Quote:
Originally Posted by IROC
That picture above is from what was called the Low-Intensity Test Reactor. It was built around 1950 right in the middle of the Oak Ridge National Lab campus to check out different operational issues and to train operators. That picture appeared on the cover of the Scientific American magazine's October 1951 issue.
ORNL built and operated many reactors over the years (13 of them, I believe), including one designed to power an airplane. If you drive interstate 40 west of Knoxville in the winter time (no leaves on the trees) you can still see the giant towers they used to lift a reactor up in the air to measure radiation doses/shielding studies. Here's a picture of the reactor suspended in the air.. Crazy stuff back then:
|
Thanks for this info. It's like a radioactive edition of antiques roadshow! Sure enough, it is identical to that issue. Based on this, my wife and I are thinking he got this picture with his certificate as a general gift for his service. Probably given out to everyone. I had wondered how he got his hands on color film back then! Thanks again.
p.s.- to add a story ( I know this is becoming an Oak Ridge threadjack, but I will keep it short.) Oak Ridge was a dry town but people smuggled in liquor regularly. According to my wife, her grandfather would pick up liquor in nearby towns, hide it in the wheel wells, and drive back to oak ridge. He would then have my wife's mom (a kid at the time) come along. On the way back, he instructed her to pretend she was asleep in the backseat so the guards wouldn't do an in depth search of the car as they re-entered!
