K-25, Y-12, S-50, X-10

K-25, Y-12, S-50, and X-10 may sound a bit like a bingo game gone very wrong. However, they are the random names of site complexes within Oak Ridge, TN, one of the three secret towns built by the Manhatten Project in WWII. Each of the work sites was dedicated to a separate process to determine which would be best to produce the uranium and plutonium needed for the atomic bomb.

K-25 was the world's first gaseous diffusion enrichment plant. Many were not sure the gaseous diffusion process would work on a large scale and considered the K-25 facility one of the biggest gambles of the war. K-25 was one of the world's largest buildings. Built in only 18 months, it was 44 acres under one roof. Workers used bicycles to travel inside the building. 

44 Acres under one roof

Y-12 used the electromagnetic process and was the world's first electromagnetic plant. The Calutron Girls operated the vacuum chambers. Originally, powers-that-be thought the chambers would have to be operated by Ph.D. level scientists. The local high-school graduate girls proved them wrong. Out performing the male scientists and engineers in a production run test, they were quickly hired.

Calutron Girl

High school graduate job

S-50 was the world's first production size thermal diffusion enrichment facility. It called for exacting piping on 2,142 columns, 48 ft. long and 4 in. in diameter. Many thought it was undoable. Twenty-one different American firms turned down the job. 

In addition to working with uranium, the secret city also worked to make plutonium for the atomic bomb. X-10 was the site of the world's first plutonium production reactor. While plutonium would be produced in Hanford, WA, the processes were tested at Oak Ridge. 

The log book is open to the first entry of "critically reached" stage

We were able to visit K-25, Y-12, and the graphite reactor through a DOE bus tour offered by the American Museum of Science and Energy. We enjoyed our tour guide, who retired from DOE, and knew lots of little tidbits of information. The X-10 graphite reactor site is accessible only through the tour as it is on the grounds of Oak Ridge National Laboratory. K-25 is open to the public as is the New Hope Center at Y-12, though you'd definitely want to call to confirm either in this ever changing world of security measures and pandemics.

Oak Ridge is an amazing story, and thankfully, a successful one. 

If it all went south...

Jenny!

Where Are We Going Next?