Secluded miles from the nearest unincorporated community, and the site’s namesake — Richwoods, in the middle of the woods is an abandoned microwave relay site that was built in the early-mid-1960s along AT&T Long Lines’ Kansas City-Halifax-Oakdale, Illinois, route.
The solid concrete “semi-hardened” facility once housed microwave radios, waveguides and other anciliary equipment used to communicate with three adjacent sites. In 1966, the site had two microwave hops: Southwest to Rosati, and southeast to Halifax. By 1979, a third hop was established northeast to Hillsboro. A relatively short self-supported tower (of unknown height) would have supported the KS-15676 horn-reflector antennas for the hops.
Today the site is completely abandoned and overgrown by trees and other vegetation, with no sign of its last owner. McCullough Comsites, who owned many former Long Lines sites before selling them to the State of Missouri for the Missouri Statewide Interoperability Network public safety radio system, owned the site in the early 2000s after AT&T divested it along with many of its other microwave sites.
Thankfully, due to the site’s secluded location, the site has seen little vandalism. A door leading into the generator set room was wide open, along with the tower area gate being pried open, allowing me access to the facility. There are only a couple pieces of original equipment remaining inside the base station building: Most of the original General Motors/Detroit Diesel KS-1958x generator set, the Western Electric (Chatlos-Systems Inc.) KS-21403 air dryer and Lectrodryer dehumidifier used to produce dry, pressurized air for the waveguides and antennas, the alternator control panel, and part of the original air handler.
Outside, the original Marley condensing units are still mounted on the roof. All antennas except for a single parabolic dish aimed at Hillsboro have been removed.
Update: It was confirmed the State of Missouri owned Richwoods after McCullough for a while, but did not use it for MOSWIN due to its poor location.
Photos: October 17, 2024
The Richwoods, MO, former AT&T Long Lines microwave relay site is seen Oct. 17, 2024 off Route T. As usual along the Kansas City-Halifax route, the site has a solid concrete “semi-hardened” base station, along with a relatively short tower. When Richwoods was built in the early-1960s, it originally had two hops: One west-southwest to Rosati, and another southeast to Halifax. By 1979, a third hop was added to Hillsboro. (The only antenna left on this tower, the parabolic at the top pointed right in this photo, was for that northeast hop to Hillsboro, as it is pointed in that direction and Hillsboro has a matching-style parabolic.)A closer look at the top platform and top-most outrigger on the former Richwoods, Missouri, AT&T Long Lines microwave relay site, seen Oct. 17, 2024. The only remaining antenna, the parabolic dish on the left, faces northeast to Hillsboro. The site formerly had horn-reflector antennas for hops to Rosati and Halifax.Another view of the former Richwoods, Missouri, AT&T Long Lines microwave relay tower, with its two lower outrigger platforms.Southern side of the Richwoods, Missouri, former AT&T Long Lines microwave relay site base station, with the main entrance. This entrance was locked, but the rear generator room entrance was wide open.Eastern wall of the Richwoods, Missouri, former AT&T Long Lines microwave relay site base station, seen Oct. 17, 2024. The site appears to have been abandoned, as the facility is completely overgrown with doors left wide open.“Blast shield” at the former AT&T Long Lines microwave relay site near Richwoods, Mi”Blast shield” at the former AT&T Long Lines microwave relay site near Richwoods, Missouri, site. Like most sites along the Kansas City-Halifax route, which used a solid concrete “semi-hardened” base station design, the “blast shield” was made of solid concrete to protect the generator air intake from a nuclear blast. Inside, apart from the air intake itself, are two electric heaters used as dummy loads for testing the generator. Above the blast shield is the generator exhaust.Other side of the “blast shield” at the former AT&T Long Lines microwave relay site near Richwoods, Missouri, with the heaters and generator air intake more visible. The generator exhaust is above the blast shield. This particular facility has been abandoned, with the door wide open to the generator room. Inside the building has been completely gutted, although a couple pieces of equipment — including most of the General Motors diesel generator — remain behind. Upon review of this photo, I noticed the original Bell System “Warning” label (with the earlier, pre-Saul Bass Bell System logo) that has unfortunately been mostly spray painted over on the closed door.Most of the original General Motors diesel backup generator remains intact, seen Oct. 17, 2024, at the former Richwoods, Missouri, AT&T Long Lines microwave relay site. While the radiator has been removed (perhaps pilfered), the engine and alternator/generator are still in place.A look at the General Motors diesel engine block seen Oct. 17, 2024, in the abandoned former AT&T Long Lines site near Richwoods, Missouri.Another view of the General Motors diesel generator found inside the former AT&T Long Lines microwave relay site near Richwoods, Missouri, this time showing the exposed windings inside the alternator/generator. We also see the inside of the air intake grill behind the blast shield.Filter wall inside the generator room.“Conserve Energy” label on the inside of the main/southern entrance door at the former AT&T Long Lines microwave relay site near Richwoods, Missouri.Waveguide exits and pressure switches seen Oct. 17, 2024, inside the abandoned former AT&T Long Lines microwave relay site near Richwoods, Missouri.Abandoned equipment seen Oct. 17, 2024, inside the abandoned former AT&T Long Lines microwave relay site near Richwoods, Missouri. The equipment in the middle with an open panel door is a “Lectrodryer” dehumidifier, which would have dehumidified air pressurized by the machine to the Lectrodryer’s right. The waveguides and antennas were pressurized to remove humidity from them, as contaminants such as water can interfere with the propagation of the microwaves.Control panel for the alternator on the General Motors diesel backup generator, seen Oct. 17, 2024, inside the abandoned former AT&T Long Lines microwave relay site near Richwoods, Missouri.Data label for “The Lectrodryer” dehumidifier used to dehumidify pressurized air for the waveguides at the AT&T Long Lines microwave relay site near Richwoods, Missouri.The gutted Western Electric KS-21403 L1 air dryer for treating pressurized waveguide air at the former AT&T Long Lines microwave relay site near Richwoods, Missouri.The ancient air conditioning condensing units seen Oct. 17, 2024, on the roof of the former AT&T Long Lines microwave relay site near Richwoods, Missouri.Opposite side of the condensing units at the former AT&T Long Lines microwave relay site near Richwoods, Missouri, seen Oct. 17, 2024. It seems all the former Long Lines sites along the Kansas City-Halifax route, such as the Richwoods site, all used the same style of condensing units. Instead of being mounted to the roof itself, the units are mounted to a series of I-beams mounted a couple feet above the roof.Manufacturing label inside one of the condensing units seen Oct. 17, 2024, at the former AT&T Long Lines microwave relay site near Richwoods, Missouri.Another view of the former AT&T Long Lines microwave relay tower near Richwoods, Missouri, seen Oct. 17, 2024. The site initially had two hops, one southwest to Rosati and a southeast hop to Halifax. A third hop to Hillsboro was added before 1979, which used the parabolic dish seen on the left of the top platform, the only antenna left on the tower.“Richwoods” written on a waveguide rack frame in permanent marker is still legible years later at the Richwoods, Missouri, AT&T Long Lines microwave relay site.Outhouse seen Oct. 17, 2024, at the former AT&T Long Lines microwave relay site near Richwoods, Missouri.Looking up from the base of the former AT&T Long Lines microwave relay tower near Richwoods, Missouri, seen Oct. 17, 2024.
