Keeping the blogosphere posted on the goings on of the world of submarines since late 2004... and mocking and belittling general foolishness wherever it may be found. Idaho's first and foremost submarine blog. (If you don't like something on this blog, please E-mail me; don't call me at home.)

Sunday, December 11, 2005

Photo Of NPTU Ballston Spa

In an earlier post, I had overhead pictures of the nuclear training facilities in Charleston I had culled from Google Maps, but not of NPTU Ballston Spa in New York. I search half-heartedly for some on the 'net, but no joy. Tonight, from an article on alleged Chinese spies I found via The Sub Report, what to my wondering eyes should appear but -- this photo that's supposed to be of the prototype site:

So now I have pictures of both active NPTUs up. Of the older prototype sites, I had a hard time finding anything about the Windsor Locks, Connecticut, site, but I did find this overhead pic of NRF Idaho (where I was stationed twice):

Pretty desolate, huh? Oh, and regarding the story about the Chinese alleged spies having a hand-drawn map of the NPTU Ballston Spa site -- why the hell would they want that? I mean, what's the point? If their case ever comes to trial, that should be considered a mitigating factor: "Look, your honor, my clients are clearly incompetent. No spy worth anything would figure that a map of a prototype site dozens of years old would be worth anything..."

Going deep...

9 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

Lol, your comment on the hand drawing of the base really made me laugh. On a former unit we were on a training exercise with a japanese submarine and had 2 officers riding during the period in case there were any language barriers. Needless to say, these annoying critters could not enter the engine room and both smoked crazily so we gave them a smoking area in the laundry on our 688.
The first thing I noticed was that when in the control room for pd ops, briefs, and tracking they always carried tiny voice recorders to record everything discussed and said. They did it non chalantly, but it was plainly obvious, LOL.
About the 3rd or 4th day into the op, I went for a post watch tour in machinery room and saw one of the two paying abnormaly close attention to #1 scrubber.....
As I entered machinery room I gave him a hi and then toured and returned to the door while talking to my machinery room watch (my guy), I glanced over the shoulder of the officer and noticed that he was meticulously copying the piping diagram off of the face of the scrubber into his notebook. LOL. Who knows how long it will take them to figure out what the kitty litter smelling machine that makes alot of noise is? bwahahaha....

12/12/2005 1:22 AM

 
Blogger geezernuke said...

I can confirm that this is a photo of the NPTU Balston Spa, AKA Kesselring Site. I spent 2 tours, one as student (1958) and one as Instructor 10 yrs later. Although it didnt have so many buildings then. The grassy spot at the upper right is where the remains of the Seawolf's Sodium Cooled Reactor Vessel was once "stored". It may not be there now, but when I last observed it would always be the spot to thaw first in the spring.

12/12/2005 11:38 PM

 
Blogger EM1derful said...

Ah, NPTU. I have two pictures like that. One, identical to that one, that the CO signed on my re-enlistment. The other came with my NAM, but it's the "cool new" Autumn colored picture.
Oh, as for hand drawn maps - It's not in Google Maps, but there is a new overlay giving a pretty good view in Google Earth. It shows it how it should be remembered, frozen and snow covered.
Of course, I never went to Idaho...but I've heard about it.

12/13/2005 5:38 AM

 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Try Wikipedia. If you look around the map of Ballston Spa you can find a snow covered NPTU.

12/01/2006 8:40 AM

 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

i am currently working at the marf plant, let me be the first to tell you, chinese or whoever, i wouldnt bother with our site, its pretty much the oldest POS of all time, you couldnt get through our divine security anyways, and even if you did, any nasties you desire to do would be a huge waste of your time... although, if marf blew up i would have to go to work tomorrow... hmmmm... :)

2/08/2008 9:47 AM

 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

That is NPTU. As an unfortunate soul who managed to be qualified ELT at all 4 plants there over 2 tours, I will attest to that. I helped shutdown S3G and now D1G is defueled as well.

5/12/2008 5:47 AM

 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

was supposed to go to the rodless wonder, MARF, "Merely Awaiting Reactor Fill", but a major primary to secondary leak, and badly contaminated secondary plant weekend before I started in 1984 during racing season at Saratoga sent me to D1G.

Proud member of ComNavSixpack since 1988, and Longhorn Grad 1994, working as oil field trash, former ET2 Ed Moran.

NEC 3383 on the USS Chuck Wagon (CVN-70) where aviation ruled and nukes were an annoyance.

5/30/2010 5:46 PM

 
Anonymous sildenafil said...

I've heard it was not really an spa it was an secret building that NASA and the government built to distract people to achieve their purposes.m10m

3/10/2011 10:17 AM

 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I'm surprised none of you talkedm about the underground river that goes into the "BALL"

9/27/2011 7:39 PM

 

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