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UER Forum > UE Main > Finding running electronics, etc. in abandonments. (Viewed 17274 times)
AdventureDan 


Location: Texas
Gender: Male
Total Likes: 366 likes


I'm here to make wavy eyebrows and climb on stuff

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Finding running electronics, etc. in abandonments.
< on 2/5/2015 5:28 PM >
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Over the last several days I have had the opportunity to explore a very large abandoned bank with my little brother and friend. Most of the electricity in the place is cut off, but here and there a light flickers, an access card reader beeps incessantly, an exit sign glows, and in this case, a computer turned on!

While exploring the basement's vast network of maintenance areas, we found an office labelled "ENGINEERING DEPT." Upon entering we found a dark and cluttered, unlit office. Sitting on the desk, was an ancient looking computer set up, complete with floppy drives and a CRT monitor. My brother curiously hit the power button and to our surprise, like a scene out of LOST, the dinosaur stirred to life.

So I decided I'd try my hand at a little digital urbex.

1. Yes that is Windows 95 lol

After waiting about 20 minutes, (can't believe i used to have the patience for that when i was younger) it finally posted an error about imminent hard drive failure, and suggested starting in safe mode via BIOS, so i restarted the computer and changed it to safe mode and it finally started up. (Which is nice because W95 doesn't require a password in Safe Mode)

2.

I dug around for a little in the drives, but all i found was technical prints for the AC systems and for the electrical breakers.
3.

I noticed the recycle bin was full so i checked in there and found a file that had been deleted Feb. 1st, 2007. Exactly 8 years and 1 day ago. (pic was taken on the 2nd)
2.

I turned off the computer properly after having satisfied my curiosity, and we continued on. (pics to come from this awesome location soon!)

But anyways, I was just curious if anyone else had any experience with finding working ancient technology in abandonments that have electricity running?

Thanks!





AAAAAAAAAAAADVENTURE TIME!!!!
ForgottenRails 


Location: Eastern Ontario
Gender: Male
Total Likes: 68 likes




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Re: Finding running electronics, etc. in abandonments.
< Reply # 1 on 2/5/2015 5:30 PM >
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Wonder who is still paying the power bill?

The only live thing I've seen was a smoke alarm that was beeping from a low battery.




AdventureDan 


Location: Texas
Gender: Male
Total Likes: 366 likes


I'm here to make wavy eyebrows and climb on stuff

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Re: Finding running electronics, etc. in abandonments.
< Reply # 2 on 2/5/2015 5:39 PM >
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Posted by ForgottenRails
Wonder who is still paying the power bill?


I often wonder this myself with these type locations. This isn't the first abandonment I've been in that was like this. I've been in some much older and much more dilapidated places that had light switches that would turn on. Seems like a huge fire hazard to me, and of course someone has to be paying the bills which is strange.

This location in particular is set for demo early this summer. All the doors are welded or bracket bolted shut from the inside. I wonder if they'll start swinging the wrecking ball with the generator still running?




AAAAAAAAAAAADVENTURE TIME!!!!
Cateater 


Location: St.Charles, IL
Gender: Male
Total Likes: 4 likes




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Re: Finding running electronics, etc. in abandonments.
< Reply # 3 on 2/5/2015 6:02 PM >
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Best i have ever seen was full working plumbing, gas, and appliances/electric (microwave, oven, sink etc) but that was in a foreclosure next door rather than an abandonment...

Abandonments i have been to have been limited to dying fire alarms beeping incessantly.



[last edit 2/5/2015 6:03 PM by Cateater - edited 1 times]

miber 


Location: Orlando
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Re: Finding running electronics, etc. in abandonments.
< Reply # 4 on 2/5/2015 6:38 PM >
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The most interesting I've come across was a hotel that had been abandoned for a good several years still had it's wifi network up.




Archer 


Location: Toronto, ON
Gender: Male
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Imperator Sagittario

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Re: Finding running electronics, etc. in abandonments.
< Reply # 5 on 2/5/2015 6:40 PM >
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The best one that I've come across. So Fallout-esque.




Abandoned UE - http://www.abandonedue.com

"We live in a twilight world... and there are no friends at dusk."
AdventureDan 


Location: Texas
Gender: Male
Total Likes: 366 likes


I'm here to make wavy eyebrows and climb on stuff

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Re: Finding running electronics, etc. in abandonments.
< Reply # 6 on 2/5/2015 7:43 PM >
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Posted by arsytee
The most interesting I've come across was a hotel that had been abandoned for a good several years still had it's wifi network up.


hahaha... so you can tweet while you explore!


Post by Archer
The best one that I've come across. So Fallout-esque.


whoah that's cool! what was it?




AAAAAAAAAAAADVENTURE TIME!!!!
Ansion 


Location: BC, Canada
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The same, except different.

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Re: Finding running electronics, etc. in abandonments.
< Reply # 7 on 2/5/2015 8:19 PM >
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We used to hold huge poker tournaments in a large abandoned farmhouse, way out on a friends farm. Power (for lights and beer fridge) and plumbing. It was glorious for 2 years - became an underground legend - before his old man finally tore it down.

Dunno if that counts. ;)




"Explore thyself." ~ Henry David Thoreau

"...and abandoned stuff & things that look neat." ~ Ansion
Archer 


Location: Toronto, ON
Gender: Male
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Imperator Sagittario

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Re: Finding running electronics, etc. in abandonments.
< Reply # 8 on 2/5/2015 8:30 PM >
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Posted by AdventureDan
whoah that's cool! what was it?


Security terminal for configuration, I guess. No one was able to break the password to login.




Abandoned UE - http://www.abandonedue.com

"We live in a twilight world... and there are no friends at dusk."
Rinzler 


Location: New Jersey
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Nomad

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Re: Finding running electronics, etc. in abandonments.
< Reply # 9 on 2/5/2015 8:33 PM >
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Ive come across working lights to working entrance gates that we opened to let everybody inside the property. Also have seen working surveillance cameras, which unfortunately i did not take a picture of.

Septa by Rinzler., on Flickr

Bank Vault by Rinzler., on Flickr

MBTA by Rinzler., on Flickr




Radical_Ed 


Location: Philadelphia, PA, USA
Gender: Male
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"You work your life away and what do they give? You're only killing yourself to live!"

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Re: Finding running electronics, etc. in abandonments.
< Reply # 10 on 2/5/2015 10:26 PM >
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Hey, what did you do to Tarrant?




"Are you happy now with all the choices you've made?" "Are there times in life when you know you should've stayed?"
"Will you compromise and then realize the price is too much to pay?" "Winners and losers... which one will you be today?"
***Social Distortion***
Rinzler 


Location: New Jersey
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Nomad

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Re: Finding running electronics, etc. in abandonments.
< Reply # 11 on 2/5/2015 11:34 PM >
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Posted by Radical_Ed
Hey, what did you do to Tarrant?


I murdered him in his sleep.



[last edit 2/5/2015 11:34 PM by Rinzler - edited 1 times]

mookster 


Location: Oxford, UK
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Re: Finding running electronics, etc. in abandonments.
< Reply # 12 on 2/5/2015 11:39 PM >
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Mostly I've just found working lights etc - most notably recently a hospital I did earlier this year had the entire place still wired up, every light was working even the operating theatre and examination lamps.

A factory I did a couple of years ago still had working electricity and central heating, as we did the place in December it was quite a nice surprise to find the radiators switched on and warm to the touch. The same factory also had working roller shutter doors all around the place.

A brewery I did ages ago had a fully operational goods lift as well as the power still on all over the place, my mate pressed one of the buttons on it and the lift began rising towards the floor he was on.

It's more surprising finding the power still on in places that have suffered major decay, one of the derelict wards at a now demolished asylum I explored years ago must have shared a generator system with a neighbouring active block as amidst all the peeling paint, damp floors and beds scattered everywhere was a fully working electrical system - which scarily included an old electronic turntable someone had attempted to wire up directly into a plug socket!











You can't tell from this photo but this room was toasty warm




[last edit 2/5/2015 11:50 PM by mookster - edited 1 times]

Lost Photographer 


Location: Iowa
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Re: Finding running electronics, etc. in abandonments.
< Reply # 13 on 2/6/2015 1:16 AM >
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Heck I haven't even been lucky enough to find a working light switch yet! Those are great photos Mookster, and it's cool you got that old machine to fire up Dan




"Live out your imagination, not your history." ~ Stephen Covey
LuminousAphid 


Location: Lynnwood, WA
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Armchair Explorer

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Re: Finding running electronics, etc. in abandonments.
< Reply # 14 on 2/6/2015 1:31 AM >
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The local abandoned mill used to have power to a lot of it; I never got to see, but the 'belt-o-vator' apparently worked, and lots of lights were usually on. There was a radio downstairs near ground level that was on for several years, I guess that's the closest to actual electronics. Also some of the mill controllers still had power, and obviously breakers









"See you guys, you never listen to me. I said there was gonna be trouble but you didn't listen to me. You guys are crazy. You know, you guys are self destructive. There's a funny farm and it has your names written all over it. But I'm gettin' out of here. I'm... I smell ice cream!"
thetrainguru 


Location: Jasper AB
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im not crazy...wait...y es I am

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Re: Finding running electronics, etc. in abandonments.
< Reply # 15 on 2/6/2015 2:47 PM >
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Posted by Archer
http://www.uerev.c...ember/IMG_0124.jpg

The best one that I've come across. So Fallout-esque.


''you need a skill of 50 science to hack this terminal''

awesome shot




Create don`t destroy.

http://www.flickr....tos/104842213@N04/
Mike Dijital 

UEDB Moderator


Location: Boston MA.
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UE ver. 1.0

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Re: Finding running electronics, etc. in abandonments.
< Reply # 16 on 2/6/2015 3:19 PM >
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Years ago we found a working outlet at Danvers state hospital. just one in the basement. my friend Dave's father worked for the phone company so we took a 1000 foot roll of phone wire and ran it from the fallout shelter where the plug was in the basement all the way 2 floors up to the gym, up the ladder and hatch into the gym roofs crawl space. there was TV's in the basement so we smashed out a few of the speakers and brought them up to the gym roof crawl space, we removed 2 drop light fixtures and plopped the speakers on the holes. Dave got one of those power timer gadgets and plugged it into the wall socket, and then a busted up old boombox to the timer, we cut an old pair of headphones plug off and wired it to the speakers 2 and a half floors up, and did our best to make the 1000 feet of phone wire just look like more shit from the rotting hospital.

Everynight at 12am till 4 am the timer would turn on the boom box which we had set to a talk radio station, so if you were anywhere near the gym, you would hear people talking

this was back in the day of myspace groups, and we would always read posts on the danvers state urbex group about how people hear " voices " near the gym and ran out of the building thing it was security, or ghosts or whatever.


------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Simi lar story, there was an old 1950's hot plate in I ward that still turned on for whatever reason, in the winter we would use it to warm our hands, one time a fellow from the caveclan named simon " Syme" flew all the way up from Australia for me to take him to danvers state, we wanted to give him a warm welcome during a harshly bitterly cold new england night, so we brought up a tea kettle, a gallon of water, and some hot chocolate packets, and made hot cocoa, it really blew his mind lol














[last edit 2/6/2015 3:23 PM by Mike Dijital - edited 1 times]

www.deggi5.com / www.mikedijital.com
Jecht 


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Re: Finding running electronics, etc. in abandonments.
< Reply # 17 on 2/6/2015 4:07 PM >
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Posted by Archer
http://www.uerev.c...ember/IMG_0124.jpg

The best one that I've come across. So Fallout-esque.


Now that is downright awesome. There are a few places I've been in where there is still power, but never anywhere with a working computer. For example, there's an abandoned church that still has all the exit signs lit up and a working elevator. If you only looked at that part of the building, you'd never think about the floor collapsing in other rooms.




Tupsumato 


Location: Finland
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How close can you go?

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Re: Finding running electronics, etc. in abandonments.
< Reply # 18 on 2/6/2015 7:47 PM >
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This steel factory, closed in 2012, was fully powered and around the plant servers and desktop computers had been running for two years or so. There was even a CCTV system that was fully operational with remote-controlled cameras...



For once, I did not press buttons in the control rooms.

This place had power and heating in some parts of the building. Still, in many places windows were broken and it was snowing inside...




All information and details given in good faith but not guaranteed!
sope 


Location: 352
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UHR

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Re: Finding running electronics, etc. in abandonments.
< Reply # 19 on 2/8/2015 9:18 AM >
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Posted by Archer
http://www.uerev.c...ember/IMG_0124.jpg

The best one that I've come across. So Fallout-esque.


All your base are belong to us...




(H)ampton(R)oads(D)rainers
UER Forum > UE Main > Finding running electronics, etc. in abandonments. (Viewed 17274 times)
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