Maine's forgotten/Unknown fuel pipeline

[Brother in Arms]

Webstral's thread on the lobster coast reminded me of this idea I had a long time ago.

Anyway years ago (2006) when I lived in Searsport Maine with my two girlfriends :) I discovered that in the 1950's they build a pipeline from Mack Point in Searsport to Limestone Maine!!!


recently I talked to an older fellow who used to refuel aircraft at various air bases in Maine from Brunswick Naval air force base to Loring up in limestone.

The gentleman told me they pumped everything from Jet fuel to heating oil (diesel) up the pipe line whatever they needed. He told me the base at limestone used some type of heavy oil "type C" which is something less refined than standard heating oil but used for heat in winter. he said you could theoretically pump any liquid you wanted through the pipeline. They used large inflated plugs called pigs to hydroponically push the fuel up the line. I assume they used compressed air pressure to push them but he didn't explain that part.


I had the idea that maybe cracking open this pipeline to get out the last of the remaining fuel might be a cool mission in a twilight 2000 game. Or trying to protect it so it could be used for other types of liquid fuel to be pumped at least up to the city of Bangor which is a fairly good sized population center.

as of 2012 it was up for sale.
https://bangordailynews.com/2012/05/03/news/aroostook/rights-to-former-searsport-to-limestone-jet-fuel-pipeline-go-on-auction-block/


Brother in Arms

[rcaf_777]

Given that the pipeline end was used for delivering Jet fuel to Loring Air Force Base, it could be used if Loring Air Force Base was brought back in to service as an active base, it closed in 1994, so it could use agian.

It's location in Maine make a good place for ASW Aircraft to take off from.

At the time of is closing the base was home to 42nd Bomb Wing which had two bomb squadron and refuelling squadron.

I found the attached picture of the US Navy's Mark 60 Encapsulated Torpedo anti-submarine naval mine being loaded on to a B-52 at Loring Air Force Base. Which begs the question would the base play that role in the war?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Searsport%E2%80%93Loring_Pipeline

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_60_CAPTOR

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loring_Air_Force_Base

[Olefin]

given the first edition of Twilight 2000 you would figure that Air Base never closed and thus there would be fuel in that pipeline

[Webstral]

One wonders how long it would take before the airmen assigned to the base remembered the pipeline.

[stormlion1]

Well it probably is in the bases fallback plan and the bases blueprints. So probably not long, especially once they start looking in the right place. The question would be is the equipment still in place to pump fuel out of the line. I can see the equipment being removed and the ends sealed as very plausible for a shut down base.