Unearthing a TITAN II Missile Silo in 2 Years - Commentary - Part 2

This shows more recent video of our adventure of digging up an old Titan II missile base. We've moved thousands of yards of dirt so far and are almost done with the excavation. It's really coming along and has morphed nicely. Enjoy!

[@petergiamboni5311]

This is so surreal to watch. I was at DM (80-84) when the Titans were active. I was actually on a PTS team worked on the propellant. I spent many hours on 570-6 along with all of the others. 571-1 thru 570-7. Looking at the blast lock. We kept a back up team in RFHCO in the blast lock ready to go whenever we did a fuel on/off load. Been know to go down in the morning and come up in the night. We used to sleep behind the computers in the CC when long shifts were going on. I was part of the deactivation crew for the museum in Tucson 571-4. I believe I was on 570-6 also. Its been almost 40 years. Its funny, one of my buddies and I were in the silo during a propellant job and we were figuring out how to convert the silo and the rest of the site into a home or restaurant. We used to have "turtle races" down the cableway (long tunnel between the silo and blastlock). You essentially thru your hard hat (like skipping stones) to see who could get closed to the end,. Anyway, Good Luck.

[@bryanmontgomery996]

I'm so jealous of you guys. I wish I could own such an extensively reinforced structure like this. An absolutely amazing conplex. The more I learn about the Titan II complexes the more I am in awe.

[@donmarion8808]

In the 90s we opened the main entrance to the titan site at the base of the Santa Rita mountains. The shaft was full of dirt water collapsed steel floors and stairs and to top it off the top 3 feet of concrete had been collapsed in the shaft. We dug it all out by hand no heavy equipment like y'all. We roughly removed 5000 cubic feet of dirt steel and concrete with a steel head frame and a truck winch that was modified with a electric motor all in the lovely 115 Arizona summer. We could write a book on that project. Oh and rest assured the Russians are watching. We recieved a stern warning to not attempt to excavate the missile tube, apparently it stirs up old wounds from foreign entities 🤣😂 would love to see y'alls place one day. Love your videos.

[@ThompsonAtomicRanch]

That's awesome! That's the one owned by the forest service. Do you happen to have any pictures of y'all getting into it? I'd love to see if you do.

[@mre9789]

Very interesting! This brings back some memories. I was on a Titan II launch crew in Arkansas back in the mid-1980s. I was there while the sites were being taken off alert and destroyed. They told us that the sites had to be left in a state where no missile could ever be launched from there again. It seems that the military wanted to bring some new weapons online, and the Nuclear Treaties limited the allowed maximum tonnage. There were originally three Titan II bases with each having 18 missile sites. One missile site in Arkansas had exploded a few years earlier, so there were only 17 left there. Each missile had a nine mega-ton warhead, the largest in the US arsenal. The military decided that they would rather have more smaller warhead weapons instead of fewer large warhead weapons. I think some of the freed up tonnage was used on the Ground Launched Cruise Missile program.

[@Ethan-vl1bz]

Coming from the UK, I have no idea what these things are but I am for sure loving how satisfying it is digging up that underground building. I also can’t believe how cheap land is over there and how you’re able to just buy a few acres like that while not being a millionaire! Would love to have a project like that or even have an afternoon of digging! Keep up the good work fellas

[@ThompsonAtomicRanch]

Haha, we love the area we live in. It's been good to our family. Well, come on over across the pond and join in!

[@ArizonaTitan]

I never realized how much work was involved in just moving dirt until I had to do it myself. Have fun there guys! I hope you are able to restore the long cableway...

[@NirVe22]

i have old pictures of my cousin and i exploring that silo almost 15 years ago when the old property owner had it some what dug up, great memories

[@ThompsonAtomicRanch]

That's awesome! I'd love to see them. Would you be willing to send them to my email? [e-mail] thanks!

[@gwpsr58]

Love seeing the transformation over time. That was a LOT of work!

[@BLACKMONGOOSE13]

Middle of the night watching a guy dig up a missile silo. Seems pretty normal.

[@ThompsonAtomicRanch]

Totally normal! Lol thx for watching

[@lapatriot9268]

2020 America! Woot!

[@AllanWorks]

watching this at 1am, you nearly gave me a heart attack with your damn phone going off.

[@chriszag702]

haha hadent looked at the comments but "that just happened" lol

[@TheAzbestec]

😂

[@olsonspeed]

We had some of our fire service training at Nike launch and control sites. A relative in North Dakota bought a Titan launch site at auction, the Air Force later reclaimed the site an refit it for Titan II. You have an awesome DIY project, good luck and be safe brother.

[@Aaron-vq2lc]

Great job! Love seeing the progress.

[@Edwinh222]

Hell yea brother keep up the hard work I want a titan 2 of my own and do the same as you and pass it on to my kids and keep it in the family

[@Mike-db1nn]

Looks like it will be a cool house someday for you. I also worked at TFD, 20 years retired from there. The schedule allows you to pursue dreams like this. Best of luck !!

[@ThompsonAtomicRanch]

It's a great schedule for a project like this. What year did you retire Mike? My dad was with tfd from 84 to 2012 :)

[@AggiePhil]

Where’s the footage of the silo uncovering and exploration?

[@erik61801]

scared the shit outta me when the phone went off. literally i pooped my pants.

[@jhymolovesmegan]

I am doing my architectural thesis research on decommissioned missile silos and how to readapt them for modern infrastructural uses. What you are doing here is super interesting and I would love to chat with you about some of your excavation techniques / goals for this project!!

[@ThompsonAtomicRanch]

That's awesome! If you have any questions, email me at [e-mail]. Thx!

[@Mrcaffinebean]

No easy task! But I’m impressed by the work you’ve done. Those machines hold their value pretty well and it doesn’t take long to see the value in owning. Can’t wait to see more!

[@terryfromsouthcarolina4601]

That's a lot of miles on old Alice! Normally they would be on a stockpile and loading into a dump truck. There is no high gear on a tracked loader. Slow but effective and what a historical piece of equipment. Keep those tracks adjusted properly and the rest of the machine well lubricated and it will last many more years! Thanks for the videos! Terry from South Carolina

[@ThompsonAtomicRanch]

It's a great machine! And you're right, she'll last many more years of we just show her a little love here and there. Haha

[@450offroadrider]

I live in tucson would love to come see your silo sometime. Still havent been to the museum but its on our families list of things to do

[@electroshed]

Excellent cell coverage too!

[@danielmarshall4587]

Another thank you and a Very Happy New Year.

[@StephensCustomModels]

Built like a pit mine, well done.

[@JimsEquipmentShed]

Purchasing the big machine had to be a game changer. It’s nice to be able to work when you can, and not have to worry about the daily rental fee.

[@ThompsonAtomicRanch]

Best decision ever!!!! Saved us tons of money

[@JimsEquipmentShed]

@@ThompsonAtomicRanch Plus it gives you options for other projects later on, its a win-win.

[@chrisslky7018]

Wow. Tons of work. Cheers!

[@colby1345]

Love seeing the progress man I know it’s not easy to do looking forward to your journey I help at the atomic underground site in Arkansas

[@Ganiscol]

Ever consider adding a roll cage to Allis? Whenever I see one like that working on slopes I see that unfortunate image of a flipped one with a mushed person under it. 😔 Bonus: Sun protection.

[@duncandmcgrath6290]

ROPS is a must , I wont operate anything on the farm without it

[@ezacher4634]

What is the point of digging that out? Are you going to connect the silo and command area? Is the silo usable?

[@KIRBZVIDS]

Hehe I'm your 5k sub good work on the place hope to see more videos 👍👍

[@ThompsonAtomicRanch]

Sweet! Thx for subscribing and watching! Enjoy 🙂

[@KIRBZVIDS]

@@ThompsonAtomicRanch will do buddy would you ever open it to the public in time? Or be able to come see your place I'm from the UK find it amazing that you can even own a site like that history behind the places is wicked deffo be watching buddy to see the progress deffo looks alot of work but be 100% worth it 👍👍👍

[@andyl2221]

1/2 a c.y. How about more like 3 awesome video, glad you are getting some equipment.

[@edwardclark3980]

What exactly are you trying to do ? Add water for compaction.

[@williambarry8015]

That toyota pickup truck are the best trucks ever made.

[@chriszag702]

dang, when they back filled that thing they really thought nobody ever will dig this up!

[@johnwojtsvideos3616]

Truely amazing.

[@asbestomolesto]

6:26 I almost had a stroke #lol

[@carlosmorado4018]

When do the tours begin?

[@outoftheshed2112]

I saw your previous video of the cableway cleaned and the boys in there. PLEASE keep the family and yourself away from the pipe wrapping. Knowing the age of these silos the wrapping could be "hot" also known as asbestos. Small pieces can flake off and be inhaled. Dust size pieces. They can be tested, there are mail off kits available on-line. Better to be safe than sorry. God Bless and good luck!

[@mikep9032]

Kinda was hoping you’d install a new long cableway. I do have a question tho. Has anyone from the Air Force or government contacted you about you “opening” a silo? I wonder if the Russians are watching. lol I hope so.

[@Stratos53100]

After time goes on & the the land is eventually auctioned off, you can do what you want with it, Otherwise the land would never be put up for auction if the Gov really wanted to keep it that way. Thus the reason for the decommisioning to keep people out & avert rebuilding, Because only a said few would go to the effort, of the limited people with Yt channels and known "sites" that have done so. Look at Ehrens world ( T1 site roughly two times larger ) and D.W.B.S. converted into a house shelter of sorts.

[@darploin5071]

That's a very good pickup truck right there it is almost impossible to kill a Toyota unless you just run it over with the tank or hit it with an anti-tank round but I like those old Toyota trucks they were small they were economical they were nice I wish they would still produce something like that for the US market

[@mrmotofy]

I bet your phone service is pretty good with that tower next to you lol

[@franimal007]

Have you or any of your friends explored that missile silo that is partially uncovered? Its somewhere in AZ. There are drone videos of it. I do not think anyone has be inside it?

[@ThompsonAtomicRanch]

Oh yeah! That's site 571-4 just off of sonoita highway. It is owned by the county and the dirt was used as fill dirt for other county projects. That one is neat to see! If we had access to it, we could literally be into the LCC or silo within about 3 hours.

[@franimal007]

@@ThompsonAtomicRanch Yeah, its very intriguing. I wish the video could show just how large it is. I makes it look very small. I have never seen one in person, just here. It looks like you can scale the dome. I did see a video of so kids exploring it, but it was not a good video and now I cannot seem to find it.

[@BrokenSmokinSpokes]

Starts on a dime and runs like a glove.

[@minisareus]

You should reinstall a underground tunnel or culvert from the blast lock to the silo

[@cdoublejj]

so i guess they had to have the blast door for supplies and maint. but, i wonder if anyone has ever back filled it all in except for a vertical shaft with a ladder for access. probably not very good blast resistance that way? would hide well though.

[@robertharalson228]

My name is Robert Haralson my dad bob haralson was on the missile crew that inspected all the Titan missile silos 3 90 first SMES that inspected that site numerous times

[@MrBook123456]

good job

[@WhiteDwarfVR4]

I keep seeing comments encouraging you to reinstall/restore the long giveaway and while I do not disagree, since your site has the cable way removed, I see it as an opportunity to improve on the original design. For example, discrete underground parking and additional living quarters. Granted, any additions are likely not going to be hardened to the degree of the original structure but you're really only limited by your imagination .. And of course time and funding LOL

[@Joe.M]

What are you going to do wtih the place?

[@johnalexander5923]

Around what area is this in as I want to try and find sat-alight pics

[@seangc4763]

Are you going to enclose the square access port above the cableway?

[@darploin5071]

I see you built up the front and back of the Kwanza Hut so now you have a door

[@andydelle4509]

Is that "broken off" square concrete structure behind the cable tunnel the original access portal? And is the cable tunnel you show the end that went to the silo?

[@lapatriot9268]

Where did they get the dirt they filled it in with?

[@iamgriff]

My question is.....what are you going to do with all that dirt?

[@shadowdemon13]

Nice work. Get a dozer blade for your excavator. You'll be able to move dirt for your ramps quicker.

[@arkangel3231]

meanwhile google earth is flying over taking pitchers of everything

[@HuntGamingProductions]

how long do you thingk itd take to un earth htis thing and make it 100% liveable

[@ThompsonAtomicRanch]

At the rate we're going, it should be livable in the next year or two :)

[@HuntGamingProductions]

@@ThompsonAtomicRanch awesome thanks!!!! good luck

[@lukeskypwner278]

Who else pooed themselves @6:26 ?

[@ThompsonAtomicRanch]

Haha! So sorry! My wife called and I forgot to edit that part out.

[@Cchange4us]

me.

[@coronerjeff6254]

Where is this at?

[@ThompsonAtomicRanch]

This is near Tucson Arizona

[@coronerjeff6254]

@@ThompsonAtomicRanch That's where I live.

[@SteveStoltz]

Makes you wonder how many men it would take to do the amount of work that your machines have done. Probably half of Egypt lol

[@thirdlawofmotion]

480p in 2020?

[@cdoublejj]

so much for earth reinforcing netting you can burry every so many feet. you'd have to dig down even deeper to reinforce the earth. dang i forget the name of the stuff. they use it for bridges now. some use it around foundations i might guess.

[@tothenext6332]

That is going to flood with heavy rain.

[@alkennedy1124]

So I’m new to your channel, so what’s the reson for digging up this site, why, are you getting paid to remove the silos,or what , kool BigAl California.

[@ThompsonAtomicRanch]

Oh no, we are getting into our missile base because it has been sealed shut for the past 40 years since they decommissioned it. We want to make it liveable again

[@alkennedy1124]

@@ThompsonAtomicRanch oh ok , I was wondering why, no missals in it ,the titan two is real big , 500 tons of fuel in it when it ready to blast off, I know this because one exploded here near my area, 500 tons sold rocket fuel is a real big huge boom, broke a huge amount of house windows around here, it exploded twice, one the first it fell off of the crane 🏗, and exploded , the second time it exploded, was the first and only test fire 🔥 that I know of, So that silo you have there is vary large, I didn’t know it was laying down , because the one missile that is still ready to go here , it standing upright, anyway I love the old track machine’s, I have a big excavator and other too, kool thanks BigAl California praise Jesus grace Christ amen.

[@mjlmbl]

Fired up on a dime? 🤔

[@darploin5071]

I noticed that your silo doesn't have any graffiti on the inside or anything like that so it looks like kids have not broken into your silo

[@steffenheinz3700]

In backjard is this 5G antenna?

[@jgren4048]

It’s 6G

[@johnhunt731]

Audio bad, interesting though.

[@AggiePhil]

You guys need to stop playing in the dirt and start fixing up the facility. You can move dirt around anywhere. 😂

[@dark_one1337]

what's the purpose of unearthing this bunker complex? and why don't you get a real bulldozer instead of a tracked frontend loader? you'd got more material done by moving faster and the yard would look even (maybe smooth). also why don't you rent a CAT 980 Frontend loader, that bucket can take 12m³ or 16yd³ and move faster.

[@54378100]

For what they are doing I totally agree, And a whole lot cheaper in the long run

[@johnstancliff7328]

interesting...why would anyone want to dig out an old missle silo.... the goverment should have had the unit deconstructed and totally removed...

[@timshank42061]

why

[@ian.thompson]

Why not?

[@kirkreusch8415]

Please replace all the missing teeth.

[@brucecoe1250]

No comment

[@josephbennett3482]

I don't get why the military just didn't remove the entire complex from below the ground instead of just destroying it and then leaving it up to random citizens to deal with their crap , they built those so they should be responsible and completely tear everything out and return the earth back to the way it was before their destructive toys got put in those places. I'm surprised that the military even allowed anyone to purchase those things because of how dangerous it is to be inside those without knowledge of the layout especially the missile silo itself although Those were destroyed and are inaccessible.

[@JimsEquipmentShed]

Not economically or physically viable. They did the bare minimum because that’s what they were required to do. And honestly, I’m eternally grateful for that. These facilities are amazing pieces of history.

[@adrianspeeder]

What are you talking about? These are historic.

[@jakesells2379]

LOL

[@franimal007]

Oh Boy....I am asking why did they destroy them? They should have "Privatized them" all of them, all they would need to do is make them un-usfull and it would have been good enough. They all could have been re-purposed. They did what they had to do to destroy them, but that was not clear thinking.

[@JimsEquipmentShed]

@@franimal007 They had to be destroyed completely as per the terms of the nuclear treaty. They could not be left in a condition where it could be used again as a missile station. Fortunately, they did a pretty shitty job, and that’s why so many of them survived.

[@kaziwill]

Commentary is cringe. Try a scrip or any sort of effort. Might actually get you views

[@ian.thompson]

Sorry you feel that way...