Off Topic: General Electric question

[Hotbox]

I attended the auction at the Broadway plant a couple weeks back, and in general discussion one of the auctioneers made a claim that I found challenging to believe. Perhaps one of you might know more?

I was in the 5 story (above ground) building that parallels the CF&E tracks between Broadway and College streets for the pre bid walk through. I was startled to see how modern the factory area was and mentioned to the auctioneer that I was expecting to see something a little more "Freddy Krueger"ish.

He laughed, and said that they had Freddy Krueger. And before taking me up to the third floor on the elevator, he took me down into a basement area, to a rather large, dark, cavernous area, and told me that to the left (west) was a tunnel that extended all the way to the GE Taylor street plant. For this to be true it would have had to run down Wall street, and under the St Mary's river.

Is this true? any of you familiar with "the tunnel"? I'm guessing an air raid shelter perhaps?

[Mark]

Yes it is true.
it is a utilities tunnel.
A few decades back, they, (we ,37 years), had to replace the wiring to above ground.The tunnel at the Taylor st. end could no longer be used.As a side note, I have one of the explosion proof light fixtures from the old covered coalbelt.

Thanks

Mark

[cjberndt]

Drawings show a utility tunnel between the buildings on both sides of Broadway, but I've never seen any drawings or anything else showing a tunnel between the Broadway and Taylor plants. When the Taylor St. powerhouse generated steam for Broadway it was piped along the PRR tracks. The pipes are still there.

Why would they have electric service between plants that far apart? Was it a low-voltage control signal? Was there an electric conduit alongside the steam pipes?

Craig

[Hotbox]

Yes it is true.
it is a utilities tunnel.
A few decades back, they, (we ,37 years), had to replace the wiring to above ground.
Thanks

Mark

Is that the "telephone cable" looking bundle that spans the river on wooden posts? (near the Essex cooling towers) Seems like I remember those all the way back when I used to boat on the rivers back in the early 70's