Sitting in a lead-lined chamber, breathing filtered air and peering through a small window made of layers of glass with oil in between, the engineer slowly runs his locomotive about the wide desert lands of southern Idaho. The engine works at the Atomic Energy Comission's NAtional Reactor Testing Station where test facilities are being constructed for joint Air Force-AEC work. Since it has to move men and equipment through temporarily radioactive areas during testing periods, it is thoroughly protected by heavy lead and water shielding. Though the engine is equipped with twin 200 hp diesels, the protective weight it carries on its frame is so great that the machine never gets over a top speed of 10 mph.
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images and info provided by the LIFE Magazine / LIFE Magazine International / LIFE Magazine Atlantic ARCHIVE from the Zetu Harrys Collection
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