Recent photos - Lake City AFS, TN


Radar Ops, Looking North


Radar Ops, Looking East


Radar Ops, Looking South


Radar Ops, Looking West


Cantonment area, Looking West


Housing area, Looking West


Cantonment & Housing areas, Looking North


Cantonment & Housing areas, Looking East


Cantonment & Housing areas, Looking South


Top camp heating plant.
Photo source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/tennessee-mary/226060550/


Top camp operations.
Photo source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/tennessee-mary/226060554/in/photostream/


Top camp power plant
Photo source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/tennessee-mary/226060552/in/photostream/

July 2004 photos contributed by Tom Page

Tom writes:
My previous visit to the former Lake City AFS was restricted to the lower camp (cantonment area and housing area), as the road to the top camp on Cross Mountain was barred by a locked gate. Also, my previous visit (as well as Mark Morgan`s earlier visit) was during rain, which greatly limited visibility. This visit, on the other hand, was met with mostly sunny skies and an open gate to the mountain top. As a consequence, I was able to get decent photos of both the top and bottom sections of this old Air Force radar station. Of particular interest (to me) were the Aerial Tramway landings at both the top and bottom camps.


This photo, taken from the lower camp, shows the summit of Cross Mountain in the distance, with the Motor Pool (and Heating Plant smokestack behind it) in the foreground. [looking west-northwest]


This photo shows the Admin. building (right) and another building (Rec. Hall?) in the cantonment area in the lower camp. [looking east]


This photo shows the former Aerial Tramway landing in the lower camp. A present-day storage shed sits over the middle part of the concrete deck. Many rusty metal sections of the old tram system were lying in a pile nearby (not photographed). [looking southwest]


While difficult to see, this photo shows the mountain-facing end of the former Aerial Tramway landing in the lower camp. Much of the lower and upper camps is now heavily overgrown by vegetation.


This photo, taken at the upper camp, shows the former LRR Operations building. [looking west north-west]


This photo also shows the former LRR Operations building, as seen from the site of the former Tech Supply building. [looking west]


This photo shows my tour guides for this trip -- Ms. Carol Moore of Knoxville and Mr. Roy Daugherty of Briceville. Roy was stationed at Lake City AFS from 1955 until 1957, and served as a Security Policeman (SP) for the 663rd AC&W Squadron. He married a local girl, and settled in the area after retiring from the Air Force. Roy had a number of good "war stories" to share while we toured the top camp.


This photo shows the location of the AN/CPS-6B Search Radar tower by the back fence. Only the concrete pad remains now (seen better in the next two photos). [looking west]


This photo shows the concrete foundations of the AN/CPS-6B Search Radar tower, with the LRR Operations building in the background. [looking south]


This photo shows the foundations for the AN/CPS-6B Search Radar tower in the foreground and the diesel Power Plant building in the background. (Note: The foundations of the old AN/FPS-6 Height-Finder Radar tower, to the east, were no longer extant; a large modern radio facility now occupies its site.) [looking southeast]


This photo shows the top-camp Heating Plant (Steam Plant). Unlike its lower-camp counterpart, its smokestack is no longer standing. [looking west]


This photo shows the top-camp Aerial Tramway landing. A small modern-day radio facility now sits on its concrete deck. The tram car docked on its right (south) side where a radio tower now stands. [looking east-southeast]


This photo shows the the underside of the top-camp Aerial Tramway landing and the tram-car docking area. [looking west-northwest]


This final photo shows the walkway that leads away from the top-camp Aerial Tramway landing. The dining hall (not pictured) was located just past the rise; only its foundations, still with some floor tiles, now remain. [looking west]

The following photos, posted on January 12, 2004, were contributed by Carol Moore

Carol writes:
"Hi, Tom:
Barry Thacker forwarded your email to me. Those are great photos of the old radar station. We have had several folks ask us if we had old photos. Barry and I were able to go to the old station a couple of years ago with Tom Braden. I have attached a couple of photos that we took that day. Feel free to use them. When the weather gets better, maybe we can get Tom to take us up there again and you can join us.
Carol Moore"

The following July, 2000 photos contributed by Tom Page


Cantonment area, Cross Mt. in the distance. Road to right leads to housing area.


Cantonment area. Now used by a coal company.


Cantonment area. Cross Mt. in the distance, left. Radar/ops were on its summit.


Housing area.

The following October 1997 photos contributed by Mark Morgan