807 Comments for Studebaker Stamping Plant

"The room was humming harder
As the ceiling flew away..."

Looks like it was last service in 96 so I would geuss Tom is right, a simple service call and you could be cranking out Studebakers.

Makes sense SLS, the material was probably dropped off at one platform by the crane, pulled back behind the wall and processed in the large area back there, then pushed back out onto another platform further down the hall for pickup by the crane.

I hope it was turned off as it would give you one hell of a "Splitting" headache if were to come down on you.

Ummmm, Motts? Why did they need lab equipment in an automobile plant?

You are right! I found this quote "A section of the museum is devoted to military vehicles, including Studebaker's WWII Weasel, a small, tracked amphibious troop and cargo carrier." referring to a new museum in South Bend. It looks like they were manufacturing these for the navy in this plant.

Let me see if this works.
http://www.thecarconne...aker.S215.A9917.html

I think I figured out the balconies a few pics ago thanks to the before and after shot- to recap a large gantry crane appears to be no longer there is visible in the vintage pic. It could probaly travell the lenght of the room an tracks above the ceiling as well as move right and left. This means that it could pick up loads of raw materils from the incomeing train cars and deposit them directly onto the appropriate balcony for storage or use in production. Also could do the reverse op for assembled components.
Notice there are no two balconies stacked above each other. This allows all balconies to be serviced by the crane.
Any other ideas??

Absolutely beautiful ! Feels like I am standing right in the trench.

That would be my guess too, csw. Was this place an air raid shelter? Every grade school I attended in PA in the '60s had bunches of these. They must have been cheap and someone thought it was a good idea for the schools to have them, probably because they doubled as air raid shelters.

Now I understand what the balconies are for. It looks like the Gantry crane would pick up loads directly off the train cars and deposit them onto the appropriate balcones for quick movement into storage or production. Notice there are no two balconies stacked above one another.

I have seen the buckling happen in wood stage floors as well. The floors are built so tightly that when the wood gets wet it swells (like a dry sponge getting wet) and has no room to expand. Each block only swells up a little bit, but with so many blocks it adds up and they are foced to heave up.

They would make terrific off-road vehicle engines.

I'm sure someone could make a lot of money selling those for restorations, engine swaps, etc.. rediculous.

Filtered Shot of the filter?

Diesel Do......

Mott's KINGDOM for some horse power...