Vintage work crew photos

**Jon** · Aug 3, 2019, 08:00 PM

Installing a gas line in Boston in 1894.

Fullsize image: https://diqn32j8nouaz.cloudfront.net...n_fullsize.jpg

**Ralphxyz** · Aug 4, 2019, 08:48 AM

and probable still in use.

**ranald** · Aug 5, 2019, 05:04 AM

Originally Posted by Ralphxyz

and probable still in use.

My friend's fiance was blown up, killed, when working on an old one in Brisbane in early 70's. Interesting how minerals, moisture & nature affects those unseen things underground. I am amazed that in some movies where coffins are exumed and are in perfect condition after many years, but all that I saw were disintegrating even after 3 months (the earlist we are allowed to complete that matter). My gear rusts/rots before my eyes here but at a farm (20Ks away) where I worked, timber (lumber) could be left out in the weather & implements remained surface rust-free much much longer.

**hemmjo** · Aug 5, 2019, 06:57 AM

Originally Posted by ranald

..... Interesting how minerals, moisture & nature affects those unseen things underground.

I have a friend who was clearing come land on an old farm. It had a large barn, all of the timbers were rotten, not worth salvaging. Long story shorted they burned that barn. At the end of the day, they had a large pile of hot ashes, galvanized roofing etc. They used a bulldozer to push the hot ashes into a large hole they had prepared ahead of time. Each day for a while they would turn the ashes with a large track-hoe.

After a month or so, they pulled all of the metal roofing out to take to recycling. The recycle center would not accept the metal. Turned out while in the ground with the hot ashes, it had become radioactive enough to trigger their Geiger counter. They told him to bring it back in a year as it would probably be safe enough for them to accept.

They told him that is happens a lot with metal they get that has been under ground for a length of time.

I had never heard of such a thing.

**Frank S** · Aug 5, 2019, 08:37 AM

Originally Posted by hemmjo

I have a friend who was clearing come land on an old farm. It had a large barn, all of the timbers were rotten, not worth salvaging. Long story shorted they burned that barn. At the end of the day, they had a large pile of hot ashes, galvanized roofing etc. They used a bulldozer to push the hot ashes into a large hole they had prepared ahead of time. Each day for a while they would turn the ashes with a large track-hoe.

After a month or so, they pulled all of the metal roofing out to take to recycling. The recycle center would not accept the metal. Turned out while in the ground with the hot ashes, it had become radioactive enough to trigger their Geiger counter. They told him to bring it back in a year as it would probably be safe enough for them to accept.

They told him that is happens a lot with metal they get that has been under ground for a length of time.

I had never heard of such a thing.

You got to be careful of them Geiger's they can be nasty little varmints
I knew a guy who had a whole load of used oilfield pipe rejected at a salvage center because of the stray radiation. Only it wasn't the pipe it was his trailer that was hot. the large tub demolition trailer had been used to haul demolished buildings before he bought it there was no telling what where or when it had been filled with materials active enough to be absorbed by the steel of the trailer.

**Jon** · Aug 5, 2019, 11:34 AM

The Operations Room at RAF Fighter Command's No. 10 Group Headquarters, Rudloe Manor (RAF Box), Wiltshire, showing WAAF plotters and duty officers at work, 1943.

Fullsize image: https://diqn32j8nouaz.cloudfront.net...w_fullsize.jpg

**Ralphxyz** · Aug 5, 2019, 11:57 AM

RAF? those look like boats none of them are over land.

**12bolts** · Aug 5, 2019, 01:10 PM

Radar intercepts are reported to the WAAF's the girls with the sticks and they move the models around on the map to represent reported positions of enemy aircraft. Other models representing flights of allied aircraft are also reported and moved into position to intercept the enemy aircraft.

Originally Posted by Ralphxyz

RAF? those look like boats none of them are over land.

If you look at the bottom right of the image you can see the models over both water and land

**Hoosiersmoker** · Aug 5, 2019, 11:58 AM

Now I know where the stereotype for all movie and TV high ranking officers comes from! The guy at top far right and guy top 3rd from the left. I've seen both of those guys in a dozen movies!