Exploring an Abandoned Mid-Century Power Plant - Retro Control Rooms!
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- Опубліковано 6 жов 2024
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In this episode we are exploring the Southwark Generating Station in Philadelphia. Built in 1946, it served as their new post-war flagship plant generating 345 MW. Eventually, in 1985 the facility was shut down and has been abandoned ever since.
Thanks Jameson Nathan Jones for providing the music for this episode! Check out his newly released single here: fanlink.to/TIWTB
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Architectural drafts used courtesy of Paul P. Cret Collection; Athenaeum of Philadelphia
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Thank you to Jameson Nathan Jones who provided the music for this episode, and so many of our others as well! He just released a new single today, check it out here: fanlink.to/TIWTB
And thank you to NordPass for sponsoring this episode, check out their End of Winter Sale at nordpass.com/properpeople and use code PROPERPEOPLE to get 70% off a 2 year plan plus 1 additional month free.
Excited to see yet another great ass viD
Stay safe fellas. Jus stay u
Stay safe! You guys are amazing!
How was this comment made 1 day ago but the video was uploaded 18 mins ago
THONK
@@awolfyman9050 idk
@@awolfyman9050 Early release for Patreons, no doubt. 💰
I'm a grown ass man who gets embarrassingly giddy when a new Proper People episode posts. Freakin' love it.
Me too
@DeeJay1210much better then most of the stuff that's on TV
@DeeJay1210 same here. I have so many favorite UA-cam channel today keep up with them. fortunately people don't post everyday
I get excited for new videos too
@DeeJay1210 same here. I got rid of Direct TV about 2 years ago. UA-cam only.
Thank you for making these videos asbestos you can
*GROANS*
Hilarious 😂
this is the best comment i’ve seen in a really long time
I shouldn't have laughed at that
🤣🤣🤣🏆
"we couldn't find respirators anywhere" OH MAN THE MEMORIES
They sure as hell weren't GOOD memories.
@@lunayoshi Not at all!
Paper towel shortages too
I'm can't wait to tell my Grandkids about the Great Toilet Paper War of 2020
@@jackmars931 I should have gone and make a video about abandoned supermarket isles 😂
The instructional audio clip about this plant is an excellent touch. This is good journalism, not exploitation or clickbait. UA-cam needs more of this.
That part made me tear up. It just showed such a beautiful contrast between what the plant was in its glory days versus what it is at the time this was filmed.
I worked for PECO (Philadelphia Electric Company), in the Turbine Gang for 14 years. Did turbine outages in 2 of the 3 mentioned here. Southwark was already closed when I started. That page @12:21 has Kokaska written at the top. That was John Kokaska, he was a welder, Retired from Turbine Gang in the 90s. Mark McCormick ended up as a Director in Nuclear if I remember correctly. My father worked in the Boiler gang almost his entire career, I know he spent alot of time in that plant in the 70s & 80s. When this plant closed, alot of the maintenance guys ended up in the mobile turbine group.
Cool info!
Did you see on the list for closing the plant. Last bullet point was insulate operating room windows. That's why all that insulation is put up against the glass.
Just curious, but why would they put insulation in front of the windows?
@@Clare0724 My only thought would be, to make the operating room harder to find to the outside public 🤷♂️
@@midwestsneakerhead6511 That would make sense
@@Clare0724 I think so too!
I bet it was to keep the control room warm because they were still using it after closing the turbines. if the turbine hall is closed, then the temperatures there would be below freezing in winter. That glass would let a lot of heat escape.
I love the old school propaganda voice over edited into the background on this one. More of that please!
Hehe. The Capitalist propaganda audio clip is everything
@@_gregc More like industrial propaganda, lotta nations made that kinna stuff. I've watched old USSR vids of the genrea before.
Is it propaganda tho?
@@alexmorrison4145 not in the traditional sense because its not political, but I didn't wanna call it "advertisement voice" because its not really that either
It definitely transported me back in time.
A great example for why The Proper People are second to none in style and presentation.
It's never too much or too fancy while still rising above the rest. You guys got it dialed in.
This is my favorite Urban Exploration channel. It makes me really excited and content knowing they have a huge backlog of videos to upload for us. The camera work is stunning and the narration is professional and informative while the commentary is witty and care free. These guys are worth binging.
I really love when you put old adverts from way back, announcing what the place is, does, and what it's going to be, etc. Part of history like that that should always be preserved. Sad that not many care about that kind of stuff.
Yeah when I heard that radio ad /tv ad for the stations generators I was happy to hear it!
@@step2191 Same! It was like stepping back into the past and it's so exciting!
😲... yea. I couldn't get past that part!!! I replayed it endlessly
@@sarahshanahan2222 Me too!!!
Really enjoyed this. I worked at a power plant for 37 years just like this. Saw a lot familiar things that I remember.
Would you be able to share what the plethora of tanks at the edge of the turbine hall are for? Are they just oxygen removal and condensate handling on a massive scale?
Were the pipes and pumps properly labeled? When I started at a power plant in 1980, almost nothing was labeled. Everything was “tribal knowledge”.
@@-Stop-it Same thing at the power plants I worked at. The old guys had a lot of knowledge and you learned from them. When I retired the company had started to label pumps and switches. Basically they wanted operators to label everything with no way to research. I was at retirement age plus we had a excellent benefits so I retired.
@@holysirsalad You may be referring to the vertical feedwater heaters. There is no oxygen removal in a power plant except chemical removal of dissolved oxygen in feedwater makeup. One of my duties in the Southwark chem lab was to add SO3 in a mixing tank, and pump it into feedwater lines when dissolved oxygen tested high. That was done to avoid oxidation corrosion inside the piping.
@@billhenry9751 Thank you, I really appreciate it!
Notice how the turbines are mounted on large concrete bases. The foundations of those will go a good 30ft into the ground. This is to stop vibrations which would shake the turbines to pieces......and the rest of the plant with it
I worked at Oyster Creek generating station a few years ago, after a refueling outage, there was an imbalance in the turbine balance, if the generator was brought up to more than 90% in power , the whole floor would start to shake, they had to shut down to fix the issue. Ran fine after the fix.
Today I learned!
Good to know 0:
He made us cry over a power plant once. I hope this one is not sad.
The people who built this power plant were so enthusiastic about having electricity brought to their city they made a work of art of its housing. They didn't just treat it like a raw resource, but like an aesthetic inspiration. I tear up looking at it.
Im happy that there are still very visually striking plants in operation and being built. there is a very large facility near me that is like that.
Which one made you cry? I’d like to see it next!
I live in Philly, every industrial building looks abandoned, I had no idea this one actually is abandoned
Same, I live in NJ and see this plant all the time going into Philly
Ive known this was abandoned for long time just never knew how to get in.
Same lol, i only found out about 3 years ago and I've been a few times since
Same !
same i live near it and always saw the graffiti on top of it still cant believe there are 2 abandoned power plants in 1 city id love to explore it someday
Thanks for using my music again guys! Always an honor :)
The soundtrack for their videos is always amazing! Congratulations for your nice work!
The music in this one stood out to me as especially awesome -- good work!
What’s the song playing @22:19?
Honestly, this is probably one of y'alls best power plant explorations. The 30 years of decay on top of the weird remodels from the 70's/80's it's all definitely an aesthetic and even though they clash it still works great with the extensive, unvandalized decay.
Proper People are def a whole vibe
It means they are a huge fan of the channel
Absolutely
Agreed
Please stop
@@broklond mind your business
What a Kick-Ass job you guys did on this one. Just breathtaking from start to finish. What can I say to the real PROS ???? Thanks a million.. JIm
This is amazing. You guys took documenting of abandonned places to a whole new level. No other media content even comes close to this.
I always look forward to hearing Michael’s commentary prior to the exploration. The history behind all these places is priceless and thank you both for providing many of us an opportunity to glimpse into areas we would likely never be able to venture.
I've always admired how the city of Philadelphia turned the old abandoned penitentiary into a museum/historic site, complete with events like the "terror behind the walls" haunted house. Maybe they should do something like that with these beautiful old power plants too. Someday more people will realize the historical value of such places
Having a reunion event for the former workers would be a great chance to document the otherwise oral history that people carry around in their heads. A banquet in the turbine hall would be amazing place to have a quiet drink and good meal.
I love how you talk about the architeture and the architect. It gives so much more meaning to the house tour :D
Agree, such a beautiful building
15:40 I love those old school fluorescents that "float" the bare tubes between suspended fixtures.
As an electrician, I always enjoy your adventures into old generating facilities. Wish I could be there with you to explain things. Peace
Can you imagine the contrast between the silence vs the noise when operational?!
I must say this, what a masterpiece of filmography. Hypnotized by this. Such eye candy. Job well done.
'what's this button do"
*clicks button*
*entire city's power suddenly shuts off*
'oh.....'
😅😁
Lol! Dee Dee get out of my laboratory!!!
Scram
This is a really good video. I love when you guys take the time to include the histroy. The original media materials you showed really added to the video. And that radio recording over the plant b roll was just fantastic. Little details like that separate you two from all the others. You had excellent shots of each other and great pacing to the edit. You can really tell the difference between the newer videos you guys have filmed and the older ones. Thank you!
Truly amazing how someone can come up with a thought in their head. Then a team of artists and engineers translates that to paper. Another group takes that idea on paper and makes a construction. After all that, it works and people work in it to make it happen. Understanding it all and maintaining it. Amazing
I just love old beautiful buildings. This plant was stunning in it's decay. The control room was the most intact that I've seen yet. I could only imagine it's beauty back in '46 when it opened. Thanks for braving the cold to explore it. 2 thumbs up!!!!
You know like how you hold up a sea shell by your ear and you can still hear the ocean? As they are walking through this place, I can still hear the echoes of the generators going in full force.
I have worked in a plant of same vintage. Was ugly..
.. pipes all over place to scrubbers & pollution control equipment. Those were added in 70/80's and plant remained in service until mid 2015. I retired shortly thereafter. I did follow the deconstruction.. after removal of all the additional equipment that old brick structure was very attractive. Visited lately & that was final part standing. Don't think I will return again.
Steve watching this video and seeing the MRE bag....”nice!”
👍👍👍👍
Can we get it onto a tray?
Steve would have eaten it for sure!
On that shutdown sheet, the last item was to insulate the control room. It’s actually awesome the controls room is locked and sealed so it’s not been destroyed.
5:46 - the way the paint is peeling off is incredibly beautiful
When I was young I used to explore abandoned factories, old railway lines and things like that with my best friend. Thanks for make me remember those special experiences with your excellents videos!
Did anyone notice the trouble someone had getting the safety cap off of the cylinder so they had to eat away at it? 8:27
Or tried shooting it
Can't wait to go on another adventure with you guys! Thanks so much for all the work and effort you put in, your channel's amazing! ❤️🙏
What exploration did you do with them?
@@NirateGoel, you're completely missing the point. He hasn't done any physical exploration with them. He means vicariously through The Proper People's video. When @Stephen MacLean says "Can't wait to go on another adventure with you guys", he is saying he can't wait for another video, from The Proper People. It is all done vicariously and in spirit. That is what he means.
@@NirateGoel Hey, sorry for the confusion but yes Michael Scott (awesome username haha) hit the nail on the head 😊
That part with the advert announcing the plant was wicked cool and gave me chills. Hope to see more of that kinda stuff in future videos, and loved the shot of the walkway over the turbines as well. Great work as always.
I was just lost to the world for the last 35 or so minutes. Did I just get back from an epic tour in Philly with Michael and Bryan? These guys need to go mega viral, way overdue IMHO. Tell your friends 🤟
I've often wondered if something can be done to make these kind of places into some sort of public park, similar to the outdoor Gas Works park in Seattle. Something so beautiful about these old industrial structures. Would be nice if more people could enjoy them in their retirement.
I agree
first of all they would need to remake the whole building, there's alot of poisonous and toxic chemicals, and insolation in there, it also probably needs alot of fire proofing.
I absolutely love how you put those additional informations into your video here! Really awesome job! And I absolutely loved the retro advertisement you put into! Got goosebumps!
The best channel on UA-cam , every episode that is released is 👌🏼👍🏼 good job!
You can’t go wrong with the Proper People! 😁
Worked at Southwark as a Test Engineer in 1969. Worked mostly in the east side boiler end of plant. Hope you can make another video while wearing masks for asbestos before the scrappers gut the place. Video the outside condenser cooling water chlorinator room at end of dock, and other areas I suggest in the following tour description guide. Your good work brough back lots of memories.
2:10 high voltage electrostatic precipitators captured fly ash from coal combustion.
3:05 Rusting number 6 fuel oil storage tank and smaller jet fuel storage tank for four outside peak load jet engine powered turbine generators are visible at left of frame.
3:05 “A brick layer’s paradise” as someone once remarked
3:39 Ground floor coal pulverizers shown at left of frame. The plant was retrofitted to burn #6 fuel oil in the late 60’s.
4:06 Door to one of 3 elevators shown at right of door opening.
5:19 30 Megawatt (MW) turbine with “kraken” bleed steam lines to closed feedwater heaters.
6:04 You should have videoed the steam condenser below the low pressure turbine, condensate pumps, and 3 high pressure boiler feed pumps (one to A side of boiler one to B side, and one standby) Too bad you did not video the turbine level chem lab. We tested boiler water for PH (at least 12.5), dissolved oxygen ( rusted out feedwater pipes) boiler drum silica (not good for turbine blades), ordered drum blow downs, and added chemicals as needed.
7:05 Panel cutout for steam condenser vacuum manometer (probably removed) shown on left side of control panel.
14:22 Probably boiler fuel oil control and shutoff valves. One day the shutoff valves closed and took the plant off line because a lot of plastic crap in the fuel oil clogged the fuel filters which reduced fuel pressure.
14:31 Looks like pulverized coal pipes on right. The boiler is visible on left.
7:44 Old mounting for auxiliary turbine (now removed) shown on ground floor center of frame.
18:08 Boiler control room- boilers 11 and 12 for unit 1, 21 and 22 for unit 2. Each unit had a 30 MW high pressure turbine exhausting to a 120 MW low pressure turbine.
18:23 Hand/auto control stations that regulate boiler drum level, fuel flow, etal, briefly shown.
20:22 Tanks and valves appear to be boiler feedwater makeup demineralizers. They were resin filled and pneumatically programmed to backflush periodically.
34:23 Old round paper dial mercury filled Bailey Meters, built like brick sh-houses, used to record and control steam flow rate, drum level fuel flow rate etc. In late 1970’s I used to drain out the mercury, clean inside, reinstall mercury, reassemble and recalibrate these meters when I worked for Bailey in Midwest. At Southwark I averaged and recorded flue gas temperatures, from the 24 hour round papers every day. Air flow draft gauges also visible at top of boiler control panel.
If you dubbed in (using your own audio) the equipment descriptions at the appropriate time frames, it would enhance your presentation. Include stories about certain equipment like the auxiliary turbine/generator. The unit is gone but you video the remaining mounting in frame 7:44. You could explain that it was the only unit remaining on line during the famous fall 1965 east coast blackout. You could also mention the plastic particles in fuel oil that clogged the fuel filters thus shutting down the boilers and the entire unit as well. see frame 14:22. Perhaps you could film again with masks to video the chem lab (see a more recent video by others who videoed the chem lab and my description of feedwater chemical treatment on their site)
@@billhenry9751 what is the video?
What you were looking at in the control room were control panels for the "One One" Boiler and the "Two One" Boiler, lots of plants used two Boilers to power one Turbine since such a large amount of steam was needed. More than likely the other control room contained panels for "Two One" and "Two Two" Boilers. You were correct to mention a lot of power plant stuff being "of the shelf", Boilers were no different, more cost efficient to build two smaller Boilers than one large.
The back Generation station was abandoned in the mid 80’s
The front half was still operating to support the substation until around 2016? .
I worked in the station around 2005 to manage the reroof project and keep the Front half of the building including the control room Secure from vandals.
In fact we installed the cinderblock wall you crawl through from turbine hall into the building.
People used to steal copper and not realize part of the building was still energized.
Loved the old voice sound clip. Nice touch, guys!
14:59 . That B&W boiler door . We make them at my location . So cool to see that
Guys love the video. I worked on an outage in the 80's at this plant. So sad to see it like this. Keep up the great work.
Why did it close?
That tiled stairwell still looked pristine.
The round green enameled ceiling light fixtures are very cool.
I asked some scrappers at a scrap yard once if I could take some stuff. I found two of those enamel light fixtures from a 1920’s railroad baggage car. My husband cleaned them up and wired them in the house. People always comment on them.
Props to the Proper People. I'm barely 10 minutes in and I can already tell the editing quality is insanely good on this one (I mean it always is, but this one seems like it is taking the quality to a new level).
The high pressure turbines remind me of arteries connecting to a human heart.
they are bleed steam lines that direct high pressure steam to closed feedwater heaters that heat water (raise feedwater temperature) entering the boilers. Feedwater heaters are used to raise overall plant efficiency.
Damn, such a stunning station. Truly a shame that it’s being trashed right now :/ Nice that it’s documented in its prime though!
It would make a badass Mountain Bike/BMX/Skate park.
@@anthonycastelluci9225 It would have been a fun Laser Tag venue. It screams special ops, through and through.
@@gorillaau Yeah, it's like a Fallout location.
This series is so epic. This is our favorite thing to watch. I’m thankful to have discovered the proper people having been stuck inside it’s nice to adventure with them in spirit😁
Same here, best videos here
That's a really good shot of Bryan on that walkway. It gives you a sense of scale to the place.
I wonder if this plant was closed in 1985 due to the cost of asbestos remediation. They figured it was cheaper to close the plant rather than retrofit it.
Closed because the boilers were run by coal
Nope. Boilers were converted to number 6 bunker oil in the late 1960's They could still burn coal but I never witnessed coal being used during the 14 months I worked there. @@robdoney1
It’s so fun to picture what this facility would have looked like back when it was in operation. Everything was designed with thought. It’s really evident in these late 40s-mid 60s structures. They’re very streamlined and symmetrical. Much like the cars, trucks, and home appliances of the era. Everything was painted in these bright positive colors. An amazing time in our history we most likely will never see again.
Very cool. I’m pretty sure the ceiling in the control room was white as the lights (original) lit upwards and reflected. I like how the clock documented the final moment at 11:35 when the power finally went out.
"did you hear that?"
*ghostly wail grows in the distance*
"just a bird"
Hey I've been here before! I went about 2 years back with a few of my friends. This place is a lot more decayed then it was back then. Also just hearing them breathe near all that asbestos makes my lungs hurt.
They're fine ..... They're not kicking up and dust. Otherwise cant hurt you
@@SuV33358 yeah but it's just one of those things I overthink lol
This video feels like a step above your previous ones. The narration, the shots, the inclusion of period media, the music. This was a truly incredible video. Keep up the great work guys!
23:23 - one of the best shots I have ever seen on your channel! Loved it!! :)
When I was a tour bus driver, in 2007 to 2018, I used to take a lot of tours to Philly. I used to park in front of this plant all the time. Every so often we would always see PECO employees drive into this facility. I always wondered what it looked like inside. Thanks for making this video.
Imagine how cool it was to go to work there when it was new.
I almost lost my shit
And thinking generations would have a career in it when it only lasted about one 😐
I mean, the asbestos is less than cool
@@rx500android bruh dont be so gloomy
I love watching these guys! Wife and I think they have done great jobs on these adventures. Did any one else watch this episode and hear the commercial in your head for these guys, "if you or someone you know has been affected by mesothelioma...." Scary stuff
Amazing!
Я подумал, что это довольно скучно, они не ходят в такие интересные места, как раньше.
@@Pedroforpresident2024 English
The Proper People narrator marveled at the large windows
that let it a lot of sunlight. I remember that occasionally on hot summer days
when central dispatch ordered us to go on “maximum generation” to meet peak
demand, they would turn off all the electrical lighting in the plant. The amount of load shedding was intestinal, but I guess they wanted to save every kilowatt. Without the natural light we would have have been stumbling around with flashlights.
Imagine flicking a switch and the whole place fires up
I was thinking the same thing. The way Mike and Bryan like to......Flip Switches, Pull Knobs, Push Buttons, Pull Levers, Pull Ropes, Rotate Knobs, Hit Keys on a Piano, Rotate Valves, etc it's 'GUNNA HAPPEN ONE DAY !
@Classic Eddy Fan you're not the only one that gets it ;) I liked that movie too XD
@Egon Freeman Vandals and copper scrapers sure do love pulling random shit out of machinery and cabinets
People need to start buying and preserving these old power houses they're a beautiful piece of history that's being demolished as the days pass and it's sad.
Chances in a million of me giving any of my passwords to Nord : 0
That old radio clip regarding the plant was an amazing touch. I’m amazed you even found something like that for this specific plant. This is what makes your videos so enjoyable to watch
Would be amazing to restore and make a museum of one of these plants. Very much worth preserving.
The shear amount in metal these places have (hundreds, or maybe thousands of tonnes), is truly amazing, and when hauled away will make a huge amount of money
"Currently, it's the beginning of the coronavirus outbreak." Wow, this video's older than I realized.
One of the calendars from 1986 was only a few months from when Chernobyl took place. What a time capsule, the industrial and power plant videos never disappoint. Thanks guys!
16:35 "let's get this out onto a tray..." "Nice"
i live near this building and always wondered if it was abandoned or not i would see the graffiti on it but i was never sure, and out of nowhere this was recommended right into my youtube feed so cool to see what it looks like inside the building thanks guys maybe someday ill explore it along with the other power plant in philly
My palms are getting sweaty just looking at how high up that catwalk is! Great video! They definitely don't make em' like they used to!
These buildings were beautiful
Love your respect for the old industrial design, its not just function. there are definitive purposeful esthetics in this!
Philly love!! Athough there is still much work to be done, particularly to aid in reducing the homelessness and Opiod crisis hitting the city fairly hard, and massive income inequality as a result of rapid and exponential gentrification, leading to a huge increases in property values that have unfortunately forced out many Philadelphia natives, and with them, a part of the city's soul as well. However, Philadelphia has also really transformed for the better as well in the past decade or so and has practically become a brand new hustling and bustling city from it's earlier developmental stagnancy in population and industry growth of the late 20th century to now it becoming an education and medicine powerhouse, home to Penn, Drexel, CHOP, Temple, Jefferson etc, also being home to huge manufacturing Companies like FMC and Aramaek, over 7 new high-rise skyscrapers going up in my lifetime of just 26 years. National Geographic recently voted it the top City to visit in the country as it has big city amenities and with small City charm and with a population of about 1.6 million, it's not overwhelming and has so much historical charm and walking as a form of transporting yourself through the city is really enjoyable with beautiful new parks with awesome art installations, not to mention access to the famous Museum of Art. The increase in employment in Tech wether it be at a startup or Comcast and, although one of the most disliked companies in the country, is responsible for the construction of the two tallest Skyscrapers in the city. Even the abandoned buildings on the Schuylkill and Deleware rivers are cool.
What an amazing place! No vandalism and a lot of natural decay. You guys are the best!
Great job documenting this incredible facility 😀
Awesome job guys! As a Delco native, I really appreciate you guys doing videos like these of our glorious city!
It always makes my day when I see a new vid drop from you guys!
Has to be one of the best looking power plants y’all have been to. So awesome seeing everything so nice without any damage or graffiti.
This was a wonderful video. I very much enjoyed the history that went along with the explore!
One of the most iconic and best power station yet! Thank you Proper people!
Would like to have seen the roof section, the stacks at the base and conveyor system, and etc. Still cool to see thanks.
If possible that would be awesome to see the stacks up close on all the power plants they go to.
This video is the gold standard for exploration videos great job guys
Twisted Tea lol. before it was used as a weapon 14:00 lmaooooooo
Dad was an engineer turned project manager that worked for Dept of Energy (DoE) when I was growing up. He'd talk about DoE implementing new power facilities, and said the buildings were designed to last a good 50-100 years. The intent was to have a solid structure they could just keep replacing / updating the inner workings of as time went by. And, if it no longer fit a purpose, it could get refit into something else. (EG: you'd see old hospitals refitted into college dorms on some college campuses).
Companies like Phillips had to build to gov't standard, and the standard after WWII was that buildings were majorly solid due to worries of bombers now able to fly overseas to bomb us. So, building like this were designed to last practically forever.
I think it got shut down due to push for nuclear energy. Nuclear power plants could produce way more energy, and we had a surplus of nuclear fuel from our nuclear weapons development and cheap nuclear weapons we bought off the USSR after a treaty. (SALT II treaty I think... both US and USSR agreed to down-size arsenals, but USSR had no means to dispose of the nukes they agreed to get rid of. So, as part of the agreement, US would purchase them from USSR, as long as the US was only dismantling them and using them as nuclear fuel not keeping them as weapons. So, we had a major abundance of nuclear fuel in 80's.)
Shame this building isn't being put to use, but everything you pointed out in the vid (like the concrete pedestal)... that stuff was built to last.
Maybe the rusty orange ceiling color was also nicotine stains from smoking? I mean that was probably still normal back then.
Love how respectful you're of the environment you film in :)
Generators of this size usually operate internally in an atmosphere of pure hydrogen gas. That is likely the lines you saw. Hydrogen, being very light atomically, increases efficiency dramatically compared to atmosphere. It doesn't explode because there is no oxygen and the hydrogen is positive pressure to keep air out.
That is a very recent MRE. Menu #23 has only been chicken pesto pasta from 2008-2017. Ameriqual didn't even make MREs until 1987, so that MRE wrapper is definitely from an urbexer or scrapper.
With the two of you in the Control room. Reminds me when you were in the Control room of Chernobyl
What a unique place to explore. You guys always manage to get into the coolest spots. Unfortunately this facility was a product of its time. I can only imagine that the massive amount of asbestos was the ultimate reason that it was closed down. Back when this building was new, people had no idea that asbestos was deadly. I surmise that the cost to eliminate the asbestos was so astronomical it wasn’t financially feasible to do it. I remember back when I was in college, the school I went to spent a lot of money to remove asbestos from an older building. It wasn’t a very big building at all. The building was encased in plastic and all the workers had to wear really extreme looking safety suits. It took them almost an entire semester to complete the job.
It is interesting that the paper with the shut down procedures included installing video cameras for surveillance. Almost as if at the time they had planned on trying to re-open it someday and wanted to keep people out. Those massive control panels were really cool. They look very dated by our standards today, but they were cutting edge technology for the time. Great video, as always.
My god early-mid 1900s were aesthetic
It's interesting that the relay room below the control room had CFL bulbs in the light fixtures. Perhaps it was in use for a slightly longer time?? Granted, those types of bulbs have been around for a while, but it seems weird when that part of the plant was shuttered, and every other bulb seen throughout was incandescent. Plus, all of the original glass covers were on those cabling shelves...
Edit: With those additional lighting fixtures and Brian's comment, makes sense.
I was wondering if anyone else noticed those!