What were the hoistways for?

[rjohnston79]

I've seen some pics from the Stude plant of these "Hoistways", a long cavernous hall with balconies along the sides... does anyone know what they were for when the plant was operating?

[IMG]http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1023/536781237_96c46dcf24_o.jpg[IMG]

Ron Johnston
1963 Studebaker Daytona HT

[klifton1]

Those were probably for heavy duty overhead cranes that run on trollys up there.
Klif

55 Speedster
63 Avanti R2
63 Lark R2

[Chris_Dresbach]

That was in the stamping plant building. You can see where the "trough" runs directly throught the center of the floor, that was where the rail road came in. They woul load/unload a train car here and and crates would be set out on the floor. The crane would then come and pick them up and set it on the designated balcony on the wall. It was just a fast way to get a crate or whatever it may be to the proper location faster.

Chris Dresbach

[rjohnston79]

Thanks for the insight =] ... I think I can make out the blue-ish overhead crane parked at the far end just below the roof trusses.

Ron Johnston
1963 Studebaker Daytona HT

[Chris_Dresbach]

quote:Originally posted by rjohnston79

Thanks for the insight =] ... I think I can make out the blue-ish overhead crane parked at the far end just below the roof trusses.

Ron Johnston
1963 Studebaker Daytona HT

Yes, that is the crane.

Chris Dresbach

[Chris_Dresbach]

Here ya go.

Chris Dresbach

[candbstudebakers]

Neat, I like it.

Bob Peterson / C & B Studebakers

Castro Valley, CA
canbstudebakers-

[Chris_Dresbach]

Quite a shame. To me, I always thought that was the ultimate studebaker building. I really wanted to go through it before it got demolished, but never had the chance.[V][xx(][B)] Oh well, next thing I want to do is find a brick from it.

Chris Dresbach

[Milaca]

Thanks for the explanation Chris, I didnt realize that the crane transferred things to and from the balconys. I wonder if other manufacturing businesses had a similar setup. So did Studebaker then have stamping presses on multiple floors and on both sides of the thruway? I ask because I dont know why there would be so many balconys unless there is a press near each balcony. Its a wonderful picture showing a very unique structure. Its interesting that the gable roof over the thruway sheds its snow and water onto the adjoining roofs on both sides of it. I need to find an exterior picture that shows how this works. Did this gable roof dump snow and water onto flat roofs? Has anyone ever seen a book detailing the Studebaker buildings (pictures and descriptions)? Am I asking too many questions? [8D]


SnowLark
In the middle of Minnestudea

[PlainBrownR2]

Looking at the photos it looks like a massive industrialized version of the Claw Machine. I'm not sure if the other buildings had separate spurs for the foundry, chassis, etc, but it looks like stampings arrived by rail car. When a particular part of the factory needed a stamping, and there were some available on the floor, the crane would reach down, grab said item, and deposit it on the designated balcony. An individual would come by, pick up the item from the balcony and take it down to the part of the plant where it was needed for assembly. The resources for the stamping plant look like they are centralized at a place where they are received, and then distributed throughout the plant.

I'm probably way off or backwards, it does make sense though .....

[IMG=left]http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t102/PlainBrownR2/55%20Studebaker%20Commander%20Streetrod%20Project/P1010531-1.jpg[/IMG=left]
[IMG=left]http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t102/PlainBrownR2/55%20Studebaker%20Commander%20Streetrod%20Project/P1010550-1.jpg[/IMG=left]
[IMG=right]http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t102/PlainBrownR2/Ex%20Studebaker%20Plant%20Locomotive/P1000578-1.jpg[/IMG=right]
[IMG=right]http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t102/PlainBrownR2/My%201964%20Studebaker%20Commander%20R2/P1010168.jpg[/IMG=right]

[Chris_Dresbach]

quote:Originally posted by Milaca

Thanks for the explanation Chris, I didnt realize that the crane transferred things to and from the balconys. I wonder if other manufacturing businesses had a similar setup. So did Studebaker then have stamping presses on multiple floors and on both sides of the thruway? I ask because I dont know why there would be so many balconys unless there is a press near each balcony. Its a wonderful picture showing a very unique structure. Its interesting that the gable roof over the thruway sheds its snow and water onto the adjoining roofs on both sides of it. I need to find an exterior picture that shows how this works. Did this gable roof dump snow and water onto flat roofs? Has anyone ever seen a book detailing the Studebaker buildings (pictures and descriptions)? Am I asking too many questions? [8D]


SnowLark
In the middle of Minnestudea

http://www.opacity.us/site63_studebaker_stamping_plant.htm

Here's all the pictures I know of this building. As for why and where the stamping presses were, no, they were all in one big room. The reason for the balconys was because the building was all assembly lines and storage. The "hoist way room" we are looking at is actually two buildings, studebaker just walled them off, added the roof and crane with the balconys, put in the cement loading area, and called it done.

Chris Dresbach

[Milaca]

Evidently the rail cars bring in the large rolls of steel, and the crane would then pick up a roll of steel from the rail car (I don't know how they pick it up out of a box car) and delivers it to a balcony where it was then transported to a press. And the crane would also pick up a crate full of stamped parts (front fenders for example) from a balcony and load onto an awaiting rail car and a train would then pull the loaded rail cars to an assembly building? I see that there are completey assembled truck cabs and they are also painted. So spot welding and paint finishing must have also been done here as well as mounting tires on the wheels after being painted? However, painting the stamped parts here and then shipping them by rail to an assembly plant would be tricky as the paint would likely get scuffed. Ummm, I give up, I don't have a clue how this entire process was organized. I should go to bed now. [B)]


SnowLark
In the middle of Minnestudea

[Milaca]

Thanks Chris, the following paragraph is from the website you provided.

In 1923, the six story closed body building opened, which was adjoined to the stamping and final assembly buildings. The plant's design was considered an inefficient one, as single story assembly buildings were better suited to do the job, and as the automobile designs became increasingly complex the situation only became worse. Parts needed to be criss-crossed across the plant, and although building to building conveyors were constructed in 1952, the company was unable to keep their edge whilst using these obsolete buildings.


SnowLark
In the middle of Minnestudea

[Chris_Dresbach]

quote:Originally posted by Milaca

Evidently the rail cars bring in the large rolls of steel, and the crane would then pick up a roll of steel from the rail car (I don't know how they pick it up out of a box car) and delivers it to a balcony where it was then transported to a press. And the crane would also pick up a crate full of stamped parts (front fenders for example) from a balcony and load onto an awaiting rail car and a train would then pull the loaded rail cars to an assembly building? I see that there are completey assembled truck cabs and they are also painted. So spot welding and paint finishing must have also been done here as well as mounting tires on the wheels after being painted? However, painting the stamped parts here and then shipping them by rail to an assembly plant would be tricky as the paint would likely get scuffed. Ummm, I give up, I don't have a clue how this entire process was organized. I should go to bed now. [B)]


SnowLark
In the middle of Minnestudea

The stamping plant was not just the stamping plant. It was just called that because that was the majority of what went on in there. The building was full of conveyors, assembly lines, etc. This building also housed die shops, offices, some standard business, it had its own restaurant for the workers, etc. This was a very multi functional building.

Chris Dresbach