How the Alaskan Oil Pipeline was Built | Modern Marvels (S3, E13) | Full Episode

I want cheep gas and mean tweets

I have been living in Alaska for 40+ years. I work in the oil field. I spent 27 years in Prudhoe Bay. Drilling Alaska oil to help America! Last 15 years in or Anchorage office. This started out on a 5-year plan, never have regrated a minute. I love this state, and the oil field! My father was working in Iran in the early 70's with Arco. I had childhood friend's whose fathers where working in Alaska. Never ever thought I'd be in Alaska! I love this state folks. I cannot even think of being else were.

Nothing better than being in shop class and then the teacher puts something like this on and you get to relax for the rest of the hour. Thank you modern marvels 🙌

I was fortunate enough to meet two brothers that were both welders on this pipeline. They were from Quitman County in North Mississippi of all places, and so was I. They were the Toliver brothers, Mike and Kenneth. I learned most of what I know from these guys, and I wish that they were still around to teach me more. Men like them are gone for ever! Thank you both for what you shared with me! T. Haley.

Nice, from the days when The History Channel was actually worth watching.

Love Modern Marvels? Stay up to date on all of your favorite The HISTORY Channel shows at http://history.com/schedule.

I remember the oil pipeline being built in the 70s, it was a marvel of engineering.

Pretty cool that Ned Flanders from the Simpsons helped to build this pipeline!

A nice history of the TAP. Some pieces not covered in Thompson Pass was the use of the Sikorsky S-64 to place compressors and Catepillars along the pipeline route so that time could be saved by working from the inside out without having to cut the path starting at the ends. The S-64 could lift 20,000 pounds on the "hook" and the compressors were placed first then the Cat tracks were laid out and the pilot would set the Cat with the ground crew helping with tethers right on the tracks. Pretty skilled pilot-Bob Brown I believe was his name. Once in place the compressors would bore for explosives and the Cats would push the rubble down into the valleys. Also the narrator made it sound like the camps were tough living. Not so after work. We had Gourmet chefs making pastries, steaks, King Crab and lobster to order most nights along with 4 full meals daily; breakfast to order, lunch (full roasts, fried chicken, pork roasts) and midnight chow which was usually the same as lunch. Movies every night and WSJ, NY times papers delivered daily. Average pay for skilled workers was in the neighborhood $75,000. Even the girls that did housekeeping were in the $25,000 range. Usually 2 weeks on and 2 off. I was there for the whole build working in various locations with helicopters and it was the experience of a lifetime.

I know some people that worked on the pipeline. They loved Alaska.