Fascinating entry on Wikipedia. Look at pictures of the railroad tracks in the atrium between the buildings. At the time of their building, 1918, they were the largest concrete buildings in the world.
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Makes for a big target , in modern warfare
@Dave Koehler posted:Makes for a big target , in modern warfare
What do you consider "modern warfare"? The Army decommissioned the whole complex in 1969, and it hasn't been an Army base since.
The NYC Transit Museum owes its existence to the BAT. When the TA was scrapping older equipment in the late 70s, several specimens of the older cars were quietly hidden in the BAT for preservation purposes. I recall seeing them on a fantrip to NYC, along with Clark 1000, the prototype for the PCC...
Mitch
Mitch - that’s a pearl. Any chance you have some pictures you can post from that trip?
That's pretty cool Mark. It's amazing how many old military buildings are scattered around NYC. Some huge armories in Manhattan too.
I was in one of the old Piers on the Navy yard site years ago. I used to do theater and trade show lighting and staging work, and the company I worked for owned a couple old Army search lights. I was able to work the light one year for the Macys 4th of July fireworks show on the East River. We all met up there in the morning to get our instructions. It was cool to see an assembly of over 20 of these old lights. Ours ran on 90VDC and was rated at 800,000 candle power! The lights used carbon rods to produce the light. Like a giant arc welder. I wound up being stationed at the base of the 59th St bridge for the show. Fun times!
Bob
@Mark V. Spadaro posted:Mitch - that’s a pearl. Any chance you have some pictures you can post from that trip?
Alas, no. No pics allowed, as technically the rolling stock wasn't supposed to be there... ;-)
I found lots of great pics of the BAT in the fifties but I don't know how to post them without violating the Forum copyright rules.
Jerry
You can post links.
I found quite a few excellent photos of the Brooklyn Army Terminal during the 40's and 50's at Trainweb. Brooklyn Public Library Archives.
http://members.trainweb.com/bedt/milrr/bat.html
Jerry
Jerry, thank you. Most interesting.
Dan Weinhold
@Hot Water posted:What do you consider "modern warfare"? The Army decommissioned the whole complex in 1969, and it hasn't been an Army base since.
Pre ICBM. that probably why its no a base any more.
