Pipe Bombs on high voltage lines in MA

[AllaSnackbah]

Just saw this from IBEW.

Subject: National Grid bomb Threat
All,

We were just informed that there was a bomb threat on National Grid property out of Tyngsborough, MA. Early this morning upon crew arrival, crew noticed 3 can like objects that were hanging on the 326 345kv energized line. Crew immediately reported to National Grid as a threat. Upon further investigation National Grid de-energized the line to remove the 3 can like objects, and brought in MA bomb squad for the removal of the cans. Upon further investigation by the MA bomb squad they located 3 pipe bombs that were attached to the 326 345kv line. Grid was able to de-energize line, bring in MA bomb squad for a safe removal and further investigate the 3 can like objects that were hanging from the line anchored to the ground, then re-energize the line. We wanted to send out an email to make everyone aware of this incident and for crews to take extra precaution and inspect all lines before getting to work. If anything seems out of the ordinary please DO NOT go to work and report immediately.

 

[Evadd]

Wow. Can anyone familiar with this stuff explain the type of line it was on? Would that knock out power to a wide area?

 

[AllaSnackbah]

Wow. Can anyone familiar with this stuff explain the type of line it was on? Would that knock out power to a wide area?

345,000 volts. These are the big lines that go between plants, substations, etc.

I'm not sure exactly how much of an outage this would cause had it been successful, but I've read into it a little since my parents have 345's running through their property. If you want power, you don't want these to go down lol.

 

[Coyote33]

The news said these bring power from Quebec to New York.

 

[JayMcB]

The news said these bring power from Quebec to New York.

My uncle worked in power generation at the VP level before he passed. He said the grid is a remarkably fragile network. Add in the NIMBY a-holes who won't allow new plants, the green aholes who want the existing plants shut down, indifferent maintenance to maximize shareholder value, no spare parts for major components, and you don't NEED an EMP to take out the grid. the wrong lines or transformers get taken out at the same time and it's lights out.

Prepare accordingly.

All I know is he had a standby genset and a shit-ton of fuel for it.

 

[allen-1]

http://www.northeastshooters.com/vb...ncindiary-Devices-on-Power-Lines-in-Tyngsboro

 

[babygorilla]

345 KV are transmission (plant to substations) lines. Distribution lines (substations / transformers to grid / homes) are lower voltages. Taking out ONE transmission line could be catastrophic to a SECTION of the distribution grid. Multiples transmission lines would cause huge problems. Typically there is redundancy built in (i.e. relays at a different substation divert power to backfeed a substation's distribution area with a downed primary 345 kv line), however many relays are old (1950's to 70's mechanical relays) and do not function properly. Newer digital relays are more reliable (my company installs these and maintains the old style). The old relays may fail to operate, causing a section of the grid to remain down. We are VERY busy right now ensuring these backups work or are upgraded. Taking out towers would be very bad, power lines are more easily replaced. Relays would prevent catastrophic damage to downstream lines and systems by tripping (opening) and dropping the power. So again, power loss to a section of the grid that would take a little time to repair is the worst case scenario.

You would be surprised how often we actually lose a transmission line, and most people never even know it. Or it could cause an outage to 30,000 customers. A lot of redundancy is being built in since the blackout in NY and FL back in the day.

TLDR; maybe, dependent upon age of backup and redundant systems, and location of primary transmission line. These lines feed power to substations that feed to a to transformers that then converts it into the power used at your homes / businesses. Some would lose power, some would not, dependent upon how upstream the line is to the plant.

 

[Yota79]

They were explained as incendiary devices and not bombs. If you were looking to take down a large metal cable thats what you'd want. That alert also stated that they had received a bomb threat? Why, if your plan was unsuccessful would you want to tip anyone off about it? I don't think this was a couple of teenagers messing around though..

 

[Iggy Z]

Doesn't that require an awfully high reach to place a device on a line like that?

 

[Spanz]

Doesn't that require an awfully high reach to place a device on a line like that?

bring a step ladder.

 

[Cabinetman]

Here's the Boston Globe story on this. It's serious for sure.

https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2...yngsborough/olwql3b1ZELqcid2w7JCON/story.html

 

[Len-2A Training]

bring a step ladder.

Or drone.

 

[babygorilla]

Had to be a drone. Too high and ENERGIZED. Using a ladder, even a fiberglass one would be a BAD idea. They aren't designed for that type of potential energy. Contact with the line would have caused an instant relay trip. A drone would be ungrounded and could be at the same potential as the line, thus preventing damage to the line or drone. Bird on a wire....

Really cool video, kind of shows how it's done. [video]https://youtu.be/9tzga6qAaBA[/video] I used to work for a company that did this (flew the choppers). And you can also surmise how a drone could do it.

 

[SpaceCritter]

Down our way, they're busy replacing all the towers with monopoles, so the "little yellow helicopter" has been busy:

 

[richc]

Hmmm.....

"Kowenhoven said the FBI had previously encountered devices that bore similarity to those found in Tyngsborough. He said the FBI has taken the objects to a laboratory, where specialists will examine them to see if they bear characteristic “signatures.”"

 

[spcantwell]

Had to be a drone. Too high and ENERGIZED. Using a ladder, even a fiberglass one would be a BAD idea. They aren't designed for that type of potential energy. Contact with the line would have caused an instant relay trip. A drone would be ungrounded and could be at the same potential as the line, thus preventing damage to the line or drone. Bird on a wire....

Really cool video, kind of shows how it's done. [video]https://youtu.be/9tzga6qAaBA[/video] I used to work for a company that did this (flew the choppers). And you can also surmise how a drone could do it.

My guess would be a non conductive line thrown over the live lines then dragging the device up to it (one of the reports said it was connected to a wire on the ground)

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk

 

[Rob Boudrie]

I wonder if these were thermite

 

[Beeffajitas]

I wonder if these were thermite

I was thinking that. If you got it close enough to the wire, it would certainly burn through. I don't think a frag device would have a very good chance of doing that.

 

[not new guy]

Seems like somebody went to a lot of trouble to not actually do any damage. Maybe they didn't work as planned. Calling it in as a threat doesn't really make sense though.

 

[robjax]

Seems like somebody went to a lot of trouble to not actually do any damage. Maybe they didn't work as planned. Calling it in as a threat doesn't really make sense though.

I didn't read where anyone called in a threat. I read that the one that ignited started a fire and the fire department went out there and noticed the others hanging there.

 

[timbo]

Would be one hell of a vertical throw! Then any line used to pull something up there would have to be a special fabric so as not to be conductive. I would guess that a drone would be less expensive and more expedient.

someone with a soda can launcher and a bit of practice...

 

[whalerman69]

Had to be a drone. Too high and ENERGIZED. Using a ladder, even a fiberglass one would be a BAD idea. They aren't designed for that type of potential energy. Contact with the line would have caused an instant relay trip. A drone would be ungrounded and could be at the same potential as the line, thus preventing damage to the line or drone. Bird on a wire....

Really cool video, kind of shows how it's done. [video]https://youtu.be/9tzga6qAaBA[/video] I used to work for a company that did this (flew the choppers). And you can also surmise how a drone could do it.

Holy cow ya gotta be kidding me. Hopefully the pay was up there for both parties

 

[drgrant]

Super Duplitron:

It happened in.... TINGGGGGGGSSBURRAOO!

https://www.northeastshooters.com/v...ncindiary-Devices-on-Power-Lines-in-Tyngsboro