Cold War Relic

Near where I live is “Missile Park”, a closed Atlas E ICBM launch facility. Sorry for the quality of the snaps but it is hard to shoot around chain link fences.

The site is now owned by the county and used to store equipment. The tour is one of the maintenance people accompanying you as you wander around. Haven’t taken it as my knees and stairs are not friends.  An acquaintance has toured the facility and enjoyed it. An Air Force vet, he says any Missileer will like it.

Colorado’s Lottery profits are used to build parks and recreational facilities (despite the howls of SJW who propose “better uses”) and years ago  funded construction of the park. In fact, the place is run down and little used but a good place to visit when you want the voices in your head not to have to compete with other distractions. The county promotes it with a web site.

http://www.co.weld.co.us/Departments/BuildingsandGrounds/MissileSitePark.html

The Atlas program is now forgotten but was a big deal back in the day. A good site for those who are interested is here.

http://www.atlasmissilesilo.com/

In that posting is a separate section on this site.

http://www.atlasmissilesilo.com/566thSMS_Site8.htm

In my travels I pass by many of these sites and the current Minutemen silos. I don’t know about others but I’m never blasé; always think of the potential destruction housed in those sites.

For all the obscene costs of these systems, every closed and abandoned one represents a victory (in my mind). Deterrence works!  

Guess Convair got it right. The Atlas is still putting cargo into orbit. Too bad the business was so poorly run. You can make a great product but Boeing makes great products and “outbusinesses” their competitors. Always liked the Convair 880 and, though I may be wrong, the Convair 990 remains the fastest subsonic airliner.