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Modeling "Frankenpine"

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Modeling "Frankenpine"
Posted by GP-9_Man11786 on Sunday, February 11, 2007 9:50 AM
By chance while driving on the Hutchinson River Parkway in Westchester, NY I saw this really odd looking pine tree. Me and everybody else in the car were saying "What the heck is that?" Turns out it's a monopole cell phone tower disguised as a pine tree. Here's a link to a pic. I thought this would be a neat thing to model. A dowl and some pipe cleaners should do the job.

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Posted by kstrong on Sunday, February 11, 2007 9:59 AM
Hmm, and I just threw out my old artificial Christmas tree... Wink [;)]

Later,

K
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Posted by Great Western on Sunday, February 11, 2007 2:18 PM

Greetings,

     We have had one of these artificial trees/'phone masts in this area for a few years now.  It is on a private estate (as opposed to a commercial or council site) amidst other trees but on the top of a hill and can therefore be seen some distance away.

      However it looks exactly what it is; with its regular limbs and rather like a large Christmas tree.  Laugh [(-D]

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Posted by Rastun on Sunday, February 11, 2007 3:15 PM

While driving around Mesa, Az there where a few trees that caught my eye also. a little closer look revealed them to be cell phone towers too.

 

 

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Posted by GearDrivenSteam on Sunday, February 11, 2007 4:00 PM
Strange
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Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, February 11, 2007 6:38 PM

Funny thing that, here on the Sunshine coast we have to drive through a lot of bushland and for some time i have noticed what i thought was a ranger station or bush fire look out onm top of a hill, between the Bruce Highway and the beach.

I turns out it is a mobile phone (cell phone) tower.

Rgds Ian 

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Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, February 11, 2007 10:32 PM

Seems like it would kill the 10' rule of thumb....Smile,Wink, & Grin [swg] What a/several nasty trees I have just seen. My Aunt told me up in the high rent district of Houston they have a clock tower that is one! She has tried to find it, but it is not high as these.

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Posted by GP-9_Man11786 on Monday, February 12, 2007 8:49 PM
Out in Southold, NY they want to make one that looks like a flagpole with a big ball on top and a huge flag.

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Posted by underworld on Monday, February 12, 2007 9:23 PM

 GP-9_Man11786 wrote:
By chance while driving on the Hutchinson River Parkway in Westchester, NY I saw this really odd looking pine tree. Me and everybody else in the car were saying "What the heck is that?" Turns out it's a monopole cell phone tower disguised as a pine tree. Here's a link to a pic. I thought this would be a neat thing to model. A dowl and some pipe cleaners should do the job.

That's a crazy looking giant tree! It would go well with the giant tire on I-94 near Detroit.

 

underworldBig Smile [:D]Big Smile [:D]Big Smile [:D]Big Smile [:D]Big Smile [:D]

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Posted by underworld on Monday, February 12, 2007 9:25 PM

Here is the tire....

underworldBig Smile [:D]Big Smile [:D]Big Smile [:D]Big Smile [:D]Big Smile [:D]

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Posted by Anonymous on Monday, February 12, 2007 11:29 PM

This is the land of big things, were amad about them, I live quite near the big Pineapple, and the big banana is about 300 kn away. We have the big prawn, the big oyster, the big mower (lawn mower) but the king of them all is at a palce called Goulburn its the big Merino ( a ram sheep).

The big fish, Steve Irwins place has the big crocodile, at palce called Bathurst they even have the Big Miner (gold miner).

 It just goes on and on,

Rgds ian 

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Posted by Benjamin Maggi on Tuesday, February 13, 2007 6:40 AM

Remember Iandor, kids read these forums too sometimes.

"It is so big its  ...  are 100 mm (4") in diameter."

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Posted by cacole on Tuesday, February 13, 2007 12:51 PM

We have 2 here in Sierra Vista that are white monopoles used as flagpoles by the nearby businesses, and at least 2 that are disguised as pine trees.

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Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, February 13, 2007 3:32 PM
The problem is, in real life, it looks like a badly modeled, out of scale tree.  So if you tried to model it, wouldn't it just end up looking like there was a badly modeled, out of scale tree on your layout?
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Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, February 13, 2007 8:49 PM
Okay, people complained about their view being cluttered up with ugly cell towers, I guess I can understand that....So now we get those things? What aesthetically challenged moron dreamt those up? Methinks that the "cure" is worse than the "disease"
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Posted by underworld on Tuesday, February 13, 2007 8:56 PM

Maybe they just need strings of colored lights and some ornaments??? Tongue [:P]

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Posted by GP-9_Man11786 on Wednesday, February 14, 2007 8:05 PM

 chapka wrote:
The problem is, in real life, it looks like a badly modeled, out of scale tree.  So if you tried to model it, wouldn't it just end up looking like there was a badly modeled, out of scale tree on your layout?

I'm wierd, I like to model strange and unusual things like Frankenpines or the Coor's Light Oil tank. It adds a bit of uniqueness to the layout.

Driving home today I actualy saw a cell phone tower that doubled as a tower fro high-tension wires. File that in the "Strange but prototypical" catagory.Smile [:)]

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Posted by dwbeckett on Wednesday, February 21, 2007 5:18 PM

We have one in northern cal it sits just above the ridge line looking west along I80 at EMERGENT GAP  the UP cross's under the roadway in that area also. we also have a PLAM trees

in the town of ALAMO that are cell site's

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Posted by markperr on Thursday, February 22, 2007 9:52 AM

Cell antennas on water tanks are very common in my area of Michigan.  Most unique one I have seen is attached to a large odd looking sculpture on the Dominos Farms property in Ann Arbor. (Dominos Pizza world headquarters).  Roadside sculptures are pretty common in this University town.  I've also seen the antennas on the sides of buildings as well.  If you ask me, I think it's a lot better than having the landscape dotted with those ugly towers.

Mark 

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Posted by dwbeckett on Thursday, February 22, 2007 11:14 AM

Having been a cell phone drive tester ( area coverage) for the past 6 years I have found cell sites in some very werid places. But alot, were practical, are placed inside signs,clock towers,on roof tops,when placed on buildings most colored to match the structure, and on 100' electrical towers. and yes along RR right of ways. I test one in the town of Colfax Ca. I was parked about 10 ft away form the UP main line as down grade fright passed. Try talking on the phone when a -9 is at a grade crossing.  

 

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Posted by underworld on Thursday, February 22, 2007 8:34 PM
 dwbeckett wrote:

Having been a cell phone drive tester ( area coverage) for the past 6 years I have found cell sites in some very werid places. But alot, were practical, are placed inside signs,clock towers,on roof tops,when placed on buildings most colored to match the structure, and on 100' electrical towers. and yes along RR right of ways. I test one in the town of Colfax Ca. I was parked about 10 ft away form the UP main line as down grade fright passed. Try talking on the phone when a -9 is at a grade crossing.  

 

You could really put together a nice photo album of all of the different types of towers and installations. Could be of interest to modellers of the modern era.

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Posted by dwbeckett on Friday, February 23, 2007 11:04 AM
would have, could have, should have, but I'm about to jump ship on that job ( got laid off of christmas lucky me. but I will get some pix in my travels back and forth to Reno and post them. in a month or two. 

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Posted by MTCarpenter on Sunday, February 25, 2007 10:29 AM

 GP-9_Man11786 wrote:
By chance while driving on the Hutchinson River Parkway in Westchester, NY...

Interesting!

Also interesting is I know exactly where you took that picture.  Despite being here in Texas, I was born and raised in Westchester County.  Grew up in a little town called Valhalla.  Small world.

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Posted by spikejones52002 on Saturday, March 10, 2007 6:08 AM

Yes they did a real good job of blending it into the back ground.

 

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Posted by S&G Rute of the Silver River on Saturday, March 10, 2007 9:33 AM
Then there is the opsite recriprical of the Frankenpine. What do you get when you start w/ one redneck, 12 disches and antinas and he still can't get reception? What else, about a 110-120ft pine tree that appears to grow sadilites! Next time I head into town I'll try to get some pics.
"I'm as alive and awake as the dead without it" Patrick, Snoqualmie WA. Member of North West Railway Museum Caffinallics Anomus (Me)

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