Nuclear Bunker Diesel Turbine Start Sequence

Lyons, NE, Saturday, ‎May ‎17, ‎2008, ‏‎12:05:24 PM. This diesel generator provided emergency backup power for the underground nuclear-hardened bunker outside Lyons, NE. The civilian owner of the bunker, John La Rue, runs the generator through its start-up sequence. You gotta love the sound of the turbine spooling up to operating speed.

During the cold-war era AT&T built this communication facility to provide secure communications with Air Force One and Strategic Air Command (Bellevue, NE). It's 2-foot thick concrete walls and massive coil-spring isolation were designed to withstand a nearby Soviet nuclear blast.
[http://tinyurl.com/qfcbob].

The facility will be open to the public one last time on Sat. May 1, 2010 [http://tinyurl.com/5etzb]. Mr. La Rue owns an antique telephone museum in Stockton, CA [http://tinyurl.com/yencwug]

View construction pictures of the bunker here: [http://tinyurl.com/y8zej5v]

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• diesel generator
• nuclear bunker
• Lyons

[DeserTBoB93535]

I worked on these for AT&T for years. That's a Solar 750 KW. That one's having a slow starting problem. This particular model is the AT&T standard "KS-model" verison. Same basic guts as Solar's commercial models, but different control panel and relay logic. HUGE fuel hogs...105 Gph at full load, when any 4 stroke diesel would probably do the same work at 45 Gpm. AT&T liked them because they could put them in vibration sensitive parts of buildings, such as on the roof.

[Stockpile1]

I can feel the power!

[zx1400a7f]

Just a reminder of how the United States was prepared for any threat of war, not like the silly sit on your couch playing with your Xbox wondering what the hell is going on outside 9/11 crowd millenium's of this day and age. Awesome equipment, Thanks for posting!

[BADtimmay]

why are people applauding at equipment, doing its job ??

[DeserTBoB93535]

Somewhere in there are probably a couple of White-Superior diesels, as well. Some of the hardened sites had EMD 567Cs, others had multiple Whites, depending on load. Those were the "backup for the backup" for the Solar turbines. I still have service parts for these turkeys, if anyone's interested! Also...NEVER run these on #2 diesel...you'll carbon up the turbine badly, which will require a shell blasting and more. They are to be run only on water white kerosene, or #1 diesel at least.

[yamahonkawazuki]

@DeserTBoB93535 really teh same reason why diesel turbine locomoties never ahem " took off" could do hte job sure. but consumption was insane. vibes were low. but still

[dtiydr]

You have a jet engine some foot away but your ears doesnt bleed, interesting sound isolation for sure! Really impressive.

[DeserTBoB93535]

I worked with many people on circuit troubles at Lyons AND Red Oak. Both were big L-carrier stations in their day. AT&T built these bunkers in the '60s as part of the "hardened coax" project. Taxpayers paid for it all, and AT&T got fat.

[mpwelk]

Don't realize how quit it is until he starts talking about the engine speed!

[crazywarriorman]

@thebear9mm Its just outside of Lyons, NE.

[thebear9mm]

Does anybody know where is this located?

Would like to see it!!!!