Cold War Thor sites given listed status….

Some good background information can be found in this website http://www.harringtonmuseum.org.uk/ThorUK.htm 🙂

That is really interesting seeing the depiction of what the site would have looked like. Were these missiles transported to the launchpads from a secure bunker or were they kept on the pads just requiring fueling prior to launch? How long would it take for them to launch a missile from a Thor site from the time of receiving launch codes?

Drainage gully:

Behind the northern blast wall, a rare survival are these painted lines marking where the various support trailers were parked:

Cable/hose pit for the High Pressure Gas and Nitrogen tank trailers parked alongside:

And to finish off, the other painted Fire Point panel.
Being on the northern wall it has been better protected from the sun than the southern example:

As you may have guessed, Thor in RAF service is something I happen to have a bit of interest in. 😉

All the best,
PB

Cable ducts leading to the Launch Control Area:

These turned and crossed the pad under the trailer reversing bay:

Short-Range Theodolite Platform:

Cable duct cover in situ on the SRT platform:

Drainage channels at the end of the Moveable Wall rails:

Cable supports in the RP1 valvegear pit:

High Pressure Gas and Hydropneumatics lines duct:

Air conditioning hose duct:

Moving around anti-clockwise, another duct from the LOX valvegear pit under the blast wall:

A somewhat faded Fire Point panel on the end of the southern blast wall. Compare this with the northern one downthread:

Air-con and cabling ducts with associated bracketry:

View from where the Air-con trailer was parked, down into the hose duct running to the Launch Mount:

Are there still Thor launch remains at Polebrook?

The majority of all three pads are there, although to varying degrees buried in farm waste. Launch Emplacement No.52, the southern of the three, is in the best condition.

Some photos from a permission visit to record LE52 after it had been partially cleared of debris.

Nice sloped end to the shelter platform:

Shelter retracting cable anchor point:

The Launch Mount brackets are still there, but the concrete on either side has been smashed to remove the pipework:

RP1 valvegear pit:

LOX valvegear pit:

There were some interesting viewpoints expressed during the Caistor visit; and also I’m told at the AHL talk on Project Emily the night before!

From what I heard the feedback from the Thor personnel themselves is slightly at odds with the ‘official’ viewpoint on both points that you have raised.

Although they were US controlled, Am I right in thinking that it was a “DUAL KEY” affair….as in if the US wanted a launch the UK would “In theory” have to agree….although If the US wanted a launch I would imagine they would have got one.

Also from my humble readings on THOR during the Cuban Missile Crisis. although on high alert, they were never at such a state of readiness as to be able to launch within a minutes notice, I believe it took quite a long time (hours) to prep one ready for a launch, and even then it only had a finite time at such a state of readiness due to the huge fuel losses etc etc…..Am I vaguely correct or were they actually ready to go during the crisis……..

As I posted on the Inside Out thread I was fortunate to be part of a group that visited the Thor site at Caistor, Lincs; the group included former Thor personnel – whilst the site is basically concrete structures and steelwork it was very evocative and gave me a much better understanding of how close we came to a different outcome back in October 1962!

IMHO anything that helps commemorate those that served in that era should be applauded! 🙂

Not much to look at is it?

Are there still Thor launch remains at Polebrook?

Just been a piece on the BBC lunchtime news as well.

Its a genuine Sea Vixen radome left over from when the MFT Sea Vixens were scrapped there in the early 1990’s.

Second thought:

… but even if it does have a connection with one or other of those types, what on earth is it doing there?

Looks like concrete to me

If it is aviation-related, might it be the mould on which Sea Vixen radomes were laid up? For me it looks a bit too straight-sided for a Phantom.

looks like Phantom to me

What’s the radome on the BBC picture off ?

Sea Vixen ?