Pro tip: Check the old stuff at the power plant museum in Hammond

I took my kid to the Indiana Harbor Belt Railroad Museum last weekend. They have a whole section on the old power plant boilers from the 1920s. I was looking at the rivet patterns on a sectioned boiler drum, and the spacing was way tighter than I expected for the pressure rating. It made me realize how much our safety margins and weld techniques have improved. The guide said they ran that thing for 40 years with only basic inspections. Makes you appreciate the code books. Has anyone else seen an old setup that made you think about how we do things now?

2 comments

2 Comments

betht321mo agoMost Upvoted

The guide said they ran it for 40 years with only basic checks? I mean, that's wild to me. I can't imagine trusting a boiler from the 20s with just a basic look over. The thought of the pressure in that thing makes me nervous just hearing about it.

claire9581mo ago

Sounds like it worked fine though!