Project 10073 Record Card — Sighting near Lock, Nevada, 8 July 1954

On July 8, 1954, at approximately 1045Z, two employees of the Southern Pacific Railroad observed an unidentified aerial object while working from the caboose of a train. The observers, aged 38 and 60, reported seeing a round, grapefruit-sized object emitting a yellow glow with two reddish, dim lights on its right side. The sighting occurred 10 miles northeast of Lock, Nevada, under clear, calm, and cool night conditions. The object exhibited unusual behavior, moving in a wavy pattern toward the west before remaining stationary for several minutes. It then dropped several hundred feet to the south, bounced up and down multiple times, and returned to its original position before fading and disappearing over the horizon. The total duration of the observation was approximately seven minutes. The report, filed by the 3904th Composite Wing at Stead AFB, Nevada, indicates that no physical evidence was found, no radar contact was made, and no air traffic was reported in the area by the Civic Aeronautic Agency. The official conclusion reached by the Air Technical Intelligence Center (ATIC) was that the object was a 'probable balloon.'