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Hoover Dam huge pipe section transport - photo
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The Hoover Dam never ceases to amaze me, since it was the most monumental project undertaken by mankind at the time, and for many decades to come. Considering there was next to nothing for infrastructure out there at the time, it ALL had to be built by the Six Companies, including roads and railways, housing for workers, mess halls and food logistics on a massive scale, electricity generation and fuel depots, etc. Even the Engineering of every minor aspect of the project had to be thought out in great detail in advance to avoid project delays. For example, in the photo above notice the rail carrier for this section of the diversion tunnel and notice that it was custom built, and riding on a unique railway gauge into the mountainside for installation. No detail was missed by the Engineers from initial concept to completion. Construction began in 1931 and opening date was 1936. Five years at a cost of $49 million (1931) or $675 million (2019). The U.S. Gov't throws around $1 billion today like it's a $100 bill, yet nothing so grand comes about as a result of it. Amazingly, the Hoover Dam resides directly atop a massive earthquake fault. Should that ever shift and compromise its integrity, it would send forth a flood far worse than the one that created California's Salton Sea in early 1900.
I'm glad I was able to tour the "bowels" of the Hoover Dam before the 9/11 attacks.
