| 394 Rotary Beacon Tower 1949 - 1953 |  |
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Page Last Updated 12/ 7/99
| 394 Rotary Beacon Tower 1949 - 1953 | |
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Page Last Updated 12/ 7/99
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History
When introduced in 1949, the 394 Rotary Beacon Tower became a popular accessory. The
rotating red and green beacon was realistic and similar to many towers located near
airports throughout the United States in the 1940s and 1950s.
The enigma associated to the 394 tower is its reliability. Proper rotating operation is dependant upon the heat given off from the light bulb. It was not only inefficient, but rarely worked as designed. In 1954, the 394 was replaced with the more reliable 494 Rotary Beacon Tower -- whose operating design is superior to that of the 394.
Features
The 394 Rotary Beacon Tower includes the following standard features: stamped metal
structure, metal ladder, light on the top plus a rotating beacon with a red and green lens.
Additional Detail, Photos & Box Information
Painted Red Steel Tower -
Shown in the photo above - A common variation.
Painted Red, Unpainted Steel Tower - A
legitimate factory variartion, most probably made in late 1950 or early 1951 in an effort
to use up remaining inventory of red bases. This is a difficult variation to locate.
Painted Green Steel Tower - A
rare item, very difficult to locate. The exact production year is unknown, but is assumed to
be a small production run in either 1949, or more probably 1952.
Unpainted Steel Tower - A
somewhat common version to locate.
Unpainted Aluminum Tower - The
most common version to locate.
| 394 Rotary Beacon Tower
Click on the Variation or Box Type for a Photo | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Variation | Years | . | Box Type | Years |
| Steel, Painted Red | 1949 - 1950 | : | Middle CLassic | 1949 - 1953 |
| Steel, Painted Green | ?? | : | Printed OPS Middle Classic | 1952 |
| Red Base, Silver Tower | ?? Late 1950, early 1951 | : | ~ ~ ~ ~ | ~ |
| Steel, Unpainted | 1950 - 1952 | : | ~ ~ ~ ~ | ~ |
| Aluminum, Unpainted | 1952 - 1953 | : | ~ ~ ~ ~ | ~ |
| 394 Rotary Beacon Tower Instruction Sheets | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Title | Size | Form # | Date | Ink / Paper Color |
| How To Install & Operate No. 394 Rotary Beacon Tower | 6.25" x 9.50" | 394-30 | 5/50 | Black / White |
Inventory For Sale
The following inventory is available for sale from our website sponsors.
| 394 Rotary Beacon Tower Click on the sponsors name for contact information. Available inventory as of Wed Jul 28 15:39:25 2010 . | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Sponsor | Condition | Price | Comments |
| There are no 394 items currently available for sale. | |||
Related Paper Products For Sale
The following inventory is available for sale from our website sponsors.
| Click on the Description for purchase details. | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Description | Sheet # | Date | Condition | Price | Comments |
| How to Install No. 394 Rotary Beacon | 394-30 | 8 / 1949 | 6 | $ 3.00 | Clean instructions, corners are nice and square, no stains nor writing. |
| How to Install and Operate No. 394 Rotary Beacon | 394-30 | 5 / 1950 | 7 | $ 5.00 | Clean sheet, no writing, stains nor blemishes. Corners are nice and square. |
| How to Install and Operate No. 394 Rotary Beacon | 394-30 | 2 / 1952 | 7 | $ 9.00 | Clean instructions, no writing, tape and only minor fading on the left side of the instructions. This is the harder-to-find 1952 dated instructions. |
| How to Install and Operate No. 394 Rotary Beacon | 394-30 | 5 / 1950 | 8 | $ 8.00 | Super clean instructions, nice and white paper, no fading, tape or stains. There is a small 1/2" tear along the middle fold line, otherwise, it's near perfect. |
| How to Install No. 394 Rotary Beacon | 394-30 | 8 / 1949 | 8 | $ 8.00 | Very clean instructions, no writing, tape nor blemishes, corners are nice and square. |
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This web page is the result of a collaborative effort by individuals who own the websites shown below. They are continually working to present you with accurate information that is both useful and easy to read. Click on their names for available quality postwar Lionel trains and accessories for sale.
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