Home / Beale - 851st SMS / Construction 34
- titan group016-1
Construction at Beale 851-A, silo #2. This photo was taken to illustrate an installation "snag" where an existing personnel ladder and an air duct were found to be occupying the same space on the blueprints-- a fact that wasn't apparent until installation of the duct work began. This sort of trouble was a major problem with large projects and required thousands of engineering changes to the missile sites adding thousands of additional man-hours of labor and millions of dollars in cost overruns. Taken: March 21, 1962. Source: Martin Co. - titan group020-1
Construction at Beale 851-A, silo #2. Sections of the missile cribwork are shown here being lowered into the silo (at right) for installation. A large concrete access plug for one of the underground terminals can be seen on the left. Taken: July 24, 1961. Source: Martin Co. - titan group003-1
Silo door installation, Southern leaf of silo #1 launcher doors, suspended by heavy gantry crane to position it for installation. Very large hinge shaft is visible at center. Taken: June 28, 1961 Source: Martin Co. - titan group 2016 front 001 rotation-1
Construction at Beale 851-A, surface, launcher #1. Rigging crew preparing one of the 2 enormous counterweights for the missile launcher elevator system. Essentially a tall, steel bucket filled with lead, markings on the side indicate a height of 14' 10". Counterweight is being lifted into an upright position to measure its weight. Note the uninstalled silo door resting on giant timbers at right. Taken: June 13, 1961 Source: The Martin Co.