44 yrs ago yesterday, March 25, 1975, I was on the crew that placed the first piece of pipe of the Trans-Alaska PIPELINE. It was at the Tonsina river crossing. All the way to the tank farm in Valdez.
Hell Yeah Man! Im 19 right now and im going up to North Dakota to be a pipeline welder (Im in Utah now). I have my own rig and everything. Cant wait to get up there.
My dad, uncle, and several cousins were welders on this project. I’m a 3rd generation L.U798 pipeline welder. Keep hoping for another big project up there. I heard about a 42” dual lay around 10 years ago so I’m guessing it’s been axed. I’ve got around 15 years left so we’ll see what happens.??
Thanks for posting this piece of history. My 2-seconds of fame at 20:45 gawking at a joint of pipe coming up on Thompson Pass. Once it was dropped in the ditch we scrambled down and lined it up for the welders to go to work (beads and hot pass by the same guy as I recall, then move in the next joint and do it again). Once we got near the top it would snow daily and there would be a constant stream of melting snow running down the ditch; feet and hands got cold. Worked the line from Sour Dough to Valdez in "Uncle Bert's Pipe Gang" March-Nov. '76; was 19-yrs old when I got up there; 40 when I left :) The stories we all could tell about that job...
William Crowley.You were not the youngest.My buddy Brian Moss from washington was 17 .He had lied about his age and there may have been some younger than he,I was 18 in sept of 75 myself at Prudhoe bay.Brian was a teamster.
Thanks for posting this. Something I can share with my kids and grandkids. I helped build this massive pipeline with the base isolators used to mount the pipe.
Update: December 2021 My father was a big executive who was responsible for the welds on the pipeline. Biden voted against this massive project. Today, it is one of Six Engineering Marvels of The United States of America.
I remember we were working outside of cranbrook B.C on a hill just like that for a pipeline contractor and pop my dad got pissed and i got pissed and drop kicked his remote in the ditch and drug up in the moment. I love the work the guys the life, never help your dad, old school stuff lol. Rest in peace puffy.
My father was a big shot outta Delta camp Flying around in helicopters with him as a kid His name is Jack Brady Aka Yukon Jack He died of liver cancer about 11 years ago 😊
The pipeline never pumped any oil to Valdez ships bought pusian gulf oil to Valdez as they pumped sea chest water over board the oil was pumped to holding tanks of Valdez . Then pumped back to ship and sent to cherry p.t wash. Alpine oil was shipped to Japan .I'm the cheif gray wolf of the territory of Anwar Ak. I'm Michael Alaska Anwar shovhoshitnaya.
@Theone82 I've never heard of a blow out or leak on the 48 inch.Just a bullet hole one time.I disagree.I worked with the 798ers on the pipeline in 75 and 76.They could be a pain in the a^^.but they were good welders.I agree that it was no accident.
@Theone82 Yea I was on a repair crew.37 cut outs out of how many?That sounds minimal to me.must have been 1000s of joints.Been my experience that about half the time a repair is only in the mind of the one interpreting the xray.Half can be fixed by smoothing the cover pass with a grinder.In other words an irregularity on the surface.When all you can do for a living is put in a root bead you get pretty good at it.
44 yrs ago yesterday, March 25, 1975, I was on the crew that placed the first piece of pipe of the Trans-Alaska PIPELINE. It was at the Tonsina river crossing. All the way to the tank farm in Valdez.
Hell Yeah Man! Im 19 right now and im going up to North Dakota to be a pipeline welder (Im in Utah now). I have my own rig and everything. Cant wait to get up there.
My dad, uncle, and several cousins were welders on this project. I’m a 3rd generation L.U798 pipeline welder. Keep hoping for another big project up there. I heard about a 42” dual lay around 10 years ago so I’m guessing it’s been axed. I’ve got around 15 years left so we’ll see what happens.??
Just saw a video on TV about the Alaska pipeline what amazing job you guys did congratulations what a feat for United States of America
A wonder that Joe Biden voted against. Lets Go Brandon.
Thanks for posting this piece of history. My 2-seconds of fame at 20:45 gawking at a joint of pipe coming up on Thompson Pass. Once it was dropped in the ditch we scrambled down and lined it up for the welders to go to work (beads and hot pass by the same guy as I recall, then move in the next joint and do it again). Once we got near the top it would snow daily and there would be a constant stream of melting snow running down the ditch; feet and hands got cold. Worked the line from Sour Dough to Valdez in "Uncle Bert's Pipe Gang" March-Nov. '76; was 19-yrs old when I got up there; 40 when I left :) The stories we all could tell about that job...
Sept 1975 i was the youngest worker on the alaska pipeline as a 18 year old best time of my life
I was 6 months old in 1975.
William Crowley.You were not the youngest.My buddy Brian Moss from washington was 17 .He had lied about his age and there may have been some younger than he,I was 18 in sept of 75 myself at Prudhoe bay.Brian was a teamster.
Thanks for posting this. Something I can share with my kids and grandkids. I helped build this massive pipeline with the base isolators used to mount the pipe.
Lived in Fairbanks as a kid in the mid 70s my dad was the transportation manager for muckluk freight lines
It is a tribute to all the UNION workers that made this project a success!
Update: December 2021 My father was a big executive who was responsible for the welds on the pipeline. Biden voted against this massive project. Today, it is one of Six Engineering Marvels of The United States of America.
My Dad was a welder out of 798 on this pipeline. I didn't ask him enough questions. I'm going to go see this marvel!
A Pendleton Productions film. Dad was a producer, photographer, and editor on this one. Great piece - thanks for posting it.
Outstanding....
I worked this project. Both road constructions and putting in the pipe.. 5 mile camp up to Dietrich.. incredible engineering
Thank u to all for ur hard labor and working safe. U did the unbelievable. God bless u
My dad worked on the pipeline, I wish I could find out where he worked and visit those places too
Thanks for posting this.
One of the wonders of the modern world.
got that right
Tough people accomplish tasks that Educated people put on paper
Canadan Contactors like Banister, Majestic, Henuset helped build that line and my trucks hauled a lot of the matterial to build it.
my dad worked for banister when they built the pipeline
God gave man a challenge
Respect your fortitude
I remember we were working outside of cranbrook B.C on a hill just like that for a pipeline contractor and pop my dad got pissed and i got pissed and drop kicked his remote in the ditch and drug up in the moment. I love the work the guys the life, never help your dad, old school stuff lol. Rest in peace puffy.
Your dad taught you something that day that you haven't forgotten how many things of school so you recall
This was back when America was still able to do great things.
What a cool old show!!
Look at the kind of people who didn't mind working hard
Incredible achievement by all involved.
I was wondering why they got pipe from Japan. Read that nobody in the US produced pipe with the specs they needed.
Yom Kippur war helped get this approved...
Excellent video Thanks
My father was a big shot outta Delta camp Flying around in helicopters with him as a kid His name is Jack Brady Aka Yukon Jack He died of liver cancer about 11 years ago 😊
This is just remarkable!
I think I saw this video in high school, watching on a film projector.
Crazy cause nowadays itd take 20yrs for permits and would prolly never happen just like fixing rds lol
What an Awsome Video.
The Great Alaska Pipeline - TH-cam
See two people or things run across the river ? Bigfoot ?
Seria una bendicion q 1 peruano trabaje por esos lugares
Trillions and trillions of dollars business in the world of pipeline
awesome
Where did they find that much gravel?
You don't find it.. You go dig it.
@@thisisconstruction.Apparently in the Brooks Range? Rock for crushed gravel.
Probably in the ground.
The gravel fairy
The pipeline never pumped any oil to Valdez ships bought pusian gulf oil to Valdez as they pumped sea chest water over board the oil was pumped to holding tanks of Valdez . Then pumped back to ship and sent to cherry p.t wash. Alpine oil was shipped to Japan .I'm the cheif gray wolf of the territory of Anwar Ak. I'm Michael Alaska Anwar shovhoshitnaya.
.No mention of all the weld xrays being taken to Delta Camp and the unfortunate fire in the storage building that consumed the xrays of the joints.
@Theone82 I've never heard of a blow out or leak on the 48 inch.Just a bullet hole one time.I disagree.I worked with the 798ers on the pipeline in 75 and 76.They could be a pain in the a^^.but they were good welders.I agree that it was no accident.
@Theone82 Yea I was on a repair crew.37 cut outs out of how many?That sounds minimal to me.must have been 1000s of joints.Been my experience that about half the time a repair is only in the mind of the one interpreting the xray.Half can be fixed by smoothing the cover pass with a grinder.In other words an irregularity on the surface.When all you can do for a living is put in a root bead you get pretty good at it.