Comments on: The Trestle, Kirtland Air Force Base http://boingboing.net/2012/08/30/the-trestle-kirtland-air-forc.html Brain candy for Happy Mutants Thu, 23 May 2013 15:16:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.1 By: dukecity http://boingboing.net/2012/08/30/the-trestle-kirtland-air-forc.html#comment-1524207 dukecity Mon, 03 Sep 2012 22:49:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=178844#comment-1524207 BTW early posters, it's spelled Kirtland, not Kirkland. (Not lost in a Star Trek haze, I hope?) Anyone taking off in daylight from the adjacent Albuquerque airport ("Sunport" in CofC talk) can see it as your plane ascends Eastward.  BTW early posters, it’s spelled Kirtland, not Kirkland. (Not lost in a Star Trek haze, I hope?) Anyone taking off in daylight from the adjacent Albuquerque airport (“Sunport” in CofC talk) can see it as your plane ascends Eastward. 

]]> By: GrumpySteen http://boingboing.net/2012/08/30/the-trestle-kirtland-air-forc.html#comment-1522549 GrumpySteen Fri, 31 Aug 2012 15:55:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=178844#comment-1522549 The temple is quite a bit smaller (170' x 190' x 154') than the trestle (1000' x 600' x 200').  You could stack four of the temples just in space of the large platform the planes sit on. The hangar takes up a similar amount of land space (1000' x 254') but is only one third as tall, plus it is made with metal components (nails, nuts, bolts, shear plates, etc.).  The Trestle's nuts and bolts and other hardware are made of wood. The temple is quite a bit smaller (170′ x 190′ x 154′) than the trestle (1000′ x 600′ x 200′).  You could stack four of the temples just in space of the large platform the planes sit on.

The hangar takes up a similar amount of land space (1000′ x 254′) but is only one third as tall, plus it is made with metal components (nails, nuts, bolts, shear plates, etc.).  The Trestle’s nuts and bolts and other hardware are made of wood.

]]> By: awjt http://boingboing.net/2012/08/30/the-trestle-kirtland-air-forc.html#comment-1522456 awjt Fri, 31 Aug 2012 14:41:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=178844#comment-1522456 Whoah!  Intense!  I count THREE fences. And you can see all the underground bunker entrances scattered around the roads. Whoah!  Intense!  I count THREE fences. And you can see all the underground bunker entrances scattered around the roads.

]]> By: Robert Baruch http://boingboing.net/2012/08/30/the-trestle-kirtland-air-forc.html#comment-1522450 Robert Baruch Fri, 31 Aug 2012 14:35:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=178844#comment-1522450 But will they pick up all the shreds afterwards and haul it away? But will they pick up all the shreds afterwards and haul it away?

]]> By: Rick Kiefer http://boingboing.net/2012/08/30/the-trestle-kirtland-air-forc.html#comment-1522416 Rick Kiefer Fri, 31 Aug 2012 13:51:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=178844#comment-1522416 As a veteran of the Army Corp of Engineers the units are always looking for stuff for training to blow up. Really... I don't understand why this thing couldn't be used as training to learn to rig with explosives and blow up... That or get Myth Busters involved they love to blow stuff up. As a veteran of the Army Corp of Engineers the units are always looking for stuff for training to blow up. Really… I don’t understand why this thing couldn’t be used as training to learn to rig with explosives and blow up… That or get Myth Busters involved they love to blow stuff up.

]]> By: Calton http://boingboing.net/2012/08/30/the-trestle-kirtland-air-forc.html#comment-1522378 Calton Fri, 31 Aug 2012 10:40:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=178844#comment-1522378 "the Trestle is still the largest all-wooden structure in the world" Sez who? The blimp hangar in Tillamook, Oregon or the Todai-ji temple in Nara, Japan don't count? “the Trestle is still the largest all-wooden structure in the world”

Sez who? The blimp hangar in Tillamook, Oregon or the Todai-ji temple in Nara, Japan don’t count?

]]> By: Bart http://boingboing.net/2012/08/30/the-trestle-kirtland-air-forc.html#comment-1522326 Bart Fri, 31 Aug 2012 06:03:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=178844#comment-1522326 I was doing some work at Sandia, but had to process through the Kirkland gate to get to the Sandia buildings I was working in. Once on base, I let people who worked there full time drive me around (no need getting shot for asking where they keep the nuclear wessils.) Once you got away from the main groups of buildings, it wasn't clear (to me as a civilian) what was Sandia and what was Kirkland other than there were some really weird/ cool looking buildings that no one in the car seemed to know what they did. The Tressel is the one that sticks in my mind. We did drive out fairly close to 4 hills one day because there was a cafe that the Sandia guys liked out there somewhere. (Plus they liked freaking out the civilian).  I was doing some work at Sandia, but had to process through the Kirkland gate to get to the Sandia buildings I was working in. Once on base, I let people who worked there full time drive me around (no need getting shot for asking where they keep the nuclear wessils.) Once you got away from the main groups of buildings, it wasn’t clear (to me as a civilian) what was Sandia and what was Kirkland other than there were some really weird/ cool looking buildings that no one in the car seemed to know what they did. The Tressel is the one that sticks in my mind.
We did drive out fairly close to 4 hills one day because there was a cafe that the Sandia guys liked out there somewhere. (Plus they liked freaking out the civilian). 

]]> By: Mark Dow http://boingboing.net/2012/08/30/the-trestle-kirtland-air-forc.html#comment-1522291 Mark Dow Fri, 31 Aug 2012 03:57:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=178844#comment-1522291 4 miles E-SE of The Trestle, big fence. 4 miles E-SE of The Trestle, big fence.

]]> By: awjt http://boingboing.net/2012/08/30/the-trestle-kirtland-air-forc.html#comment-1522252 awjt Fri, 31 Aug 2012 02:33:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=178844#comment-1522252 Where on Google maps is 4 hills?  Where's the line? Where on Google maps is 4 hills?  Where’s the line?

]]> By: Shaun Thompson http://boingboing.net/2012/08/30/the-trestle-kirtland-air-forc.html#comment-1522221 Shaun Thompson Fri, 31 Aug 2012 01:38:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=178844#comment-1522221 Thats the tower of power. It is, as the previous reply stated, a concentrated solar installation. On clear days you can see the top of the tower lit up. I haven't been out there for years but they used to have slabs of steel sitting outside that they melted through using this concentrator. Thats the tower of power. It is, as the previous reply stated, a concentrated solar installation. On clear days you can see the top of the tower lit up. I haven’t been out there for years but they used to have slabs of steel sitting outside that they melted through using this concentrator.

]]> By: Bob Faull http://boingboing.net/2012/08/30/the-trestle-kirtland-air-forc.html#comment-1522111 Bob Faull Thu, 30 Aug 2012 23:08:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=178844#comment-1522111 Minor correction: the Coney Island Cyclone is mostly steel.  The rails are on a wood bed and it's therefore considered a wood coaster, but the support structure is mostly (if not all) steel. Minor correction: the Coney Island Cyclone is mostly steel.  The rails are on a wood bed and it’s therefore considered a wood coaster, but the support structure is mostly (if not all) steel.

]]> By: Doran http://boingboing.net/2012/08/30/the-trestle-kirtland-air-forc.html#comment-1522006 Doran Thu, 30 Aug 2012 21:47:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=178844#comment-1522006  Scroll down <a href="http://www.thelivingmoon.com/45jack_files/03files/Kirtland_AFB_Overview.html" rel="nofollow">this page</a> for some historical photos, along with higher-res recent photos.  Scroll down this page for some historical photos, along with higher-res recent photos.

]]> By: Doran http://boingboing.net/2012/08/30/the-trestle-kirtland-air-forc.html#comment-1522004 Doran Thu, 30 Aug 2012 21:46:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=178844#comment-1522004  Scroll down <a href="http://www.thelivingmoon.com/45jack_files/03files/Kirtland_AFB_Overview.html" rel="nofollow">this page</a> to see a photo of The Trestle with a B-52 on top of it.  Scroll down this page to see a photo of The Trestle with a B-52 on top of it.

]]> By: Scatter http://boingboing.net/2012/08/30/the-trestle-kirtland-air-forc.html#comment-1521984 Scatter Thu, 30 Aug 2012 21:37:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=178844#comment-1521984 Looks like a small concentrated solar power installation [apologies if this appears for a second time, tried to post and it didn't appear...] Looks like a small concentrated solar power installation

[apologies if this appears for a second time, tried to post and it didn't appear...]

]]> By: trackofalljades http://boingboing.net/2012/08/30/the-trestle-kirtland-air-forc.html#comment-1521970 trackofalljades Thu, 30 Aug 2012 21:25:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=178844#comment-1521970 ...on a related note, what is this crazy thing nearby? http://goo.gl/maps/ha6zY …on a related note, what is this crazy thing nearby?

http://goo.gl/maps/ha6zY

]]> By: billstewart http://boingboing.net/2012/08/30/the-trestle-kirtland-air-forc.html#comment-1521961 billstewart Thu, 30 Aug 2012 21:15:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=178844#comment-1521961 Some of my coworkers at Bell Labs used to take equipment there to test its EMP resistance.  There'd been an event in the 60s when a long haul copper cable got taken out by a solar flare, which was the origin of a lot of the testing and a lot of really interesting physics.  Back when phone switches were electromechanical, it usually didn't take too much work to make them EMP-tolerant (some capacitors to prevent relays from getting fried, etc.)  The newer electronic switching systems that came out in the 70s and especially 80s are a lot more sensitive - ICs as opposed to transistors or relays, etc.  On the other hand, these days the phone network is connected together by fiber optics instead of copper cables and microwave towers, so the long-haul networks are a lot less vulnerable than the endpoints.  Some of my coworkers at Bell Labs used to take equipment there to test its EMP resistance.  There’d been an event in the 60s when a long haul copper cable got taken out by a solar flare, which was the origin of a lot of the testing and a lot of really interesting physics.  Back when phone switches were electromechanical, it usually didn’t take too much work to make them EMP-tolerant (some capacitors to prevent relays from getting fried, etc.)  The newer electronic switching systems that came out in the 70s and especially 80s are a lot more sensitive – ICs as opposed to transistors or relays, etc.  On the other hand, these days the phone network is connected together by fiber optics instead of copper cables and microwave towers, so the long-haul networks are a lot less vulnerable than the endpoints. 

]]> By: Jonathan Carpenter http://boingboing.net/2012/08/30/the-trestle-kirtland-air-forc.html#comment-1521957 Jonathan Carpenter Thu, 30 Aug 2012 21:13:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=178844#comment-1521957 There is a movie about Trestle here http://www.ece.unm.edu/summa/notes/trestle_movie.html There is a movie about Trestle here http://www.ece.unm.edu/summa/notes/trestle_movie.html

]]> By: SomeGuyNamedMark http://boingboing.net/2012/08/30/the-trestle-kirtland-air-forc.html#comment-1521944 SomeGuyNamedMark Thu, 30 Aug 2012 21:00:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=178844#comment-1521944 "Mark Pilkington"?  Does he have a brother Karl by any chance? “Mark Pilkington”?  Does he have a brother Karl by any chance?

]]> By: SomeGuyNamedMark http://boingboing.net/2012/08/30/the-trestle-kirtland-air-forc.html#comment-1521942 SomeGuyNamedMark Thu, 30 Aug 2012 20:59:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=178844#comment-1521942  Even cheaper, let a bunch of contractors go at it for free lumber.  Even cheaper, let a bunch of contractors go at it for free lumber.

]]> By: Faring http://boingboing.net/2012/08/30/the-trestle-kirtland-air-forc.html#comment-1521934 Faring Thu, 30 Aug 2012 20:53:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=178844#comment-1521934 Too expensive to dismantle? I know the military budget gets tighter all the time, but we're talking 50 year old wood in a desert here. How much does a gallon of kerosene and a match cost? Too expensive to dismantle? I know the military budget gets tighter all the time, but we’re talking 50 year old wood in a desert here. How much does a gallon of kerosene and a match cost?

]]> By: dioptase http://boingboing.net/2012/08/30/the-trestle-kirtland-air-forc.html#comment-1521924 dioptase Thu, 30 Aug 2012 20:42:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=178844#comment-1521924  Kirkland and Sandia are different facilities.  They are located next to each other.  Sandia is the larger of the two. Kirkland also borders the airport.  You can often get a good view of the trestle (and a lot of the other oddities out at Sandia) while taking off and landing.  The trestle is the closest, positioned for planes to taxi right to it from the runway taxiways (which are shared between Kirkland and Albuquerque airport. Driving around Sandia/Kirkland, there are a bunch of fun things.  Don't drive too close to 4 Hills.  That is where they store nuclear warheads.  It's surrounded by several fences and minefields.  Drive past a certain line on the road there, and they shoot you.  Literally shoot first, ask questions later. Take a a turn and you go past huge centrifuges, nuclear blast simulators, rocket test tracks, and a whole lot of desert.  Kirkland and Sandia are different facilities.  They are located next to each other.  Sandia is the larger of the two.

Kirkland also borders the airport.  You can often get a good view of the trestle (and a lot of the other oddities out at Sandia) while taking off and landing.  The trestle is the closest, positioned for planes to taxi right to it from the runway taxiways (which are shared between Kirkland and Albuquerque airport.

Driving around Sandia/Kirkland, there are a bunch of fun things.  Don’t drive too close to 4 Hills.  That is where they store nuclear warheads.  It’s surrounded by several fences and minefields.  Drive past a certain line on the road there, and they shoot you.  Literally shoot first, ask questions later.

Take a a turn and you go past huge centrifuges, nuclear blast simulators, rocket test tracks, and a whole lot of desert.

]]> By: Mark Dow http://boingboing.net/2012/08/30/the-trestle-kirtland-air-forc.html#comment-1521922 Mark Dow Thu, 30 Aug 2012 20:39:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=178844#comment-1521922 "The Marx generator providing the EMP pulse generated 200 gigawatts of electromagnetic flux at an electrical potential of 10 megavolts." “The Marx generator providing the EMP pulse generated 200 gigawatts of electromagnetic flux at an electrical potential of 10 megavolts.”

]]> By: MrsBug http://boingboing.net/2012/08/30/the-trestle-kirtland-air-forc.html#comment-1521911 MrsBug Thu, 30 Aug 2012 20:28:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=178844#comment-1521911  Thank you. My question was going to be "can we get some perspective on its size?" The picture makes it difficult to parse out how big it is.  Thank you. My question was going to be “can we get some perspective on its size?” The picture makes it difficult to parse out how big it is.

]]> By: Ito Kagehisa http://boingboing.net/2012/08/30/the-trestle-kirtland-air-forc.html#comment-1521903 Ito Kagehisa Thu, 30 Aug 2012 20:23:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=178844#comment-1521903 If (like me) you instantly thought, "Hey, Great Horned Owls hoot, they don't screech!" you should check out the cry of their young - http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Great_Horned_Owl/sounds If (like me) you instantly thought, “Hey, Great Horned Owls hoot, they don’t screech!” you should check out the cry of their young -

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Great_Horned_Owl/sounds

]]> By: LaylaSV http://boingboing.net/2012/08/30/the-trestle-kirtland-air-forc.html#comment-1521899 LaylaSV Thu, 30 Aug 2012 20:20:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=178844#comment-1521899 If their mission was trying to incite their audience to slap them upside the head; achievement unlocked. If their mission was trying to incite their audience to slap them upside the head; achievement unlocked.

]]> By: xzzy http://boingboing.net/2012/08/30/the-trestle-kirtland-air-forc.html#comment-1521889 xzzy Thu, 30 Aug 2012 20:05:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=178844#comment-1521889 Fun factoid by looking at it in google maps: the trestle is roughly the size of a single fairway on a golf course. Fun factoid by looking at it in google maps: the trestle is roughly the size of a single fairway on a golf course.

]]> By: winkybb http://boingboing.net/2012/08/30/the-trestle-kirtland-air-forc.html#comment-1521885 winkybb Thu, 30 Aug 2012 20:02:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=178844#comment-1521885 Yes. What a POS. Evidently, not a design studio one should ever consider using if one wanted the outcome to be a design that actually worked. I think that there is irony in abundance here. Yes. What a POS. Evidently, not a design studio one should ever consider using if one wanted the outcome to be a design that actually worked. I think that there is irony in abundance here.

]]> By: Rod Kratochwill http://boingboing.net/2012/08/30/the-trestle-kirtland-air-forc.html#comment-1521879 Rod Kratochwill Thu, 30 Aug 2012 19:58:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=178844#comment-1521879 https://maps.google.com/maps?q=Sandia+National+Laboratories,+Eubank+Boulevard+Southeast,+Albuquerque,+NM&hl=en&ll=35.029654,-106.557566&spn=0.003532,0.007655&sll=31.968474,-105.765381&sspn=1.873297,3.919373&oq=Sandia+National+&t=h&hq=Sandia+National+Laboratories,+Eubank+Boulevard+Southeast,+Albuquerque,+NM&z=18 https://maps.google.com/maps?q=Sandia+National+Laboratories,+Eubank+Boulevard+Southeast,+Albuquerque,+NM&hl=en&ll=35.029654,-106.557566&spn=0.003532,0.007655&sll=31.968474,-105.765381&sspn=1.873297,3.919373&oq=Sandia+National+&t=h&hq=Sandia+National+Laboratories,+Eubank+Boulevard+Southeast,+Albuquerque,+NM&z=18

]]> By: itsgene http://boingboing.net/2012/08/30/the-trestle-kirtland-air-forc.html#comment-1521872 itsgene Thu, 30 Aug 2012 19:54:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=178844#comment-1521872 Does anyone have a translator for their impenetrable website? Gah. Does anyone have a translator for their impenetrable website? Gah.

]]> By: jaypee http://boingboing.net/2012/08/30/the-trestle-kirtland-air-forc.html#comment-1521864 jaypee Thu, 30 Aug 2012 19:50:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=178844#comment-1521864 Here's the Wikipedia article for the test: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ATLAS-I Here’s the Wikipedia article for the test:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ATLAS-I

]]>