Rode out to the old power plant in Gary last weekend

I've always thought those decommissioned plants were just rust buckets waiting to fall over. But walking through the turbine hall at the State Line Generating Station changed my mind. The way those old boilers were laid out, with the tube banks and superheaters still visible, it's like a history lesson in welding and pressure vessels. The sheer scale of the drums and headers made me appreciate what the guys who built that place in the 1920s had to deal with. Has anyone else toured an old plant and picked up tips just from looking at the construction?

2 comments

2 Comments

king.aaron1mo agoTop Commenter

There's something about "those old boilers" that just says "good luck finding replacement parts when one blows". I'd rather spend my time looking at something built this century that doesn't require a crane and a hazmat suit to get a look at the pipes.

phoenix_adams601mo ago

You're not wrong about the whole hazmat suit thing, that's for sure. But in my experience, those old boilers are actually simpler in a weird way. Less electronic junk to go bad, just a big hunk of steel and some basic controls. The trick is finding a guy who still knows how to work on them, not a part on a shelf. And for the record, if you do pick a modern one, make sure you research the warranty coverage really careful. Some of those new units save energy until a board fries and you're out a thousand bucks just for the diagnosis. Your mileage may vary of course, but I've seen both sides of that coin more times than I can count.