We've had this cozy little 150Kva Diesel Genset for several years, and on Friday we bid it farewell. It is heading off to Connecticut to carry on doing its job for its new owners. It was sad to see it go, but as we said in the previous blog post, we have an even more impressive new genset at the Seattle facility. We'll post info about it soon. In the weeks since we vacated the datacenter we've been prepping the genset for removal - draining the fuel and disconnecting it from the electrical infrastructure.

Above: Riggers prep the genset for removal. We're sure the little Western Red Cedar in the foreground will appreciate losing the neighbor that occasionally vented exhaust near it.

Above: Cutting through the bolts that held the generator down on the pad.

It was impressive to watch the riggers gingerly lift and remove the big self-contained generator and fuel tank off the concrete pad and out from under our building. It was always problematic to refill this genset, as we would have to re-route traffic on North Creek Parkway and run a fuel hose from a truck up through the landscaping and into the fuel tank. Our new genset has a fuel filler that is easily accessible. In hindsight, having watched the installation a few years ago, and the removal last week, I wish we could have hired Ballard Transfer for the installation. Their staff were amazing to watch. Unlike the installation, which was an all-day affair involving about six people... none of which seemed to have a firm grasp on the situation, the guys from Ballard Transfer were swift, accurate, and professional when removing the genset. If you have the need to move heavy equipment or machinery in the Seattle area, give these guys a call!

Above: The genset being lifted off the pad.

Above: The genset going through the parking garage and out from under the building.

The riggers then removed the rest of the large equipment from the datacenter and loaded it on a truck bound for the east coast. Plenty of work remains - removal of the racks, floor repair (from rack mounting), conduit removal, etc.

Above: Damian Amrhein walks through the nearly empty Bothell datacenter.

Above: The truck, loaded with the genset, UPS, HVAC, ATS, etc. Damian directs traffic.