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Thread: Four minutes of history

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    Default Re: Four minutes of history

    Very similar to a method of laying a bottom seismic cable. Only mine was a much smaller reel. The Dickerson Tide an American ship took over in New Guinea. Had a big Drum about 12 feet in diameter alongside the starboard side of bridge with a cable tray leading all alongside to the after end of ship. Steamed along whatever direction the surveyors wanted laying this cable on the bottom for about a mile or so. Then sat on the end still connected to ship and tried to hold her there for usually a number of hours while the surveyors in the electronics shack took their various readings. Picked up when finished and tried again in whatever area they required as this was a big permanent encumbrance on the starboard side, always had to go port side to in port. Is what they used to call shallow water seismic. much slower than the normal seismic where could be towing anything up to 12 arrays( more nowadays I think) but was only way to do around reefs and in shoalwater. Cheers JS

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    Default Re: Four minutes of history

    Incredible for the times, even today I doubt there would be many who would say it could be done. To get steel pipe that flexible is quite an achievement.
    Happy daze John in Oz.

    Life is too short to blend in.

    John Strange R737787
    World Traveller

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    Default Re: Four minutes of history

    The UK always had more than its share of inventors engineers and people with great capabilities, especially in tight corners the likes of warfare where different methods of confounding the enemy were needed. Bouncing bombs being only one of many. Nowadays a lot of way out technology has been brought about in the quest for oil and gas such as directional drilling, which has also been brought into use ashore when drilling under roads, where it is no longer necessary to pull up a road to lay a cable. I suspect also that the oil giants invested a lot in the technology in the various GPS systems so as to enable them more accurately to place their wellheads. Science marches on and believe it only a matter of time before various life dangerous illnesses will be wiped out. However think it will be centuries before they, if ever come up with one where they can control the weather systems on a world wide basis. However would be good to see more investments made in medical research instead of armaments. JS

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    Default Re: Four minutes of history

    Marian
    Many thanks for that video. I believe that this was PLUTO {pipe line under the ocean}.
    I am going through it frame by frame as the deep sea rescue tug my father was in command of at the time, was involved in the towing of that pipeline across the channel so I am trying to see if I can get any tug numbers or names off the video.
    I wonder what happened to PLUTO after the war ended, was it still used?
    rgds
    JA
    Updated
    Here is a link explaining the construction of and the ships used to lay PLUTO and how the pumping stations etc. were hidden
    PLUTO,PLUTO PIPELINE,PIPELINE UNDER THE OCEAN,
    Very interesting, perhaps Keith on I.O.W. can put some info regarding the I.O.W. Heritage site and PLUTO up on here. I think my dad was on the Bustler class tug
    rgds
    JA
    Last edited by John Arton; 20th May 2015 at 08:44 AM.

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    Default Re: Four minutes of history

    John, Sandown zoo, situated behing an old fort, which is one of the sites where the Pluto pumps were operating from, they had a great exhibition there, not sure if they still have it. They had one of the pumps on display, plus a very interesting film showing the laying of the pipeline, this showed the tugs laying the pipes. This was an incredible fete, the fuel was pumped all the way from Scotland at it furthest, down across the Solent, then pumped across to France. I believe that Shanklin had the largest ammount of pumps, some 12, slightly less at Sandown, and another pumping station at Deal in Kent i think. My father in law worked on the Sandown site, which has the large hotel next door where equipment was under the dance floor. The workmen had to walk different routes across the site to work, so that a worn path would not show up to german aircraft. i will try and find out if the display is still operating, regards KT

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    Default Re: Four minutes of history

    Short film of construction and laying of PLUTO here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RqKxeYZLNmU. The pipeline is still in situ, but well rusty now. Here on the Island we would be first in line if the French nuclear power station at Cap Le hague, and we have said if happened we would hook all our sewer system up to Pluto and pump across to France !!!!! kt

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    Default Re: Four minutes of history

    Yes , the display is still at Sandown Zoo, The Fort and PLUTO KT

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