Lyndon
Bronze Member
I started working for The Alaska Pipeline, also called Alyeska, or APSC(Alyeska Pipeline Service Co.) in 94 as an electrical inspector. When I was hired they said it would only be for 9 months, but I managed to stay on that one project for almost 2 years. Later I worked a succession of projects, the entire 800 Mile length. This is just one of hundreds of "Stories of the Pipeline".
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We were upgrading some remote installations along the pipeline 'Right of Way' near Valdez in the winter. I had 3 or 4 electricians out at this remote spot only accessable by Snow Cat. It took them a couple of day's to complete the work and I needed to inspect it when they got done. We arrainged to have the Snow Cat operator drive out of the remote location after lunch and pick me up off a place along the nearest highway. At the appointed time I met up with the Operator and climbed in to a fairly new Bombardier Ski Dozer that was equipped with a seperate "Man Box" on the back that was removable. It would seat 10 or 12 people, had a "Pop Top" and double doors in the rear. We crossed a frozen river and drove some miles back into the remote location. On the way in, asending a long steep hill we spotted a Hard hat, a coffey cooler and a firextinguisher that had apparently fallen off on their earlier trip in. Seems the double doors on the back kept poping open and didn't want to stay latched. We got to the "RGV"(Remote Gate Valve) where the electricians were just finishing up the work, I inspected and signed off the installation and we packed up to leave. They had a Power Pipe threader, a couple of ladders, a generator, pipe benders and their hand tools. Amazingly a small extension ladder fit inside the man Box by placing it diagonally from one corner to the other and the crew jumped in and we tied the door shut with a piece of wire so that it wouldn't keep poping open. I climbed into the cab with the operator, we donned our hearing protection(ear muffs somewhat like headphones) and headed back down to the trucks. The Bombardier was powered by the same dodge Turbo Cummings diesel that is in the Pick-up's. It was a "2 Stick Steer" snow cat and very noisy. About half way back to the highway the operator thought he heard something and sure enough the crew in the Man box were all hanging out the "Pop Top" beating on the roof of the Cab. Seems a fairly good sized fire extinguisher had tipped over and discharged. Because of the extension ladder and the door being tied they couldn't reach it and had been quite thoroughly 'gassed out' buy it. Nobody got hurt and in the end it was quite comical.
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We were upgrading some remote installations along the pipeline 'Right of Way' near Valdez in the winter. I had 3 or 4 electricians out at this remote spot only accessable by Snow Cat. It took them a couple of day's to complete the work and I needed to inspect it when they got done. We arrainged to have the Snow Cat operator drive out of the remote location after lunch and pick me up off a place along the nearest highway. At the appointed time I met up with the Operator and climbed in to a fairly new Bombardier Ski Dozer that was equipped with a seperate "Man Box" on the back that was removable. It would seat 10 or 12 people, had a "Pop Top" and double doors in the rear. We crossed a frozen river and drove some miles back into the remote location. On the way in, asending a long steep hill we spotted a Hard hat, a coffey cooler and a firextinguisher that had apparently fallen off on their earlier trip in. Seems the double doors on the back kept poping open and didn't want to stay latched. We got to the "RGV"(Remote Gate Valve) where the electricians were just finishing up the work, I inspected and signed off the installation and we packed up to leave. They had a Power Pipe threader, a couple of ladders, a generator, pipe benders and their hand tools. Amazingly a small extension ladder fit inside the man Box by placing it diagonally from one corner to the other and the crew jumped in and we tied the door shut with a piece of wire so that it wouldn't keep poping open. I climbed into the cab with the operator, we donned our hearing protection(ear muffs somewhat like headphones) and headed back down to the trucks. The Bombardier was powered by the same dodge Turbo Cummings diesel that is in the Pick-up's. It was a "2 Stick Steer" snow cat and very noisy. About half way back to the highway the operator thought he heard something and sure enough the crew in the Man box were all hanging out the "Pop Top" beating on the roof of the Cab. Seems a fairly good sized fire extinguisher had tipped over and discharged. Because of the extension ladder and the door being tied they couldn't reach it and had been quite thoroughly 'gassed out' buy it. Nobody got hurt and in the end it was quite comical.
