the base and the microwave dish at the top of the
2: The Tyco microwave
tower that is used for the
kitbash.
2
3
4
MRH-Jan 2014
