Scooter Bob Posted June 28, 2011 Share #1 Posted June 28, 2011 Not bike related, but neat to see. There building 90 wind turbine generators a few miles west of here.Took my grandson Jayden over there a week ago in the evening and showed him the makeshift railroad terminal where they unload everything for the top of the towers. The tower section come through our little town on semis everyday. Yesterday, we went during the day, and got to see them unloading some of the 143 foot long blades from the railcars. There's lots of towers started, but I finally found the one they're currently working on the top of. I'm going to take a drive over there this morning and see if I can catch them putting up another blade on it. Can't see this kind of stuff everyday. Later, Scooter Bob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scooter Bob Posted June 28, 2011 Author Share #2 Posted June 28, 2011 Here's a few more pics we took a couple weeks ago of the makeshift railport and staging area for the top of the tower parts. 1st is a row of 20 blade lined up, and there's a lot more of these rows laying around. 2nd is trucks loaded and ready to head to a site with parts. All the little town roads in the area have had the ditches filled in to make the corners about 3 times wider to swing the rigs around them. 3rd is a bunch of nose cones and generator heads 4th is just a bunch more blades and parts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flyinfool Posted June 28, 2011 Share #3 Posted June 28, 2011 Cool stuff. Being out playing with the grandson. And you get to see neat construction toys at the same time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jus Monkeyin Around Posted June 28, 2011 Share #4 Posted June 28, 2011 Sweet........keep the pics comin:thumbsup: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RandyR Posted June 28, 2011 Share #5 Posted June 28, 2011 If you spread a tarp out under one of them, you should be able to get a good supply of gooseburger in the fall and spring. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KarlS Posted June 28, 2011 Share #6 Posted June 28, 2011 Those blades are big. This gives a comparison. Goldwing parked at the end of a blade. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scooter Bob Posted June 28, 2011 Author Share #7 Posted June 28, 2011 Those blades are big. This gives a comparison. Goldwing parked at the end of a blade. Nice shot Karl. Dagnabit, they say it's too windy this morning to put up the other two blades. They ought to know better than to try to build these things on wide open prairies where it's so windy all the time. Here's a couple more shots of the current construction site with a nice sunshine behind me. And on the way back, we meet a powerhouse heading for another build site. I'll head back over this afternoon if the wind dies down. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keemez Posted June 28, 2011 Share #8 Posted June 28, 2011 I'll head back over this afternoon if the wind dies down. You thinkin of takin the motorbike? I'm half tempted to ride on down/over there with you, cuz it's another fine riding day. Plus that'll clear my record for the WI MD no-show (not my fault!). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scooter Bob Posted June 28, 2011 Author Share #9 Posted June 28, 2011 You thinkin of takin the motorbike? I'm half tempted to ride on down/over there with you, cuz it's another fine riding day. Plus that'll clear my record for the WI MD no-show (not my fault!). I'm gonna leave the bike sit a couple more days. I thought I was good to go after the back surgery 2 weeks ago, put about 150 miles on Sunday, and payed for it Sunday night and most of yesterday with massive muscle spasms. But if the wind does die down, and you want to go, you can meet me here and ride over in the truck, or follow me. It's only about 6 miles over to the build site from here. My weatherbug app shows 9mph winds with gusts to 20mph right now. Seems I've heard somewhere a while back that those gusts would have to be under 10mph, but I'm not sure. Looks like some pretty stable weather settling in here for the next few days though. If you do want to ride around and look at the sites, they're all just west of Randolph, on both sides of highway 33. Later, Scooter Bob #@%920&*210^!4652)& Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keemez Posted June 28, 2011 Share #10 Posted June 28, 2011 Actually I should probably hold off until A) a somewhat less windy day and B) I have additional reason to head down that way. Got some errands to run locally today. If I know for sure that I'll be heading your direction anytime soon I'll let you know though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scooter Bob Posted June 28, 2011 Author Share #11 Posted June 28, 2011 Actually I should probably hold off until a somewhat less windy day Good plan. You didn't miss anything. Still too windy. But I found out I can save a few dinasours. The current build site is about 7 miles away, but I can see the top of it 2 miles from here. Hopefully tomorrow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scooter Bob Posted June 29, 2011 Author Share #12 Posted June 29, 2011 Hey Keemez, I found out if I look from the top of a hill on the very west side of town I can see the build site 6 miles away, and there was still nothing happening at 7pm tonight. The weatherman is talking chance of fog in the morning (which means no wind), and max 10 mph winds tomorrow. I think tomorrow is the day, and, if you meet me here in Fox Lake, I will ride over with you.(on seperate bikes of course). Later, Scooter Bob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bubber Posted June 29, 2011 Share #13 Posted June 29, 2011 I think tomorrow is the day, and, if you meet me here in Fox Lake, I will ride over with you.(on seperate bikes of course). Later, Scooter Bob Sure BOB! Sure! Your just lonely after your operation arn't you. :rotf: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scooter Bob Posted June 29, 2011 Author Share #14 Posted June 29, 2011 Sure BOB! Sure! Your just lonely after your operation arn't you. :rotf: I sure am lonely! Got over here to the build site at 8:30 and they were already unhooking the crane from that second blade. Not sure what the hold up is now, blade number 3 has been hanging for an hour now. I think they're having problems getting the rotor turned to get the third hole horizontal. Pics to follow when I get home. Later, Scooter Bob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scooter Bob Posted June 29, 2011 Author Share #15 Posted June 29, 2011 Back home, They need to replace the motor that turns the rotor assembly. This one just doesn't have enough power to turn the assembly to get two blade on one side and the empty hole horizontal to take the third blade. I'll head back in a couple hours and see how they're doing. In the mean time, here's a few pics from this morning... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scooter Bob Posted June 29, 2011 Author Share #16 Posted June 29, 2011 Spotted a tower section parked on the side of the road, and then it drove by my viewing site. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scooter Bob Posted June 29, 2011 Author Share #17 Posted June 29, 2011 :crying: They must have figured something else out to get that rotor turned. I left the build site at 10:30am. At noon I went to my lookout spot here in town, and could see a blade at 1 Oclock position so I head back to the site to watch that third blade being installed. As I'm driving over there, I start thinking I about what I didn't see... THE CRANE BOOM was missing. Sure enough, in 1 and a half hours, they got the rotor turned, installed the third blade, and had lowered the crane back down. I guess I'll start watching for the next one to go up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scooter Bob Posted July 1, 2011 Author Share #18 Posted July 1, 2011 It's gonna be a long summer for those wind turbine builder crews. Since I posted just after noon two days ago, they've moved the crane to the next build site, and that's it! Too windy the last two days. They've got 87 left to build, and have managed less than 1 in the last week. I'll keep heading over there as long as I'm off work and it's not windy. I'd love to see all those pieces get set. We'll see what happens. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scooter Bob Posted July 6, 2011 Author Share #19 Posted July 6, 2011 Between yesterday morning and this morning, they set the upper two tower sections and the generator head and nose cone on the next turbine. Waiting for the first blade to get lifted. Oh, they tell me blade hauling trucks will be coming by here also! Pics to follow when I get home. Later, Scooter Bob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scooter Bob Posted July 6, 2011 Author Share #20 Posted July 6, 2011 I talked to a couple workers. They said they put up the tower and everything on top and ready for blades yesterday, mostly in the morning. And I thought it was too windy. They say they can set the bigger pieces in a little more breeze due to the weight. But it must be really calm to do the blades. Here's what I found this morning when I got there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scooter Bob Posted July 6, 2011 Author Share #21 Posted July 6, 2011 And here's the first blade being lifted... Looks like they also turn the generator head as well as the nose cone to help get proper alignment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scooter Bob Posted July 6, 2011 Author Share #22 Posted July 6, 2011 Here's another shot of the one they finished last week... And one a few miles to the west along with a couple very near future build sites... Had to leave for now, they said it takes about an hour after the blades gets into position to get the bolts installed and properly torqued before they can unhook the crane and hook the next blade. And it's getting warm out there, what with no breeze... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bubber Posted July 6, 2011 Share #23 Posted July 6, 2011 Arn't you supossed to be recouperating, instead of fooling around? :rotf: You in shape for Cody? Hope all is well with the back and leg. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scooter Bob Posted July 6, 2011 Author Share #24 Posted July 6, 2011 You in shape for Cody? Hope all is well with the back and leg. Not lookin' real good for Cody at this point. Starting Physical Therapy in a couple hours, twice a week for the next 3 weeks. Trying to get muscles stretched out in the hopes they quit the spasms. Not doing too bad though, I don't think. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bubber Posted July 6, 2011 Share #25 Posted July 6, 2011 well do what your told and get better real quick. Best of luck! Hey ther is always Pork in the Pines! Guess we better start yaking that up pretty soon too! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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