130 



USRL TEST STATIONS 



Figure 69. The Orlando test station as seen from the pier. Heavy equipment is loaded onto a mine car by means of 

 the boom and chain hoist at the left. The rails on which the mine car runs are shown in the foreground. 



Mountain Lakes are usable all year round. A fun- 

 damental requirement for the station was that the 

 outdoor facilities in every essential respect be the 

 equivalent of those at Mountain Lakes. This has been 

 attained. 



Orlando has two testing systems, one located on the 

 pier, the other on a barge in the middle of the lake. 

 The pier system is very similar to that at Mountain 

 Lakes, but a number of modifications have been in- 

 corporated in the barge system to take full advantage 

 of the deeper water available. 



Pier System 



The test station proper is located on the eastern 

 shore of the lake. As shown in Figure 69, a boom 

 equipped with a chain hoist is provided at the load- 

 ing platform. By these means, heavy equipment can 



be lifted out of a truck and loaded directly onto the 

 mine car, which runs on a small spur track from the 

 loading platform to the pier. At the point on the pier 

 where the test pit starts, the equipment is transferred 

 to a chain hoist running on an overhead rail to the 

 outer end of the pier. Several chain hoists of different 

 capacities are available. The pier is similar to the one 

 at Mountain Lakes except for its length of 130 feet, 

 which was required by the more gradual slope in 

 order to reach a sufficient depth for testing. An awn- 

 ing that can be moved along the pier was installed 

 to protect personnel and equipment from the heavy 

 tropical rains. 



Transmitting and receiving booths are located on 

 the pier. The electrical equipment of each is equiva- 

 lent to that in the corresponding booths at Mountain 

 Lakes. 



