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Inside The Fed's "Doomsday" Bunker

Tyler Durden's picture




 

Not even a nuclear volley between the US and the USSR could have stopped the Cold War-era Fed from operating. That’s because nestled in the hills of Culpeper, Virginia was a 135,000 square foot bunker that housed some $4 billion in hard currency as well as the central hub of FedWire, the computer network which allows the nation’s banks to communicate and transfer funds. 

Constructed in 1969 in an effort to ensure the banking system could still function in the event there were still any banks left in the post-apocalyptic world, Culpeper Switch (officially the Federal Reserve System’s Communications and Records Center) was equipped with everything a Fed official would need to survive in the wake of a nuclear holocaust. 

Here’s more via Brookings:

For nearly three decades, the Federal Reserve Board operated a 139,800-square-foot (13,001 square-meter) radiation hardened facility inside Mount Pony, just east of Culpeper, Virginia. Dedicated on December 10, 1969, the 400-foot-long (122-meter) bunker is built of steel-reinforced concrete 1 foot (0.3 meters) thick. Lead-lined shutters can be dropped to shield the windows of the semi-recessed facility, which is covered by 2 to 4 feet (0.6 to 1.2 meters) of dirt, and surrounded by barbed-wire fences and a guard post. The seven computers at the facility, operated by the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond, were the central node for the transfer of all American electronic funds.

 

Until July 1992, the bunker, about 70 miles (113 kilometers) southwest of Washington, D.C., also served as a facility for the continuity of government. With a peacetime staff of 100, the site was designed to support an emergency staff of 540 for thirty days, but only 200 beds were provided in the men's and women's dormitories, which would be shared on a "hot-bunk" basis by the staff, working around the clock. A pre-planned menu of freeze-dried foods for the first thirty days of occupation was stored on site; private wells would provide uncontaminated water following an attack. Other noteworthy features of the facility were a cold storage area for maintaining bodies that could not be promptly buried (owing to high radiation levels), an incinerator, indoor pistol range, and a helicopter landing pad. Until 1988, Mount Pony stored several billion dollars worth of currency, including a large number of $2 bills in its 23,500-square-foot (2,186-square-meter) vault, shrink-wrapped and stacked on pallets 9 feet (2.7 meters) high. This money was to be used "to replenish currency supplies east of the Mississippi."

And from Paleofuture:

But the facility wasn’t just for use in the post-apocalyptic future. It was actively used by the Federal Reserve to route and monitor financial transactions from America’s banks throughout the 1970s and 80s. The building was dedicated in December 1969 and by August of the following year it was routing financial transactions between 5,700 banks all around the country. By the mid-1970s it was processing 25,000 messages an hour through the facility’s four computers.

 

It may have been designed with the apocalypse in mind, but the Fed was going to be damned sure it got its money’s worth during those pre-apocalypse years.

Here are some fun pages from the government’s Culpeper Switch booklet...

 

 

...and here are the floor plans…

 

 

Once the Soviet threat had passed, the government attempted to sell the facility. Here are the visuals from the brochure:

*  *  *

In the end, you won't be seeing Janet Yellen here in the event hostilities between Putin and the US escalate because the site has been tranformed into the National Audio-Visual Conservation Center which houses "more than 1.1 million film, television, and video items... with a collection ranging from motion pictures made in the 1890s to today's TV programs, the Library's holdings are an unparalled record of American and international creativity in moving images," but rest assured, someone is making government contingency plans somewhere and we suspect that a mere $4 billion in hard currency won't cut it in a today's post-apocalyptic QE world, so we ask: where's the new bunker and how much are they storing there?

 

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Sat, 04/25/2015 - 19:57 | 6030073 I need more asshats
I need more asshats's picture

Oh oh Mr Kotter. What is Tel Aviv for $1000 jew bucks.

Sat, 04/25/2015 - 20:05 | 6030089 fudge
fudge's picture

an island deep in the south atlantic

Sat, 04/25/2015 - 20:17 | 6030102 Manthong
Manthong's picture

I thought the Fed was moving Ops down to King Drive and 63rd in Chicago..

Not even ISIS wants to go there to do any bombing.

 

Sat, 04/25/2015 - 21:27 | 6030264 cnmcdee
cnmcdee's picture

So let's see - they could..... pay the interest on the debt for roughly 3.2 days with it?  Perfect!

Sat, 04/25/2015 - 22:29 | 6030388 MontgomeryScott
MontgomeryScott's picture

I always wondered what those $2 bills were actually for. Thanks to the Tylers (and those at ZH), I FINALLY have a relevant and concise answer.

As far as the merchants in the CONUS were concerned, they were 'toilet paper'. Try finding a slot in an NCR 'cash register' (or, any other) for them; for example. WELL, OF COURSE, ALL THE OTHER SO-CALLED 'DENOMINATIONS' WERE TOILET PAPER AS WELL (after the Nixon-Kissinger OPEC Accords), BUT TRY TO TELL THAT TO THE PEOPLE WHO WERE TRYING TO SURVIVE THE CRASH OF 1976 (or the current crop of I-phoned plebes).

'Interest' means 'Usury' (by any other name).

 

 

 

 

Sat, 04/25/2015 - 23:10 | 6030474 Ralph Spoilsport
Ralph Spoilsport's picture

I was always told that $2 bills were made for placing $2 bets at the race track. I've never seen one in real life even though they are still in circulation and 32 million were printed in 2014.

http://www.moneyfactory.gov/uscurrency/annualproductionfigures.html

Sun, 04/26/2015 - 06:08 | 6030791 zhandax
zhandax's picture

Strangely enough, the 1928 series B $2 bill was the last time the fed admitted they were printing confetti.  Find one on ebay and zoom in on the print over the red seal to the left of the portrait. 

One would hope there is an interesting story about how this was resolved.  Does anyone have any details?  Or was it simply more bureaucratic grind-down?

Sun, 04/26/2015 - 11:42 | 6031267 jonytk
jonytk's picture

2 dollar bill are all the rage in Vietnam in the Tet new year it's costumary to gift money, 2$ are considered lucky since they are rare. Now, it may be chinese counterfited ones, but last time i checked they were selling above face value.

 

True story bro.

Sun, 04/26/2015 - 08:12 | 6030874 NoVa
NoVa's picture

The Fed buildiig in Richmond has 14 stories underground for in Operation today.

 

NoVa

 

Sat, 04/25/2015 - 20:26 | 6030131 tarabel
tarabel's picture

 

 

Alex says:

The answer is:

A place where people who are a lot smarter than you live.

Sat, 04/25/2015 - 22:38 | 6030409 MontgomeryScott
MontgomeryScott's picture

The Final Jeopardy answer IS:

WHAT is the name of the Rothschild-inspired Central Bank that wasn't 'up to speed', regarding the ability of both sides due to their shared their funding of the warfare culture; to make craters a quarter of a mile deep; eradicating earthen berms and shattering underground facilities that they thought would protect them in times of crisis?

Thirty seconds, contestants...

 

Sun, 04/26/2015 - 15:38 | 6031829 remain calm
remain calm's picture

If they were smarter they would have the money stored in gold. Put they can use that paper money to wipe their ass, because toilet paper will be worth more to them for trading, see Venezuela.

Mon, 04/27/2015 - 13:38 | 6034576 Ident 7777 economy
Ident 7777 economy's picture

 

Looks a lot like high-security lock-up (i.e. prison).

 

 

Sat, 04/25/2015 - 20:50 | 6030173 Mr Pink
Mr Pink's picture

So cockroaches and the Fed will survive a nuclear war.....perfect

Sun, 04/26/2015 - 00:37 | 6030591 mkhs
mkhs's picture

That's redundant.

Sat, 04/25/2015 - 19:59 | 6030075 Jonesy
Jonesy's picture

What a bunch of dicks, storing paper jew-bux for the end of times.

Sat, 04/25/2015 - 20:04 | 6030087 e_goldstein
e_goldstein's picture

 Trees get cut down in some place like Oregon, then we turn it into paper and print ink on it, bury it, and pay people to stand around guarding  it. It has no utility. Anyone watching from Mars would be scratching their head.

To (mis)quote Unkie Warren.

Sun, 04/26/2015 - 03:13 | 6030705 Charming Anarchist
Charming Anarchist's picture

Martian1:  "How odd.  There is very little evidence of these creatures actually USING these green papers for any practical purposes."

Martian2:  "Indeed.  If anything, some very erratic creatures will occasionally roll it up through which they snort some peculiar white powder."

Sun, 04/26/2015 - 06:22 | 6030802 zhandax
zhandax's picture

Martian 3:  Dude, that isn't paper; it is a silk and cotton blend that feels sooooo good when you wipe your ass.

Sun, 04/26/2015 - 08:11 | 6030873 logicalman
logicalman's picture

Alien -

“This planet has - or rather had - a problem, which was this: most of the people living on it were unhappy for pretty much of the time. Many solutions were suggested for this problem, but most of these were largely concerned with the movement of small green pieces of paper, which was odd because on the whole it wasn't the small green pieces of paper that were unhappy.”

Douglas Adams on money

Sat, 04/25/2015 - 20:08 | 6030096 August
August's picture

America is a smouldering ruin... and they expect to emerge and restore order, dispensing $2 bills?

Sat, 04/25/2015 - 20:52 | 6030183 AIIB
AIIB's picture

$3 dollar bills

Sat, 04/25/2015 - 21:31 | 6030271 indygo55
indygo55's picture

Waaaait a minute. I thought the FED and their owners controlled both sides of this steaming shit story. 

Sat, 04/25/2015 - 22:46 | 6030425 MontgomeryScott
MontgomeryScott's picture

Welcome to Zero Hedge; where the reality of wild stories are presented, and facts are not censored.

As far as your 'steaming shit' reference, though, I don't go there (and YOU shouldn't, either).

Sat, 04/25/2015 - 20:00 | 6030079 heisenberg991
heisenberg991's picture

Put it on ebay.

Sat, 04/25/2015 - 20:01 | 6030083 q99x2
q99x2's picture

Somebody's got to protect my FAFSA.

Sat, 04/25/2015 - 20:03 | 6030085 tony wilson and...
tony wilson and saturn zion devils's picture

mount pony you say?

i have been inside a
donkey does that count
it could have been a mule
does anyone really understand the difference already.
they do make an awfull racket

Sat, 04/25/2015 - 20:15 | 6030112 Seasmoke
Seasmoke's picture

I enjoy your posts. I have no idea why. But I just do.

Sat, 04/25/2015 - 20:24 | 6030127 tarabel
tarabel's picture

 

 

Okay, one for your side. Not a single mention of the Z word.

Thank you and I apologize for suggesting that you were a complete one-trick pony.

Not that turning tricks with a pony is much of an improvement but who am I to judge.

Sat, 04/25/2015 - 20:28 | 6030134 stormsailor
stormsailor's picture

whats the website where you turn tricks with a pony?

Sat, 04/25/2015 - 22:56 | 6030445 MontgomeryScott
MontgomeryScott's picture

WAIT. I'm looking it up...

www dot HILLBILLARY BEN-SHALOM SARKOSISUCKSPENIS-EU dot com

If you mention my secret code-word (Mexico City-Tia-Juana), a free show involving a donkey and a female (or male) of your choice will be live-streamed to your P.C.

Tell them Aunt Juana sent you, for free condoms, and other things to enable you to masturbate without guilt.

Sat, 04/25/2015 - 23:04 | 6030459 MontgomeryScott
MontgomeryScott's picture

Why, Tarabel,

I'm surprised. In fact, I'm SHOCKED and SHAKEN!

I didn't know that the word 'ZIONIST' was such a 'sore point' with you.

From now on, I will refer to these as 'ASHKENAZIM' and 'KHAZARIM'.

BUT, 'Kike' works better, you know...

(SHIT. I just used the 'K' word!)

Sat, 04/25/2015 - 20:04 | 6030088 Niall Of The Ni...
Niall Of The Nine Hostages's picture

What I want to know is why. By 1969 it was clear a nuclear war with the banksters' Frankenstein's monster in the Soviet Union was not winnable in any meaningful sense of the word. What was all that Fed-confetti supposed to buy the day after?

Sat, 04/25/2015 - 20:08 | 6030092 fudge
fudge's picture

happiness ;-)

Sat, 04/25/2015 - 20:29 | 6030135 black calx
black calx's picture

It's to pay for all those broken windows.

Sat, 04/25/2015 - 20:59 | 6030202 XitSam
XitSam's picture

Silly Niall.  You're applying logic, assuming there was a purpose.  If anything, building the fallout shelter was a way to waste your money. And to show their arrogance, they didn't even tell you that your money was wasted.

Sat, 04/25/2015 - 21:48 | 6030308 Niall Of The Ni...
Niall Of The Nine Hostages's picture

Don't laugh too loud. The bad guys usually have their reasons for doing things that might make sense to them if not to us, so if you know how they think it's not hard to figure out why they're doing something.

Here, I really don't know what their heads were.

Sat, 04/25/2015 - 20:09 | 6030095 Yancey Ward
Yancey Ward's picture

"We at the Federal Reserve want you to know that your monetary system will survive the onset of The Apocalypse so that those with the means may still buy their way out of Hell."

Sat, 04/25/2015 - 20:10 | 6030100 Jonesy
Jonesy's picture

$4 billion and some vcr tapes, just in case they couldn't bring the printer with them.

Sat, 04/25/2015 - 20:11 | 6030104 tony wilson and...
tony wilson and saturn zion devils's picture

talking of sampson option
and more free stuff for operation oded yinon

Biden, seeking to ease U.S.-Israel strains, pledges delivery of new warplanes

http://www.jewishjournal.com/israel/article/biden_seeking_to_ease_u.s._i...

Sat, 04/25/2015 - 20:22 | 6030123 tarabel
tarabel's picture

 

 

Is there any chance, any at all, that you could find another subject to prattle on about-- even for a day?

Jew, Jew, Jew. It's like Baron von Frankenfurter has time-warped us all back to 1937 Nuremburg.

Surely you have some other interest in life than in continuously raging against the evil Zionist conspiracy that has tricked you and robbed you and played you for the fool.

Sat, 04/25/2015 - 20:30 | 6030139 stormsailor
stormsailor's picture

why, does that make you uncomfortable?

Mon, 04/27/2015 - 00:33 | 6033099 aardvarkk
aardvarkk's picture

I know it makes *me* uncomfortable.  I had an uncle who was in on the liberation of one of the camps in WWII.  He's dead now and he never talked much about it, but he told me just enough to be really embarassed for people who deny the holocaust and rant on about how jews are evil incarnate.  If they are evil, they were taught by the best in the hardest way possible.

If people must bash jews, I wish they'd at least limit their bashing to those particular jews who have actually done some of the bad things people are saying that jews do.  I've only ever known a few jews, but the average of those few is far higher than the average of all the rest of the people I have known.  If there are some in high finance or whatever that have done wrong, well, show me a group who is pure as the driven snow.  Genghis Khan did some nasty shit too, but I hardly *ever* hear people bash Mongols.

But yeah, the constant harping says more about the harpers than their targets.  And it has started to make me a bit uncomfortable, at least after the 10,000th post to that effect or so.  It sort of displays a lack of imagination or something.

Sat, 04/25/2015 - 20:34 | 6030145 WTFUD
WTFUD's picture

Tarabel it's evil Zionist Conspiracy Fact.

However, i agree with your sentiment that we need every jew,muslim, christian, black, white, yellow , female on board now now and to settle these more personal issues after we eliminate the Cabal.

That said who the fuck am i to demand that folks refrain from sharing their own personal feelings/ ideas on the Hedge of all places.

Sun, 04/26/2015 - 05:08 | 6030770 dreadnaught
dreadnaught's picture

she's part of that MOSSAD internet Jewish Advocacy front

Sat, 04/25/2015 - 21:21 | 6030240 Jonesy
Jonesy's picture

tarabel is another crazy, paranoid jew that thinks he's on the inside.  How much you wanna bet he still really believes the HoloHoax narrative?  Classic!

Sat, 04/25/2015 - 21:27 | 6030265 asfffasfff
asfffasfff's picture

conspiracy?

Sat, 04/25/2015 - 22:39 | 6030412 tony wilson and...
tony wilson and saturn zion devils's picture

tarabel i am sorry you have got me wrong un.

are you jewish?

is that you in the photography with the blonde red hairs?

would you like to go for a supper

can i make loves to you gently

or i can nail you to the wall harder

whatever your pleasure me darlin as long as

you was born a girley i am in like flynn

all blondies are equal in my eyes open or wide shuts.

whatever the masonic religions

my life already

Sat, 04/25/2015 - 23:10 | 6030472 MontgomeryScott
MontgomeryScott's picture

Tarabel,

'HAIFA', much?

Yeah. I thought so.

Sun, 04/26/2015 - 06:02 | 6030799 HowdyDoody
HowdyDoody's picture

Sure, as soon as your beloved racist war-mongering state ceases sucking the US dry.

Sun, 04/26/2015 - 12:40 | 6031409 Emergency Ward
Emergency Ward's picture

That's his "schtick", like your schtick is calling him out for it.

Sat, 04/25/2015 - 20:11 | 6030105 Yancey Ward
Yancey Ward's picture

What I want to know is if the audio-visual center stores porn?  Or are we left with our imaginations when the zombie horde strikes?

Sat, 04/25/2015 - 20:26 | 6030129 Ralph Spoilsport
Ralph Spoilsport's picture

Most def save the porn, but only after all the cat videos and pictures have been safely stored. With those two things can mankind rise from the radioactive ashes and start the long journey towards being able to make cat videos again, 15,000 years in the future.

Sun, 04/26/2015 - 08:04 | 6030854 IndianaJohn
IndianaJohn's picture

As in the movie 'Zardoz'. When the mortal threat strikes. People make their own homemade porn. And life goes on.

By the way. I was born in a DP camp near Hamburg in August 1946.

Sun, 04/26/2015 - 08:33 | 6030902 Beowulf55
Beowulf55's picture

Mazel Tov

Sat, 04/25/2015 - 20:29 | 6030136 Yes_Questions
Yes_Questions's picture

 

 

Its interesting. 

 

corporate media treats prepping as something for the paranoid or conspiracy theorists.  at best there is some very mild suggestion to have an earthquake kit or to stock up on some food and water before a hurricane arrives, but anything beyond that is considered extreme.

 

but continuity of government reveals an almost mind boggling level of prepping.  Big projects. 

 

so, on the one hand there is the massive prepping on the part of the owners, which is perfectly acceptable, but the message from this very same group through its media is that prepping is a to be marginalized.

 

why am i bothered by this?

 

 

Sat, 04/25/2015 - 20:32 | 6030142 Yancey Ward
Yancey Ward's picture

You are right to be bothered.  The only good thing about an apocalypse, in my mind, would be all the dead bureaucrats and toadies.

Sat, 04/25/2015 - 21:39 | 6030283 Youri Carma
Youri Carma's picture

Would be funny to see FED officials standing outside there bunker in this post-apocalyptic Mad Max world with coffers full of dollars like Jehovah witness with pamphlets.

Sun, 04/26/2015 - 06:57 | 6030820 prymythirdeye
prymythirdeye's picture

The cold war must have been real...look at all the radiation hardened facilities

Sun, 04/26/2015 - 08:20 | 6030884 Berspankme
Berspankme's picture

Rumor is that Bernanke jacks off to a picture of Yellen in the corner office

Sun, 04/26/2015 - 11:12 | 6031186 VooDoo6Actual
VooDoo6Actual's picture

I wonder & ponder how many critical thinkers working for BORG have their chairs reserved for their familes in the DUMB's when the Nukes Hit The Fan  (NHTF) ?

Didn't Hitler have a plan to kill all those who helped him ?

Not exactly the brightest bulbs on the Chandalier.....

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