Jim,
I didn't know you had an old radio. check out this page...
http://aafradio.org/flightdeck/b29.htm
You can see the radio centered right in front of the operator. I once had a Navy version of the BC-458 transmitter, an ARC5. I built a power supply from an old B&W TV. Rated at 75 watts input, it gave me my first RF burn. I had not changed the original push type antenna terminal. You can see it in the picture above where there is wire passing from the 458 to the 459. The units to the right of the transmitters are a beacon receiver and two matching receivers to the transmitters. All of these units were capable of remote control from the cockpit in other aircraft.