271 Comments for Acme Coke Plant

Operator's cab is the part with the window on the left side.

The gas was 1200 to 1800F. The stand pipes were refractory lined. Once inside the main the gasses were cooled to 180F with an ammonia water spray.

This is taken on top of the battery of ovens. There was a hopper car that rode on rails at this level, which dumped the coal into the ovens below thru manhole covers. On the left are the hot rails for the car on their supports. On the right are the gass offtake pipes which collected the coal gasses as the coal was coked, and the gasses were drawn to a process plant where the various volatiles were removed (toluenes, napthalenes, oils, etc., and the scrubbed gas was then used to fire the ovens to make more coke.

Industry calls the scrappers "copper rats" who take whatever easily removed copper witing and controls from abandoned plants.

Not sure wht it is, but looks like picture is taken looking at a corner of a square shaped bucket, so we only see two of the four sides. There is probably another lifting lug similar to the one on the left side around the corner on the opposite side out of view on the right. The photo taken from this angle really makes it interesting.

The quench tower is basically a chimney with an array of water pipes and spray nozzles just above the tunnel opening. The quench car had 2000F coke in it hot from the ovens. and the car brought it under this structure where water sprays cooled it down. There would be a white plume of water vapor like a cloud coming out of the chimney, rising into the sky like a great cumulus cloud.

The hot rails were for 250V DC, one hot and one ground.

I agree. An awesome shot, indeed! The lighting highlights the levers, and they pop right out of the photo.

This looks like something out of the movie, "Silent Hill."

Death of an industry!!

Prison cells, or asylum.

Love this shot. It reminds me of a crumbling medieval castle.

I, also, agree with Kez. Great shot!!

Sexy?????

That would make an amzing wallpaper!