Talk:Gulf Tower
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I work in the Gulf Tower. I have been on the roof. A peregrine falcon almost attacked me. --SW
The beacon on top of the tower forecast the weather at least into the mid-80s, if not the early 90s. I last lived in Pittsburgh in '93 and I think it was still functioning. The Westinghouse sign was still going too. PurpleChez 01:38, 22 June 2007 (UTC)
[edit] Top Illumination
There seems to be some confusion about the top of the former Gulf Building in Pittsburgh, which is now the Gulf Tower condos.
Having grown up in Pittsburgh during the '50's and '60s, and having lived there through the '70s, I can tell you that the entire step-pyramid structure on top of the building was illuminated with neon and changed color with changes in barometric pressure -- not just the beacon at the pinnacle. I've added this to the article, along with a supporting link.
At some point, probably in the late '70s, they stopped illuminating the entire pyramid structure -- but kept the color-changing weather beacon at the peak. More recently, they've apparently resumed illuminating the entire pyramid, but it may be only standard floodlights (I haven't been back there in many years).
In any case, many Internet links mention the beacon, but not the fact that the entire pyramid structure (several stories tall) was illuminated and changed color. The link I added supports it, but someone might want to do some additional research. I'm sure there are many archive photos out there showing the entire top illuminated in red or blue. --NameThatWorks 19:22, 29 August 2007 (UTC)
[edit] Top Illumination
I'm sorry I don't have hard references to back this up, but I've been told many times that during WWII our planes would use the top illumination of the gulf Tower as a reference for navigation and that it would blink in Morris code "PITTSBURGH" so they knew what city they were over. Someone please back me up on this one. I guess I'll go to the library to find the hard evidence to reference to. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 71.253.44.113 (talk) 20:39, 7 May 2008 (UTC)
