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The Marconi tower in downtown Binghamton, New York is the site of famed radio inventor Guglielmo Marconi's pioneering 1913 experiment successfully demonstrating that radio could be used to communicate to a fast-moving vehicle. Until this time, radio communication had only previously been conducted between ground stations and to slow-moving ships at sea.

This 97-foot tower on Lewis Street (near the NYSEG stadium) is the last remaining of four such towers erected by Marconi to test the feasibility of transmitting telegraph signals to trains moving along the adjacent railroad line. A 150-foot long aerial was strung between this tower and a second, located in the vicinity of the Kilmer Building, which was dismantled in 1925, its steel framework re-used to construct light fixtures in the railroad yard. Another pair of towers (since dismantled) and aerial were erected in Scranton, Pennsylvania.

On November 21st 1913, a radiotelegraph signal was sent from Scranton towards a Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad train traveling to Binghamton at 60 miles per hour. When the train crossed the halfway point, transmissions switched to the Binghamton station. In all, 350 words' worth of news were accurately received by the operator aboard the train.

An historic marker was placed at the tower in 1998, provided by Scott Phillips (of Scott's Radio & Television Company). A video of the commemoration ceremony is available online.

This website serves as a virtual memorial to the historic structure, with photos, links to historic articles documenting the successful operation of the towers, and other resources. My presentation to the Kopernik Observatory and Science Center providing additional background information is available online.

telegram Original transmission sent on 27 November 1913 from Lackawanna Train #3 to the Marconi Tower. It reads: "From: Wireless on No. 3 11/27/13 / To: E.M. Rime Gen'l Dufst / Congratulations in your efforts / demonstrating to the World that the / DL&W is far in advance of all other Roads / in placing afore the public for their / use the Worlds greatest invention. / Marconi Wireless Telegraph by, / Richard Stack / Conductor"

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