A Tour Of The Philadelphia Navy Yard

[@Jimorian]

My grandfather worked in the Philadelphia Navy Yard during the building of New Jersey and Wisconsin, but I can't recall which specifically. The one story I remember is when he talked about a worker who accidentally got welded into a void space while he was sneaking a nap. Happy ending that they found him after some banging on the walls.

[@DadWil]

Now that is an interesting story... What did they need to do to get the loafer out of the void? What other repercussions and admonishments were bestowed upon this loafer?

[@abrunosON]

Oh yeah, that would be New Jersey. My grandfather only slept in hammocks decades after the incident.

[@S_C_C_R]

Wow

[@robertcooper6853]

Seems like a lot of ships have that story. I believe it was the Great Eastern steamship that had a cursed career. Theoretically, they went to break her up and found the mummified remains of a couple workers who were sealed in a void space during construction. 🤷‍♂️

[@justaskin8523]

@@robertcooper6853 - That's not just a siesta. That's a forever-nap. Terrifying!

[@chrismaverick9828]

The fact that Enterprise CV-6 was scrapped will forever be a frustration to naval enthusiasts. I'm glad they thought enough about Texas to save her. So many other epic ships that should have been saved.

[@bobroberts2371]

But what ship would not been preserved if CV-6 was saved?

[@jeffreymcurtis]

​@@bobroberts2371the Intrepid, because the Enterprise would already have been put where the Intrepid is

[@charlesmaurer6214]

The big danger is a solar event like the Carrington event that will disable microchips world wide, some old equipment might be all we have at some point. I could see the USS Constitution again being the most advanced warship in service over night and pirates from the middle east ruling the seas in fishing boats.

[@burningglory2373]

​@@bobroberts2371 couple of smaller boats. Enterprise is literally legendary.

[@tomdolan9761]

By the time WW2 ended Enterprise was obsolete and had been heavily damaged. You thinking these were built to give you a place to tour is interesting but they were actually WARSHIPS and the war was over so lots of young men wanted to go home. Intrepid was used as a Navy ship postwar because she was relatively young. They’re just finishing scrapping my last ship the Kitty Hawk which I left in 1979. If you’re interested some of the portholes from CV 6 along with CV65 will be included in the new Enterprise. Think you’ll need to enlist to see it

[@vonhalberstadt3590]

My Dad took us to the shipyards in Philly and Camden back in the fifties. We saw the Kitty Hawk slowly take shape and visited the Olympia. Looking up at a humongous bow looming overhead is truly an awesome memory. Thanks Dad.

[@jameswolfinger9881]

I used to work for a company that took all the paper blueprints to all the original buildings and we scanned them for digital archive. It was 2 containers worth of drawings.

[@tiv_2222]

Hey Ryan I know several of us would love to see the pumps for dewatering the Drydock as well as the large crane next to it.

[@abrunosON]

He promised that we would get to watch paint dry and pumps working but the HR department said that "it is unhealthy to feed the public what can be categorized as patriotic propaganda when it comes to the maintenance of far-right artifacts".

[@tiv_2222]

@@abrunosON huh? Are you ok?

[@justaskin8523]

@@tiv_2222 - He's okay...his comment was absolutely hilarious. As Homer Simpson might say, "It's funny because it's true."

[@tiv_2222]

@@justaskin8523but it isn’t true? “Hr” has no bearing on what Ryan covers; just safety and feasibility. Also can we stop trying to put a political spin on things and just enjoy history?

[@bebo4807]

As someone who lives in Philadelphia and has visited the navy yard dozens and dozens of times you absolutely can wander around the navy yard and see all kinds of stuff. I’ve discovered all kinds of artifacts on the old runways along the river near the abandoned barracks. Most of it is open and the marine barracks and headquarters buildings as well as the marine parade ground is accessible. Come on down and walk your doggie.

[@marklaterza4455]

There is another world below the sidewalks and streets of the Yard. I worked for a contractor in the late 80's and welded a number of steam pipes in the tunnel network. One large space below a sidewalk had very nice arch work with bricks and coated with a huge amount of asbestos. I could still see the hand prints in the asbestos where it was applied to the walls and ceiling. i thought to myself that those people that did that work probably died long ago from asbestosis. We where careful not to disturb it!

[@RetiredSailor60]

My 4th ship, USS Whidbey Island LSD 41 is berthed there at the Reserve Basin. She was decommissioned in July 2022 after 38 years of service. I served on her 1993-96.

[@Ran-dom1]

considering iron is a great creator of iron oxide (rust) I'd generally make most of these things into reefs, because algae grows from iron oxide, algae attracts smaller life forms, which attracts small fish and the chain of life continues.

[@LaTigerGenesis]

Thanks, Coatesville, for the steel in BB-62 😊

[@yellowcubdriver9545]

Stationed there in 1989-1990 for HT A school. What a sight back then. Kitty Hawk was going through the SLEP program at the time. Being upgraded. Those were the days of dungarees! Chime in my fellow sailors!

[@williamguillIII]

I was on the Kitty Hawk during SLEP at PNSY, Dec. 1987 thru Jun. 1990. Everything about it sucked. We were underpaid yard birds. I have many memories of doing roving 8 hour watches on board. We had a yard bird person who we nicknamed....The Mad Shitter, that was taking dumps all over the ship, probably due to being a lazy ass and not wanting to go off the ship to crap. I've stood brow security watch, not for security, but because the yard birds were stealing brass and trying to sneak it out in their tool boxes/bags. I can't help but remember watching those same yard birds come off the brow, leaving for the day, wearing white coveralls. The only part of the coveralls that were dirty was their ass. I've climbed up the smokestacks, walked down shaft alley after the shafts were pulled, stood up on the signal bridge at night during the summer and actually seeing the wheels of the planes contacting the tarmac at the Philly airport. I also lost 5 teeth in hangar bay 2 in April of 1989. I've sat in the bull noses up in the forecastle, enjoying the breeze coming thru. The nightlife in Philly was amazing. The mob was still active when I was there, and we actually knew where the mobsters lived mostly due to the Cadillac's in the paved yards with astro turf covering the asphalt, at their houses, LOL.

[@stevenedington6265]

I was stationed on board the USS JOHNSTON DD 821 from 1973 to 1977 home ported at the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard. My ship did go through a period in dry dock there in Philadelphia. I have a lot of fond memories of my time in Philadelphia. The funniest on is when my ship was in the back basin as we called it then. The ship had a cockroach infestation problem. We were moored stern to stern with the USS Sullivans. The back half of my ship was evacuated and fumigated to kill the cockroach. I was OOD on the midwatch. We were telling ghost stories about the Sullivans that was in mothballs at the time. The hatch to the superstructure flew open with a bang fallowed by a body hitting the deck and twitching around. After we got over our initial fright we realized it was one of the roving watches whose OBA malfunctioned. We were able to get him fresh air so there was no serious injury to the roving watch.

[@phillyangel13]

My Dad, God rest his soul, would've loved these videos and the whole thing the internet has given us about the shipyard. He brought us here many times to see where he worked and although he died of lung cancer in 2004 from asbestos that was inhaled while working on the ships, so he was told, I felt so badly he would come home every bight from work his eyes red & swollen, his throat sore, yet he loved it, the people, his crew, the atmosphere, breakfast at Oregon Diner every morning. I'd love to find any former workers from the 1970's/1980's who may have known him.

[@sforgus27]

Part of Building 543 is now the cafeteria for Urban Outfitters and is open to the public on weekdays (at least it used to be). Not only do they have awesome food for cheap, but you can still see the gantry cranes which have been preserved inside the building.

[@Richard-od7yd]

I spent a year in the Philadelphia Shipyards in 1977 . Learned more about my Ship and my Rating ( Boatswains Mate. ) than anywhere else. The Yards made a Sailor of me .

[@paulroberts971]

Spent about 6 months in drydock aboard FD ROOSEVELT in 1974. Sad to see the shipyard deactivated. Went aboard IOWA and WISCONSIN in the reserve fleet area.

[@tomhalla426]

My grandfather was a shipyard electrician at Mare Island Navy Yard in California. At that time, they were mostly building submarines.

[@charlesmaroon8819]

My grandfather was shop 31 superintendent from before WW2, during the war, and even after. I have his retirement book signed by many 31 workers. Dad also worked many years in 31. Maroon.

[@Transit_Biker]

An errand brought me to the Navy Yard about a week ago. All I could do was look around in awe at all of the amazing buildings & wonder what the heck they were used for currently and previously. Thanks for this small insight into a portion of the former navy yard. Since this is the birthplace of Big J, perhaps we could get a more extensive series of videos on the Navy Yard and its history?

[@davetronics]

Back in 1976 somehow our Boy Scout troop leaders wrangled a trip for us to visit the Tall Ships that were in Philadelphia harbor for the Bicentennial Celebration. We came down on a bus and stayed at the Navy Yard. We slept in Navy beds and ate Navy food. We thought the cafeteria was awesome! Back in 1976 fast food restaurants were not much of a thing, and the idea that we could pick our own food and eat as much as we wanted was awesome!

[@jimlebiedz5723]

I worked there in the mid 80's at the Public Works Department. My biggest accomplishment was the renovation of Building 5 that housed the Shipyard Commander's office and all the shipyard engineers. I used to love walking down the dry dock #1 area and getting lunch from the blind man's sub shop and sitting on pier #1 watching the ship traffic going up and down the river. I also miss playing in the shipyard softball league every summer. Good times.

[@DavidSmith-cx8dg]

It's a similar story to the dockyard where I worked . It was possible to make more of less anything with all the different trades and workshops . Perhaps for the best , a part of it , the most historic , is now a museum and accessible to the public . Nowadays ships are constructed differently and budgets are restricted so decisions have to be made , but it's sad to remember all that has been lost .

[@manga12]

in more ways then one, we could not ramp up production like ww2 again, we dont have the people that know those trades in broad number, things are more technical based, and we basicly handed of on a silver platter the tools and machines to third world nations to save a few bucks, we still make a lot or can but half the time even if those among us that can wont, and lay down to die without even trying to fight or going to bat, and whats more is socialist china has stated their intentions, and shown their true colors on their own people, we are like to to end up in war with them, it would not end well for us or the rest of the world when most of the stuff is built or made there, and 60 percent of the steel poured in the world comes out of there, a large chunk of the tools and electronics, it would be not just bad news for us but the whole worlds ecconomy, it would make the pandemic look like a walk in the park for the tightness of supplys and supply chains, and 5 years later now and things are still affected like parts for stuff, even stuff that is mostly made here like race car parts they cant get the material, or parts for small engines just to name a few, people have forgotten the iron will we used to have the abillity to do things inspite of conditions.

[@farmrrick]

​@@manga12of course that's what Japan thought in 1941 also , didn't work out well for them.

[@manga12]

@@farmrrick which part trying to take on china? or trying to ramp up production to war goods? which part, I am saying its a no win position if we have war with china, its bad for not only both nations, but the rest of the world suffers that relys on the two nations and if all that producing capacity is bombed or nuked to oblivion its not something that can just turn back around and rebuild its expensive, and took years the food we produce in the usa and resources we help provide to the world would also have a dire effect on production and maybe even mass starvation if lost, and lets not count the inumeral lifes of civilians of both the nations and those caught in the crossfire

[@JohnShields-xx1yk]

I grew up nextdoor to a shipyard that built many vessels for WW2 and after the war they built LNG tankers, we used the bridge next to the shipyard for jumping and swimming, we had a blast. General dynamics, foreriver bridge, Quincy, Mass 🇺🇸 God bless all who serve 🙏

[@franciscofierros5854]

I was stationed on board USS CONSTELLATION (CV-64) from June 1992 through about March 1993. CONNIE was finishing up her Service Life Extension Program (SLEP). I was on duty when the foc'sle fire occurred in September 1992. I walked all over PNSY...young sailor milling about after long days of rehabbing spaces and bringing gear out of layup. The USO was a favorite spot to hangout at. I remember going on the WISCONSIN (BB-64) to salvage lighting and installed battle lanterns. A lot of good memories and only a few not-so-great ones.

[@williamguillIII]

I was on the Kitty Hawk, when the Wisconsin pulled in. I worked in the PAO office at the time and was able to come aboard her and get a tour of turret no. 2 by the gun captain. It was not too long after the Iowa explosion and the gun captain told us that he was told not to mention or talk about the Iowa incident.

[@RRose-ie8oh]

As for disposition of old ships, don't forget foreign navy sales. USS ELROD (FFG 55), currently at the reserve basin, was slated to be sold to Turkey which is a NATO ally. Quite a few of the FFG7 ships were sold off this way. I recall seeing the former USS JACK WILLIAMS with a lighter coat of grey paint tied up to a pier in Bahrain as part of their navy. During my early years of service, the Spanish navy was a veritable museum of USA WWII era ships.

[@splegg8485]

Thank you for the content. From Delran, NJ. Joined USN at 17, stationed at Naval Hospital Philadelphia from 88-92. I remember that shipyard well. With the Hospital off base, which was great, what a treat to see this video. I remember the decommissioning of the hospital and endless DRMO trips in a dump truck. Very Sad, did another tour. and got into IT, moved back to the area and used the riverline everyday. Visited the USS NJ a lot, just because it was there. I appreciate all you and your supporters do. Keep up the great work. Bravo Zulu

[@williamguillIII]

I got my wisdom teeth removed there in 1989. I was on the USS Kitty Hawk(CV-63) at the Naval Base at the time. That was a nice hospital at the time, right across the street from F.D.R. park. It's a shame they tore it down.

[@garybarger3744]

Best use for scrapping is like the last Enterprise CVN-65. Being scrapped right next to the new Enterprise CVN-80. Using parts of the Old to build the new...

[@robertsnyder2156]

Mention the Chapel of the Four Chaplains also at Philadelphia Navy Yard.

[@richardoakley4727]

I went through an overhaul on the Uss Harry E. Yarnell DJG-17 in 1974 at Philly, I remember Blind man's Hogies, best cheese steak any were lol

[@charlesrowan4632]

Yea I remember blind man’s.Used to get sandwiches there.The guy was not blind he was a abino and was very fair skinned.He could hardly see.

[@JimNorkas-qx4nt]

Blindman's. A Philly Naval Base institution. Had many a late night sandwich there back in 79.

[@sertorius3319]

My great grandfather was a boiler inspector who worked mainly in the Brooklyn Navy Yard during the war, but also got sent to shipyards all over the east coast. No idea how much time, if any, he might have spent in Philadelphia.

[@mr.headcrab31]

My Dad was a pipe fitter at PNSY back in the years leading up till when it closed, I still remember there was an open house in ''88 or '89, we were able to get my cub scout troop in for a tour. Biggest thing i remember from that was how cramped the interior of the Kitty Hawk was, with really steep stairs in the interior spaces. Such a shame it closed. Thanks for stirring up some old memories.

[@williamguillIII]

I worked in the Public Affairs Office during that time on the Kitty Hawk. I was the person that handled the VIP tours on board. I had to take the approval letter to the on base PAO office, for your Troop to be allowed onto base and into what was called the CIA(Closed Industrial Area), where the Kitty Hawk was docked.

[@DavidKain-yq8nh]

I was stationed in the back basin in the early 80’s on USS Ellison, DD-864. I remember the Iowa & Wisconsin on the River, Newport News & 2 other heavy cruisers right out by the gate, the Shangri La was right behind us. The Ellison was sold to Pakistan in 1982, renamed PNS Shah Jihan, and ultimately became a missile target in the mid 90’s.

[@sitarart7449]

Nice video. My Dad was stationed there as a Navy PI during WW2

[@JimNorkas-qx4nt]

I was assigned to a ship in the yards in late 1979. Outside the main gate was a wide open area with a old beige painted structure. A gate guard told a group of us that that was the bar from the Philadelphia Experiment. Supposedly, strange glows were sometimes seen coming from the building at night. Witnesses at the bar said they saw sailors in there drinking,glow and dissappear. Freaky story.

[@DaleHodgdon]

We were in drydock 5 from '85-'88 for SLEP. USS Independence CV-62.

[@williamguillIII]

I was on the Kitty Hawk. I remember when you guys left down the Delaware. Then the Connie showed up. Sister ships!

[@charletonzimmerman4205]

@@williamguillIII I worked on you're "SHITTY-KITTY" as a yard worker shop-51, did boilers & cats, pre-heat for welders.

[@ameyring]

Imagine JFK and NJ parked next to each other as museum ships!

[@jess2690]

This is a really good video, would definitely be interested in more like it

[@364pgr]

I went to HT A school in late 1976 in the shipyard after boot camp. A lot of great memories.

[@williamguillIII]

Maybe I've forgotten since being in Philly last at PNSY in 1990. But, danged if I remember where the HT "A" school was, remind me if you will. Was it up there by the Marine Barracks?

[@philcretired5143]

Didn't work there, but my ship was overhauled there in 1971 (LPD-3, later AGF-3). My strongest memory was many nights at the "Blue Dolphin" bar on S. Broadway. (I think that's the name.) Anyone else recall the Blue Dolphin?

[@RetiredSailor60]

I was on the Great White Ghost Of The Arabian Coast in 1992 with COMUSNAVCENT...

[@bobbyhamby4708]

I was on the LaSalle in 1971 when we were in the shipyard.

[@williamguillIII]

Yep, been to the Blue Dolphin many times in the late 80's while I was on the Kitty Hawk. I remember it being a sleazy dump, perfect for poor sailors!

[@kevinthomas895]

I hope a crane tour is in the future

[@black07rr]

It’s amazing what our country use to be and how powerful we were from industrial standpoint

[@Ayelmar]

As for the question of best disposition for retired ships, I'm an archivist at heart, so preservation whenever possible is my go-to, always. And the Navy should provide direct support for the museum ships....

[@leesherman100]

Save as much as possible! Once it's gone, it's gone forever!

[@me109g4]

Deeply saddened to see the Kennedy there,,, I got a tour many yrs. ago when she visited Boston. Met some wonderful people serving on that ship.

[@jimcat68]

Thank you so much for this video! I requested something like this a couple of weeks ago, and I'm sure I'm not the only one who wanted to learn more about the Navy Yard. I've done some walking around the yard in the past couple of years (only in the legally accessible areas, and trust me, if you cross the wrong lines, there are police and security guards who will let you know that you're not supposed to be there). It was fun to see Ryan standing in some of the very same areas that I've explored. I appreciate the information on the machine shop. I was fascinated by that building when I first walked by it a couple of summers ago, and even more so when they removed the walls this year. I'm eager to find out what they'll be doing with it. Those overhead gantry cranes are a part of Philadelphia's industrial heritage, although I have no idea where or how one of them could be preserved. At the very least, a few more interpretive signs explaining the history and former uses of the buildings would be appreciated. The challenge is finding the right entity to be responsible for creating and erecting them. The city of Philadelphia? The Navy? The Philadelphia Industrial Development Corporation? If I lived in the area, I might start some civic activism in favor of this. Alas, there's not much I can do as a resident of far-northern New Jersey.

[@charlesrowan4632]

I was stationed at the Philadelphia Navy yard in 1960.Worked in the shipfitter shop at the receiving station.Was there for a year then the USS Harwood DD 861.Great place to explore.

[@justaskin8523]

Being sunk as target practice is important, as is being made into a reef. But I will say that being made into razor blades isn't a bad end either for a proud ship. I still shave with a blade, and I would be damned proud to use the steel from a hero fighting ship.

[@williamguillIII]

Well, the ship breaking company that is currently tearing the Kitty Hawk apart down in Texas, bought it for $1.00, yes that's right.....one whole dollar. Of course she had to be towed from Washington state all the way around the horn back up to Brownsville, Tex. and they had to pay for that. But, I think their return on their one dollar investment is going to make them a ton of money!

[@ericleslie9301]

I was there in 1974 with USS Franklin D Roosevelt CVA-42.

[@JesseSantiago-sp3lr]

Make the kauffman a museum! It was a great frigate

[@blees188501]

worked on Saratoga in the 70's in shop 67 Electronic. Installed the Phalancs control system

[@mikemissel7785]

They are so lucky to have a ship repair facility in the area and on the west coast all the shipyards and here in the LA/LB area where turned into container terminals. I like to see how they are going to drydock the Iowa when she needs it.

[@jeffreymcurtis]

Bremerton has a drydock that is easily big enough, I saw a video of the Nimitz undergoing upkeep in the dock

[@mikemissel7785]

@@jeffreymcurtisyes that the only nuclear dock on the West Coast at the time Long Beach was a nuclear shipyard also.

[@garywayne6083]

@@jeffreymcurtis is that a Navy property tho? Can it be used for other ships?

[@jeffreymcurtis]

@@garywayne6083 Bremerton Washington is a Navy Base

[@fredstopper9906]

HT trade school there an awesome base . I learned a lot there. I may visit. Soon.

[@wxdave5448]

Great episode. Answers some questions I had after walking around other parts of the yard post dry dock tour.

[@rogerb3654]

Feel free to do a more extensive tour of PNY......great content for future videos! ⚓⚓⚓

[@richconway3758]

Worked at the PNSY in the late 80’s for a sub contractor named Phillyship, mostly did refits for the FFG’s. Most of the work was done in the reserve basin.

[@fsodn]

Thanks for the tour; this is great! I have so many questions about the footage at 6:03. I would love to see the channel talk about this. This looks like parts of a turret outside of its normal context being demonstrated. This is fascinating.

[@tomscotttheolderone364]

That was probably film shot in the Washington Naval Yard gun shop that produced most of the Navy's guns for more than a century.

[@johnnaylor5026]

Probably the wrong channel for this, but the move from the old Philly Navy Yard to League Island is a fascinating story. Always appreciate your work.

[@williamguillIII]

The U.S. Navy paid Philadelphia $1.00 for the land it sat/sits on. It was basically a huge swamp at that time. It took a lot of work to build up that land to have the base there. Also, the name Hoagie, came from the sandwiches the wives made for their husbands to take to work there. They called them hog sandwiches at the time and eventually the name changed to hoagie.

[@insanereindeer4081]

Lots of those naval propellers for large ships built at Rolls Royce Walpole.

[@michaels.chupka9411]

uh, Bethlehem steel? there were steel mills just outside philly, too.

[@major__kong]

Roebling Steel was nearby

[@johnnyliminal8032]

Yes please, for further vids about the shipyard. Would be fascinating to look at details about her construction, just as it is for the ship. Any of the shops/functions that you didn’t cover here, and deeper looks at these ones you did. Regarding scrapping of ships built before atom weapons testing, that steel is worth a lot for that. Apparently, everything produced since then has trace radioactivity, that can mess up some sensitive physics measurements. I would do a recall on those razor blades, replace them with radioactive ones. Might even be able to hype that into the marketing. I find the prop shop, that foundry, most intruiging. Seems like the secret sauce, relative to all the steel everything else. Might be just synaesthesia though, ‘cause I can hear them props. From slow ahead, to flank speed, all in that color.

[@bigsarge2085]

Awesome.

[@DaveSoCal]

I got a tour of the shipyard in ‘88, wanted to see dad’s ship from WW2, carrier Shangri La, that’s was held there for spare parts for Lexington.

[@zonavarbondagoo4074]

Could you please approach the Navy and do a tour of the propeller foundry. Maybe they'd be really interested to do a special tour video with you?

[@marklaterza4455]

I doubt that will happen. The prop foundry has classified stuff there. They make the submarine props and they are classified.

[@zonavarbondagoo4074]

@@marklaterza4455 Doesn't hurt to ask. But yes given most military stuff is 'classified' it might be scoffed at.

[@OanKnight]

Kind of a pipedream, but I'd love to see a place in the world that curates a collection of ships throughout the years which would give a visitor the ability to truly appreciate the development of technologies through the years from a few notable countries such as the UK, Russia and the USA. Kind of a...Small island shaped smithsonian. with a number of frigates, aircraft carriers, planes etc. A man can dream.

[@davidvavra9113]

I visited Bremerton years ago, quite the place

[@RetiredSailor60]

I visited Bremerton twice; 1984 and 1985 on USS Cape Cod AD 43...

[@Vet-7174]

Went to firefighting "A school " training for the Navy in the 70s there .

[@WALTERBROADDUS]

Any chance we could look at the old Airfield and naval aircraft Factory ?

[@drderper]

To my knowledge, the Naval Aircraft Factory is still in use, just not for aircraft. The airfield is barely visible and the road has barricades in spots, though I recall some of the runway is still there.

[@WALTERBROADDUS]

@@drderper I thought that whole half of the place has been kind of out of business? Even the base housing has been fenced off.

[@drderper]

@@WALTERBROADDUS The base housing is Jersey barriered on the road approaches, yes. The Naval Aircraft Building was primarily BL 77, which is still in use.

[@WALTERBROADDUS]

@@drderper Have not been there in a few years. What goes on there?🤔

[@williamguillIII]

@@drderper Yep, when I was there, they built new family housing houses down there off the runway. We did our PT tests there on the old runway while I was on the Kitty Hawk. It had grass growing all over it back then and was barely recognizable as an old runway then in the late 80's.

[@williamcaldwell1794]

Stationed in Lakehurst 64-66 went to philly all the time

[@Schism404]

I would put money on it that some of the steel came from Lukens Steel in Coatesville. They still make navy armor to this day (now Cleveland Cliffs)

[@henrycarlson7514]

So wise , Thank You .

[@m_ilk3398]

cant wait!

[@steveghazarian]

Worked at PNSY in the 80s and 90s in the design department.

[@airborneace]

Ryan: "You can't just wander around in here" Three seconds later, two boomers wander around in the background taking photos of an aircraft carrier lol

[@danielmkubacki]

Making the a reef or a museum are the best options.

[@rossreed9974]

I'd love to see the ships turned into museums and the curators with Ryan's demeanor, but this would be unlikely... What really needs to be done is a thorough documentation of a ship before she is scrapped, so at least there is a record of what she was.

[@ChesapeakeHammockandOutdoors]

My Great grandfather was an electrician there in the 40's and 50's. Not sure what he worked on though....

[@zeetack8625]

Erie pa is getting an Oliver hazard Perry class frigate as a museum ship what’s your thoughts on such a brand new museum ship coming soon

[@Pamcakes2859]

The Enterprise was CVN-65

[@justwordme]

Question of questions how was the propellers and rudder installed while not in the dry dock….??

[@davetronics]

I think he said they were! He said the initial build started on the slipway and once she was afloat she was moved to the drydock where the rudder and propellers were installed then she was taken to the outfitting pier where the turrets were installed.

[@charletonzimmerman4205]

Shop-51, electrical worker, 83'-87'.

[@johniooi3954]

If you had a bottomless pit of funds a yard like this could be used to house lots of the different classes of obsolete ships. Would become a haven for many.

[@me109g4]

We sure could use the yard space,, right now they are removing the rudder from USS Boxer pier side as they have no drydock space available to do it. That has to suck. DOD seems to have "BRAC"ed themselves clear out of Navy yards, to their detriment.

[@wfoj2]

Ok at 8:00 - Reserve Fleet - what year is that picture? What ship is in the lower right corner? I say that a BB- but which one? Ships scrapped get turned into Razor blades. many folks like to say that - but I'm really skeptical. How much if any gets reused - part of a new ship? IF Not a ship - I bet a lot is used in something significant sized IRT Steel content. significant sized - probably small compared to a BB- but big compared to our houses or cars.

[@jeffreymcurtis]

Newport News took around 20 tons of steel from CVN 65 to use on CVN 80, I'm wondering if they took some steel from CV 67 for CVN 79

[@robertf3479]

At a rough (very rough) guesstimate I would say the late 1950s to early 1960s. I see 3 CVEs, a bunch of Light and Heavy Cruisers, a pair of Hospital Ships, transports and destroyers ... by the size of her I might almost think your mystery ship might be a SoDak class BB, but I don't see any turrets of any kind so it beats me.

[@davidb4113]

I would doubt that steel is ever taken from a ship being scrapped and directly installed onto a new ship. *Indirectly*, would make sense that the “old” ship can “make up” the new one, in that the steel is sold to a recycler, and the funds used to purchase “new” steel. The old steel going to a smelter, with all the attendant quality control of being remade into “new” steel ending up as some other product.

[@scottspilis1940]

@@robertf3479 The mystery ship is the large cruiser ( battle cruiser) Hawaii., CB-3. She was suspended being roughly 80 complete while studies were undertaken as to further use, which included a guided missile ship, command ship among others. In the end nothing came of the studies and the ship was scrapped around 1959.

[@robertf3479]

@@scottspilis1940 Thank you very much for your information. I had totally forgotten about the Hawaii. According to DANFS her 12" turrets had been fitted after launch but then removed before she was moved to the Philly reserve fleet basin.

[@philiplettley]

You should sneek on kennedy while you're there, and do a few videos about her, before shes scrapped

[@BattleshipNewJersey]

Thats a federal crime so...no.

[@williamguillIII]

@@BattleshipNewJersey Yep, not to mention she's tied up so far off the pier as well.

[@justdeaf-ry6bn]

It's unfortunate that they're scraping USS Enterprise CVN 65. It would be a great museum ship. But I can understand the reasons that they can't due to the reactors. Maybe someday they'll figure out how to remove the reactors without cutting up the ship to get them out.

[@patrickjudd4575]

I took X-rays at the Branch medical clinic in 1991

[@senoJSR]

The Navy is supposed to be addressing the lack of shipbuilding facilities. Perhaps, part of this yard can be reborn.

[@jeffreynewsome9907]

Is it at all possible to discuss which particular ships are currently in the Philadelphia reserve fleet and why?

[@waynebauer2770]

Nice video, Are you able to do a tour of the reserve basin?

[@louisferryjr7501]

Ryan, I know you are right across from Philly but you can say our name on "the western side" PITTSBURGH! lol

[@wsollers1]

Wondering if anyone will mention Blind Mans?

[@msticks3672]

Was the heavy armor plate also stored in the "steel yard"? How did they move such heavy pieces of armor?

[@Saltyglass]

Do you know anything about the navy glass shops? I’ve seen glass lathes that were made for the navy and where in the Philly navy yard. I would imagine they had them for radio tube repairs or to make new ones.

[@JB-mw5rg]

Artificial reefs are always welcome!

[@mattm199]

Really interesting to see the state of the Navy Yard Ryan. While you're there, what ships are in the reserve basin? Google maps looks like many Perry FFG's?

[@rwdavidoff]

Have you gotten to look in on the NMMSV training ship construction going on there?

[@DavidRoy-q2f]

retire the ships like the kennedy....try to bring it to fall river mass at battleship cove

[@oneparticularharbor144]

That would have been great/ replace the Hidensee with JFK but that ship has sailed. I’m afraid , next trip will be to Brownsville . Too bad as it’s last chance for a Carrier as the rest are nukes and unlikely to be saved

[@garywayne6083]

Zero financial reality of this - they struggle to upkeep the three ships they have, adding a crazy big carrier into that would bankrupt them

[@beefgoat80]

I want an aircraft carrier. Just for when the neighbors use my dumpster without asking.

[@TwoToneTuna]

Question. What is the deal with the overgrown wooden slipway/railway things on the west side(around the steel yard where you are standing) of the reserve basin? They look very old and seem to be abandoned on every map I've looked at.

[@williamguillIII]

When I was there, they had these huge cranes that ran on double rails. I can't remember how many there were, but it was at least 4-5 or more.

[@bb89scbb31]

Wifes Grandmother was librarian and would take the ferry across from National Park everyday

[@phillipwilliamson6227]

The USS Kennedy should be a museum ship and tours done on her and docked next to the USS NEW JERSEY

[@astroboy5137]

$$$$$ is why.

[@williamguillIII]

Good luck. We tried to save my ship the Kitty Hawk, but they wouldn't let us have her. We wanted to bring her to Wilmington, N.C., where the USS North Carolina is. Problem is, it would have cost a fortune to have the mooring berth dredged to get her in there on the river. Sadly she was sold for a dollar to a ship wrecking company in Texas.

[@EMJ31]

Ryan, great job on everything, but getting to the end of this video, as to history I’m still very curious as to what looks to be the oldest things there that you weren’t able to get to: What looks like two ancient skeletons of ships or a floating drydock or some sort of steel frameworks side by side in what also looks like a drydock northwest of New Jersey at what Google Earth shows as 39 53 34 N and 75 11 15 W, those coordinates being right in the center of the two “vessels” or structures in what kind of looks like the drydock shape that Pennsylvania and Cassie and Downes were in when Pearl Harbor was hit. I’m sure there are hundreds of thousands like me looking at the area there on Google Earth, and I’m sure many spotted that as I did and are wondering. There’s GOT to be a great story to those - if you get the time to tell us what they are.

[@williamguillIII]

In the video, in the background you can see the I-95 double decker bridge. In that same background is the old bridge on base by the back basin. That bridge rises vertically, to let ships into and out of the basin. Not sure if that's what you're referring to though.

[@EMJ31]

@@williamguillIII Thanks but that’s not it. Wish I could attach a screen cap from Google Earth. Since posting I have looked up historic photos and going all the way back to WWII it looks like they MAY have been there back then. In one photo, it almost looked like there was a smaller submarine type of vessel mounted on the framework of one of them - but I may be imagining that because the resolution of the old aerial pictures is poor (maybe on purpose, understandably). On the other hand, how would they then be able to remove the sub, unless by a crane of sufficient size, or, if the two “vessels” are barges, maybe they could be sunk to launch the vessel being built, then refloated.