Vegas and the Hoover Dam trip Part 2 in Misc. Thoughts opinions, the whole trash can.

The tours have changed since 911. They don’t do the “Hard Hat tour” like they once did. On the dam face side on the top of the dam are three elevators one on the Nevada side, one on the Arizona side and one in the center. There were ticket offices housed at one time, but since have closed. All now is accessed through the “new” visitors center. The tour is still good, but is only 30 to 40 minutes maximum now.

A poor picture, but the glass in the room caused this. The big black pipe is a pen stock delivery pipe coming from the intake towers on the Nevada side. There is another set of Generators on the Arizona side. Although muffled in this room, you can hear the water rushing in the pipe. Also you can feel the vibration as well. Our last pre 911 tour..this area was uncovered and even louder.

you can see a draftsman’s plan drawing showing the penstock delivery and the penstocks to the generators. The main delivery penstock is 30 feet in diameter. The penstock to the generators are 13 feet in diameter. The water will exit out of the tailrace in between.

This shows the row of generators on the Nevada side. Nevada SIX is off line and having maintenance. This bank of generators houses about 400 feet, Add 250 more feet That is the thickness of the base of the dam.

The armature out of generator Nevada SIX .. This weighs about 650 tons. . The small enclosed generator in the floor, generates electricity for the entire needs of the Hoover Dam facility only.

A shot of the Terrazzo flooring. You can see the art deco design. The depiction is a outlet in the center the “little domes” are the generators on the Nevada and Arizona sides. These Terrazzo floors are 3 inches thick. They were donated by a family at a cost of $60,000 dollars. replacement cost today well over several million.

Another art deco design. This is depicting water and the flow around a spinning generator.

Continued on Part 3