dartsportfan1
Member
I'm a power plant operator from Springfield Ma so this hits home,by the way, hi everyone,Ed.
There's daring accomplishments, there's "crazy" and then there's....
- Thread starter 67Dart273
- Start date
-
Treblig
Well-Known Member
Yes, you are correct. It's a smoke stack for when they used to burn coal (I think) back in the 50s for the High School. We all called it the Ray Tower because it was one of the tallest features in the area and could be seen from a long way off. The enclosed tunnel that connected the 3 story building to the tower carried the smoke/fumes. But I honestly don't know what exactly was being fed into the tower. I did notice (today) that there was a large hinged steel door at the base for someone to either enter or to maybe burn items??
Last edited:
dartsportfan1
Member
Didn't mean to hijack thread but couldn't resist opening.
Treblig
Well-Known Member
Glad you joined the conversation. "Hi" back at you.....
dartsportfan1
Member
That tunnel is called breaching. Lol
Damn @Treblig! Its crazy how crazy we were in our youth!!!
While working the LMR (Land Mobile Radio) shop during my Air Force career I had the added responsibility of being the QA for anything the contractor repaired. One time, the contractor had to add a new LMR antenna to the top of the water tower. When he got done, I was to inspect it to make sure it was a quality installation. I made it about 10 rungs up before I looked around and could see what seemed like 50 miles (It was in Del Rio, Texas!) and hurried back down. From the ground, it looked like a very good installation!!!
Here's the only pic I could find of it, its the wider one in the back.
While working the LMR (Land Mobile Radio) shop during my Air Force career I had the added responsibility of being the QA for anything the contractor repaired. One time, the contractor had to add a new LMR antenna to the top of the water tower. When he got done, I was to inspect it to make sure it was a quality installation. I made it about 10 rungs up before I looked around and could see what seemed like 50 miles (It was in Del Rio, Texas!) and hurried back down. From the ground, it looked like a very good installation!!!
Here's the only pic I could find of it, its the wider one in the back.
Treblig
Well-Known Member
"That tunnel is called breaching. Lol"
Is that what it's called. I noticed in this pic that there's a large area of newer looking bricks where the electrical conduit meets the tower (chimney). That's where the chute used to be connected. Even in 1970 when I crawled across the chute it was crumbling, it was already almost 20 years old by that time. I could feel it give away as I placed my hands and knees on it to get to the tower. Luckily it held up long enough for me to complete my mission impossible:
Is that what it's called. I noticed in this pic that there's a large area of newer looking bricks where the electrical conduit meets the tower (chimney). That's where the chute used to be connected. Even in 1970 when I crawled across the chute it was crumbling, it was already almost 20 years old by that time. I could feel it give away as I placed my hands and knees on it to get to the tower. Luckily it held up long enough for me to complete my mission impossible:
Treblig
Well-Known Member
Yes we have a few of those tall water towers here in town..I always wanted to climb one but the fencing and safety cages they put around the ladder sections are difficult to breach. You have no idea how many times I parked in front of one of these water towers and tried to figure out how to get to the ladder. I was also in the Air Force but all did was assemble, test and troubleshoot Thermonuclear Weapons.
I had a full life of DANGER!!
That's way Cool. I was Ground Radio Maintenance. One time, at Greenham Common, I got to touch a nuclear warhead for the BGM-109. I swore my balls tingled just a little
67Dart273
Well-Known Member
I've done some water tower work, some of it easy. If I can find 'em I'll post some photos. One is the Pines Road tower, this was easy. You climb a safety system inside the tower, then go up a ladder through a tube in the center of the tank, which is a bit claustorphobic, and a hatch to the top. Nice welded steel rail,
Top view from Google Earth. You can see the rail, the three stands for antennas are outside. So it is a bit disconcerting, even when strapped up, to be outside the rail on the sloping dome, with nothing "but air" ahead of you. You don't want to be dropping wrenches, they will "go"
Top view from Google Earth. You can see the rail, the three stands for antennas are outside. So it is a bit disconcerting, even when strapped up, to be outside the rail on the sloping dome, with nothing "but air" ahead of you. You don't want to be dropping wrenches, they will "go"
Treblig
Well-Known Member
That looks like FUN!!!
Oh 'ell Noooooo
Treblig
Well-Known Member
I touched so many warheads that I still glow a little at night. Actually, the ones I worked on required that you wear gloves, we weren't allowed to touch the outer surface with our bare hands.That's way Cool. I was Ground Radio Maintenance. One time, at Greenham Common, I got to touch a nuclear warhead for the BGM-109. I swore my balls tingled just a little
iScamp
Well-Known Member
The graduating HS class, in a town near here, used to paint the year on the water tower. '79, '80, so on. The town got worried someone would get injured and made special provision to prevent such shenanigans. One year, 2 guys of the graduating class defeated the security features and painted the year on the tower. Town officials got upset and now the Town paints the graduating year on the tower. (They may have stopped that practice. I haven't been back to look in a long time).
Treblig
Well-Known Member
"Town officials got upset and now the Town paints the graduating year on the tower. (They may have stopped that practice. I haven't been back to look in a long time)."
The town officials took all he fun out of being young!!! Painting the graduating year on the water tower was better than the kids doing drugs..........
The town officials took all he fun out of being young!!! Painting the graduating year on the water tower was better than the kids doing drugs..........
-
