I have one of those MARX sheet metal dual flood light towers, that was in very rough shape when I got it. I turned it into a rotating searchlight tower, similar to the Lionel 394, being discussed here, albeit with a much smaller footprint. I make my own "dimple" bulb but found the heat generated from the bulb was insufficient to rotate the beacon top.
THE FIX: In a box of items being thrown out by a neighbor, I found an smaller aquarium air pump complete with a good length of the air tubing.
I drilled a couple of holes in my sheet metal tower: One in the base and one at the top. I ran a piece of Plastruct pipe, which I painted black to match the tower color, through the tower, leaving enough to go through the layout surface, which I also drilled a hole through after making an accurate measurement for the position of this hole. The hole through the deck of the tower NEEDS to be within the diameter of the spinning beacon top.
So the pipe goes through the tower and through the layout surface. I then attached the air tubing to this tower pipe, and then to the aquarium air pump. The holes I drilled in the tower are snug enough to hold the Plastruct pipe in place, but also allow it to be moved up and down. This is because, one everything is assembled, a little "fine turning" is needed for vertical height of the pipe going through the upper deck of the tower. The air pump sends air through the tubing and up into the beacon top, causing it to rotate, regardless of the bulb temperature. I didn't have to play with the air slits in the beacon top either.
My beacon top now spins effortlessly. I've seen aquarium air pumps at yard sales for a couple bucks. So depending on your level of creativity and drilling skills, certainly less costly that buying a searchlight tower with a vibrator motor. Which if anyone that has one knows, are not immune from problems: The rubber "feet" washer needs to be the correct size and in good shape. I had one of the modern K-Line versions of the #494, which eventually just stopped working. Hence, my little project here.
