What's with the steering wheel? Is that used for cruising the Information Superhighway?

Tell the truth, Denny. That's the machine you learned on, isn't it.

The three panels are the propulsion, reactor, and electric plant control panels for a nuclear submarine. They are back in the Maneuvering Room, which is where the nuclear plant is controlled.

The outer 'steering wheel' is the ahead throttle, and the inner is the astern (backing) throttle. There are two sets of turbines for moving the ship: a big set to move forward and a much smaller set for backing up (since we don't do it as much). The Engine Order Telegraph is the dial just above the throttles on the right side of the panel. This is where the Throttleman stands and controls the speed of the ship.

The middle panel controls the reactor, if you look carefully you can see an L-shaped handle - that is the rod control. Right to push the rods in, left to pull them out. No, the captain doesn't pull rods by hand to keep the reactor from going critical (Irwin Allen's Seaview....)

The right panel controls the ship's electrical power system, both AC and DC. Yes, we have a battery on nuclear sub. Each cell is the size of a 5-drawer filing cabinet, and the battery can deliver 1000A of DC power.

The TV, printer, and keyboard are photoshopped in.

I spent 4 years in the back of an LA-class Fast Attack submarine, and all three panels were the same in 1977 when the Omaha was built.

Rick T
MM1(SS)

Yeah. You can find this on www.snopes.com. It's a cute gag, but it's a gag.

Bill

I worked on one similar to that many years ago when I worked for General Dynamics. Oh god I'm old ! There were 3 shifts of 2 people (6 total) that did nothing but replace burned out vacuum tubes. It had a huge chilled water plant that kept it cool too. Awesome machine

http://www.snopes.com/inboxer/hoaxes/computer.asp

Love it!
Looks somewhat like our war room/work room sans the ill fitting suit.
Thanks at Wendy, I am so swiping this! teehee

Yup, Nuke Sub control panels. I too whiled away many hours in front of each one of those! I was on the USS Phoenix SSN-702.

EM1/SS Marv

Wow a lot of (SS) readers. I'm was a USS Tunny SSN 682(L) and USS Aspro SSN 648 crewmember 80-86

BKT

Divermarv, when were you on the flaming chicken? I was aboard from 1995 till it was decommisoned in 1998.