Yeah, SEGS 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 were all five located at one site, as this was where I worked. They had old LA County buses on site to bus workers to their area's of work during construction. SOLAR One and Two I was told was located in Daggett CA, as I never worked there, as this was where stationary mirrors reflected the sun onto a large, tall tank which was in the center of an array of powerful mirrors, but when it was completed, it was obsolete.
SEGS 3 thru 7 was (is) located just off U.S. Highway 395, just North of Kramer Junction CA and Highway 58. My first day on there, I already had a job in the San Joaquin Valley, but was there to see if I could pass the solar field test, as the temperature was 121 degrees F. The test shop was d dirt floor outside under a low tin roof with zero humidity. I asked the QC what he was looking for, as he stated an inverted wedding band to flush for the first pass, then a filler and cap on the second pass. So I told him I would need 4 beveled pieces of tubing, 2 to get my heat set correctly and 2 to take the test. It took less than 10 minutes to set the heat and to take the test.
I waited for the QC to come back. He walked inside, asked me if anything was wrong and I told him I was finished. He was trying to look inside to see the penetration of the first pass, so I offered him my small flashlight so he could look. He then called the head QC to come take a look, and the solar field GF showed up as well. All 3 huddled up around where I had taken the test, then the GF spoke up and said "Hire him now"! I explained to them, "I already have a job right now, so I need to give a 2 week notice, and besides, there will be a Harley motorcycle run the following 2 weekends and I plan to make both of them". He then said, "Well, take him to the personnel department and let him complete all of his paperwork, so when he shows up for work, all of that will be completed and he can start to work and not have to get that done".
Two weeks later, I was in the Superintendent's office when he walked through, as I remember speaking to him and he just mumbled at me. Then the GF came in and wanted to introduce me to the Super, as I asked him if that was the guy who just walked in and mumbled? LOL They put me in their fab shop, welding 13 foot sections of tubes together with a TIG welder, as I was connected to a Miller 8-Pack machine, which had 8 welding machines. The next day, I was on the 8-Pack, but another welder took the machine I had been using the day before, as 'she' kept turning up the heat and I kept speeding up while making the weld.After about 30 minutes, I was making 2 welds to everyone else making 1 weld, and about that time was when the Super and the GF walked through the fab shop, as they noticed I was making double the welds as anyone else was! I heard the Super tell the GF, "If there is any overtime to be made, give it to the new guy from Georgia, as he is twice as fast as anyone else"!
I then walked over to the 8-Pack and went to adjust the amperage control, as Linda then spoke up, wanting to know why I was trying to adjust her machine. I told her it was the machine I was using, as she said she had been using it two days ago but she wasn't there yesterday. I then knew, she was the reason my machine was getting hotter, as she kept turning up the amperage of the machine I was using, and was the reason I was getting 2 welds to everyone else getting 1 weld! The Super and GF never did find out, but at least I got a lot of overtime by Linda turning up my machine when she thought it was hers!
I loved it out there. That was about the time when the B2 Bomber was flying at night, as nobody knew what it was at the time, but it was flying at night to conceal its cover. I did happen to see the B1 Bomber one day about 500 feet off the desert floor, and do remember seeing one of the space shuttle's fly overhead, as they used the large open pit at U.S. Borax to help line up with the runway at Edwards AFB, as I could actually head the double sonic boom! It still makes the hair raise up on my arms just thinking about it! Everyone in the fab shop stopped to watch it fly overhead, as it was a beautiful sight for me to behold!
The places I've been in my life, the things I have seen and the people I've met, and continue to still meet! I still love life, still love to work and still love to meet people and to help them when I can!
Cuz