Forgot an important one, the East Broad top is also worth a stop and see.
digitalgriffen and Randy, thanks for your responses to my question. Now that I think about it, it was Harrisburg/Altoona that was close to T.M.I. and I do intend to visit there as well, to relive a cherished boyhood trip with my Dad to Horseshoe Curve and the Altoona shops. I’ll google map search again, but if memory serves, T.M.I. was approx. 10-15 miles away.
TMI is in Middletown, Pa. According to Google, from Middletown to Altoona is more like 140 miles.
This is what I’m seeing on this link. Am I mistaken that the map key shows 2mi. per segment (inch?).
Maybe the radiation has already gotten to me? [^o)]
TMI is just down the river from Harrisburg. You can see it from the turnpike bridge over the river. It is NOT that close to Altoona at all. I’m not aware of a nuclear plant near Altoona. In fact, at the scale and center location displayed by using your Google map links, you can’t even see downtown Harrisburg - it’s to the north and slightly west of the top edge of the map. Altoona is no where near there.
Follow the river south from TMI and just before the Maryland border you’ll find Peach Bottom. It’s just above and to the left of the label for Fulton Township, and appears to actually be redacted from the satellite image. All you see are some blue and white diagonal lines over there area where I’m pretty sure the power plant is.
–Randy
Maybe we’re misunderstanding what you said. Yes, Harrisburg is close to TMI. But the way your post was worded (I believe you typed Harrisburg/Altoona) made it sound like you thought that both places were close to each other, and they were both near TMI.
One other thing that might be of interest to you. If you follow route 441 south out of Middletown to where you see TMI, you’ll see a bridge that connects TMI to Rt 441. If you zoom in real close, you’ll notice that there is a railroad track that runs right down the middle. That’s how they bring in and take out those big railroad cask cars that carry the “bad” stuff.
That would be the Railroad Museum of New England and the affiliated Naugatuck Valley Railroad, actually in Thomaston (a little East of Danbury). Nice place, beautiful scenery – especially this time of year. Vintage coaches and old diesels (an F7 and an RS-2 or 3) all done up in vintage New Haven livery.
Personally, I’m partial to the Valley Railroad / Essex Steam Train in Essex CT… but that’s probably because I volunteer there.
No, it’s not “redacted”. I assume you’re speaking of those 5 diagonal lines. If you zoom in on them you’ll see that what you’re looking at are three banks of mechanical draft cooling towers, plus two empty strips where it appears that they can add two more cooling tower banks. I believe that Peach Bottom does not have the large natural draft cooling towers like you’d see at Limerick (and the baby one at Titus Station near you).
Just to the left and up a bit from the upper bank of cooling towers you’ll see one long rectangular building with two smaller attached square buildings. The larger building is what is called the turbine building. The two smaller buildings are the reactor buildings. If I remember correctly, the upper or northern part of the building is unit 3, and the lower portion is unit 2.
To the left of the second bank of cooling towers you’ll see a smaller building with a domed structure. This is Peach Bottom unit 1. That unit was retired (I believe) prior to 1970.
One of my first jobs was to walk with the unit 2 reactor vessel as it was transported from Havre de Grace Maryland to the jobsite. And I worked there later (maybe starting in 1973) when the units were started.
Oh, I almost forgot. To keep this railroad related, there was a railroad siding that came on site from, I believe, the MA and PA. And there were tracks branching off this siding that ran into the turbine building.
And, at the risk of continuing the OT part of this thread, I’m now speaking as a former Submarine Officer who grew up in Pennsylvania and lived in State College (that’s about 90 miles from TMI) during the 1974.
I think others have pointed out the errors in Pennsylvania geography sufficiently.
However, nuclear events are described in one of two ways, an incident, which has purely local consequences / effects, and an accident, which may cause some effects beyond the containment system of the reactor. The 1979 loss of coolant casualty was an accident. The one a few years back was an incident.
Incidents aren’t that rare, but because the reactors safeguards prevent release of radioactive materials, it’s not anything to worry about. Accidents can be a problem, but although Chernobyl was certainly the cause of thousands of deaths, none have been conclusively linked to TMI.
There are also “accidental releases”, in which radioactive materials reach the outside environment, but in volumes too small to be measured.
With all due respect to the local farmers of Southeastern PA. I don’t think too many of them have the education or inclination to understand the true situation (although having lived through it, I admit that the constant, frequently conflicting reports from TMI were unsettling).
The problem with radiation is that people are afraid of it because it’s deadly (in large enough amounts) and can’t be seen or felt. Never mind that we all wallow in it all day, every day from various natural sources. In my 2 1/2 years on a submarine, I got less exposure than my wife, who was on shore for the entire period.
Want to worry about something deadly? Look at all the distracted drivers out there, that cigarette in your hand, or the pile of fried food on your plate! That’s what’ll shorten your life.
Or the distracted driver with a cigarette in his hand plus a pile of fried food on a plate in his lap.
Thanks for your responses to my questions regarding the T.M.I./railroad museums and geography of PA.
Yes, it was the Harrisburg area that I was most concerned about. Back to the OP’soriginal intent of the thread. Have a great trip!
C.G.
I have also been to both the Steamtown (2 times) and the PRR Museum (also 2 times) and it is a tough call. However, the PRR being literally across the street from the Strausburg RR is a bonus and it is an enjoyable trip through the Amish country. The Caboose Motel is a bunch of caboose’s remodeled into motel rooms (haven’t stayed there) AND the Toy Train Museum is also down the road from the PRR Museum. The TTM is worth visiting as it is full of mint Lionel and American Fllyer trains and layouts, plus some very old Ives and other trains. I also went on a dinner train ride with my son and daughter-in-law for father’s day one year and that was a blast. I guess I would go for the PRR because of all the extras.
Bob
Wouldn’t all that make it hard for the driver to send text messages?
I’ve only been to Strasburg so I can’t compare it to the others, but I give it [tup][tup]. The equipment has been restored to outstanding condition. In addition, it offers a short train ride through the Amish country and there are some nice MR layouts as well.
Amen, brother!