Body Plant operations

[tjanowia]

Thought the pictures being sent in might make a little more sense if you knew what went on in body plant. First floor is the train dock that used to go the whole eight hundred feet of the building where they would be unloaded and parts put on conveyors and taken inside. Inside floor pans, roofs, fender walls, door posts, etc. would be welded together. Also a hospital on east end. There would be two car lines starting east to west going up two at a time in the lowerator to the next floor then going west to east and switching direction on each floor as they progressed. The two lines were between the last two columns near the Windows on the north wall. Second floor more welding, spot welding, soldering, body sanding. Third floor hung trunk lids and doors, did metal finishing- filing and grinding and sealed seams. Fourth is where they were painted or as they say color was applied in in paint booths with thousands of volts going through them to help paint adhere. Fifth floor interiors installed which included door panels, dashboards, front and rear Windows,taillights and all the rest. They would also be a lot of guys with hammers and come alongside that were the door adjusters. Sixth is where all the interior was made and had two huge storage areas above with their own little elevators. The two car lines passed through this area where they would do final a adjustments and leak tests before being sent out on the overhead conveyor which would take the bodies about a half mile and way above ground to be dropped on their appropriate chassis. This is just a quick run through and the tour went backwards starting on the roof, sixth, fifth, third and first feeling it would be easier for people to walk down stairs instead of up.

[ivorydan]

Thanks, Tim. Good, concise description! Dan

[Milaca]

Thanks for the details Tim. I will include some photos to help. Please correct me if any of the following info is incorrect.
Photo #1 is looking to the Northeast (a photo of my car from last summer):

Photo #2 is looking towards the East where train rails lead into the building:

Photo #3 inside where the trains entered and were unloaded (Tim's beautiful Golden Hawk in view). The wall straight ahead was added after snow collapsed a section of roof in 1978, as the length of this area was originally about twice as long. The section of floor that the "tourists" are standing on was originally level with the train rails, but was filled in to make a truck dock for forklifts to operate as they are currently doing for the warehouse/storage business. To the left, behind the forklift, is the elevator (lowerator) that took us up to the roof.

Photo #4 is still looking East, shown ahead is where the roof originally ended but the snow load of 1978 made a huge sky light.

I'll come back later and add several more photos and information.

[StudeRich]

Thanks very much Brent and Tim for posting the Pics and info, they are some of the best I have seen, they must have been taken with a Real Camera.
It really helps to understand some of how this all worked. I am just amazed after all these years and all the deteriorated Buildings both standing and torn down, the Body Plant remains and is still in use.

[sweetolbob]

Tim

Thanks for taking the time to organize the tour and the follow up on the activities in the Body Plant.

That was the beauty of inviting the retirees to talk about the plant. As we went from floor to floor, even in reverse, the retirees shared any number of stories of the activities on that floor as well as some neat discussion on the "every Day" activities and happenings during the working day.

Again, a whole hearted thanks for the tour.

Bob

[Milaca]

Photo #5 shows two former Studebaker employees standing in front of the elevator. The fella to the left was a quality inspector/finish sander and the fella to the right (employed from 1946-1954 if I recall correctly and will soon be 89 years young) worked with the firewall/cowls of the cars.

Photo #6 shows one of the elevators (lowerators) that has been in operation since 1926? (can someone verify this please) and it still functions great. While there, I saw a fishing boat and a Corvette come down and exit as they were stored on one of the floors.

Photo #7 is looking up the shaft of the elevator with the windows facing South.

Photo #8 is looking towards the West atop the roof looking at the outside of the elevator shaft. To the left is the large rusty whistle and to the center and right are two of the remaining bases of the water tower legs.

More photos to come....

[Milaca]

Photo #9 shows a water tower leg base in more detail. Gotta love those rivets.

Photo #10 is looking to the West with the elevator shaft to the left that brought the tour to the roof, with another elevator shaft farther ahead. I don't know what the rooms next to the elevators are for but they do lead to stairways. Too bad the rubber roof wasn't wet as it would have made a great slip-n-slide.

Photo #11 was taken from the South edge of the roof looking towards the East. Notice the train cars going over the street. Anyone know what those buildings are?

Photo #12 is looking East over where the roof collapsed in 1978.

Stay tuned!

[COMMANDERPINK1]

Photo #9 shows a water tower leg base in more detail. Gotta love those rivets.

Looks like you got my good side there Milaca. Glad I didnt miss this tour!
Tom

[Milaca]

Looks like you got my good side there Milaca. Glad I didnt miss this tour!
Tom

Now that I know what you look like, it's nice to meet you Tom!
To get some perspective as to how large the water tower base is, Tom is 8 feet tall and 500+ pounds in weight.

Aside from carrying around a digital still camera, I brought along a video camera that I bought last week just for this. I recorded 5 videos and here is a link to the first video that I just posted on YouTube. More videos and photos to come in the following days.

[BRUCESTUDE]

Wow, cool stuff!!!! Thanks for posting!

[Milaca]

Video #2 is riding up in the elevator and walking about the roof. Sorry about the wind noise.

[tjanowia]

Great pictures and video's. Keep them coming. Building was was built in 1923 by Albert Kahn who also did the foundry the same year I believe. Only end elevators that carried car bodies were lowerators. Middle elevator carried supplies and employees that didn't want to take stairs. It's amazing they shuffled that many bodies on those two lowerators two cars at a time.

[Milaca]

Thanks for the information Tim and please continue to add as I upload more photos and videos. Speaking of videos, video #3 is of the 6th floor with Tim explaining what operations were performed there.

[Milaca]

Photo #13 is on the roof looking towards the North from the West edge of the roof. Though not clear in the photo, the Studebaker museum is visible far off. Notice the four rail lines, lots of train traffic here.

Photo #14 is of co-tour guide Christopher walking the plank as we head to the stairway on our way to the sixth floor. I believe that to be a former Studebaker employee and his son ahead of me.

Photo #15 is looking to the West from one of the rooms on the 7th floor next to the West side lowerator, with the Oliver smoke stack in view.

Photo #16 is of the 6th floor looking East, used for fabricating/sewing upholstery and finalizing the car bodies before being sent out on the overhead conveyor to another assembly plant, of which doesn't exist anymore. Tim appears to be a ghost in this photo....maybe he is....

Don't turn that dial, more to come.

[COMMANDERPINK1]

[QUOTE=Milaca;741373]Now that I know what you look like, it's nice to meet you Tom!
To get some perspective as to how large the water tower base is, Tom is 8 feet tall and 500+ pounds in weight.


LOL not quite that tall or large Those are some good videos
Tom