[R-390] CAD Welding-RR Thermite welds

[mikea]

On Thu, Jul 30, 2009 at 02:56:32PM -0500, William J. Neill wrote:
> Ah, ye speak of the joys of field welds with 1,400' stalks of welded  
> rail, perchance?
> 
> Or signal bonds maybe?
> 
> "Dispatcher, this is gonna take about two hours before we can run any  
> trains."
> 
> Of course, back in my USASA days, Thermite grenades had an entirely  
> different use.

M1A1 Safe Destroyer instructions: 

 "Twist the three red wires together; twist the three green wires
 together; connect one set of wires to each terminal of a 12V automotive
 battery. Alternatively, put your finger through the pull ring on the
 friction igniter, pull it firmly. Leave the area *IMMEDIATELY*!"

A co-worker told me that he and his crew used lots of them, one or two
per rack, as part of shutting down a comm center in Turkey some time
before 1965, when I met him, and that smoke was still coming out of the
joint around the main door two weeks later.

R-390 connection: They had lots of 'em, and a Wullenweber CDAA. Before
the M1A1s were used, only the tubes glowed; after they were used, _lots_
more stuff glowed.

-- 
Mike Andrews, W5EGO
mikea at mikea.ath.cx
Tired old sysadmin