Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Factory #62 Getting Ready For War








This is the area known as 62-A. Many more photos of this area are found throughout this blog, including this post. Note the wheel covers (hubcaps) are painted on this car instead of chrome; because of war time shortages. That is the north wall of factory #01.










This layout shows the present (1946) and the proposed (1947) changes at Buick. Again; Thanks are due to Don Bent and his fine book "A Place Called Buick".










A postwar factory layout in 1947. Factories #04 and #16/40 are the new additions after the war. The addition at the south-end of factory #62 known as 62-A would have been built either in 1940 or 1941. "This is the location of the Bandstand or elevated work station located at the south-end of factory #62. This is a photo (after 1947) when factory #01 north of the main office has been built up. The south wing of factory #01 was an open space during WW II.










The combined factories that were factory #62. This is a pre-1934 photo. Enlarging of the photos on this site depends on which browser is used.










This shows the combined factories that were factory #62 where the M-18 tanks were assembled. This modified map version was taken from the book " A Place Called Buick" by Don Bent. (Your book is always at my side Don) I was inside of this factory on a tour once in the fifties. I did not step foot on the floor but walked across one of the overhead catwalks crossing over to factory #40/ bldg. #16 which was built following the war. My father was working in #40 at that time.













Here is a photo showing Harlow Curtice (straw hat) showing off the product that will be built in factory #62. This is the M-18 Hellcat tank destroyer developed and built by Buick workers. Must be one of the first mock-ups, "no gun installed yet".










One of the most famous photos from Buick. This shows the last 1942 Buick coming off the line before conversion for the war effort. "If it was anything like when I worked there, the maintenance workers were not far behind". This photo was taken February 3, 1942.










This shows you the bandstand area at the south-end during 1937. Some of the photos of this area are shown in the following photos.










This west facing view at the east wall of factory #10 inside factory #62 shows something that I have yet to identify. You can see it at the left, four photos below, (against the wall of factory #10) at the north-end of factory #62.










You are looking at the west wall of factory #07 inside factory #62. I also know this is the north-end because of the lights for the final line and also the position of the slat/final line.










I'm working on it, but this is definitely inside factory #62. You can see part of the roofed over area that created factory #62.













This is the roll test area at the north-end of factory #62.










This photo from the north-end of factory #62 is the same as the one shown (two photos) below. The slat line at the final inspection area has now been removed. Old factory #10 is on the left with #07 on the right.










This south facing view in factory #62 shows one of the many cross-over storage and work stations. In the distance, you can see the elevated bandstand at the south-end. Old factory #10 is on the right, with old #07 on the left.










This is facing south in factory #62 (the roofed over factory) near the final inspection area at the north-end. I like the time exposure in this one because you can see the ghost image of the maintenance workers. Old factory #07 is on the left with old factory #10 on the right. You can see this enclosed structure in 1946 straddling the line by clicking here.










This east facing view is the same area as the photos below, only taken from under the bandstand.










Same view as below, only taken from floor level. You will note that the unique windows that were present at the south-end of factory #62, prior to 1941, are no longer present because the bandstand is now housed in the new (roofed over) area know as the 62-A addition at the south of factory #62.










Same view as below, only the photographer is now elevated on one of the cross-over storage areas.










This view of the bandstand was taken from the same perspective as the one below, only now; the photographer is standing in #62 which was the new factory created by the roofed over area. The wall in the distance is old factory #01's north wall. This whole area was created by the new (roofed over) structure 62-A.










This is the bandstand (elevated work station) at the south end of factory #62. This view facing directly south is making the hairpin turn just after exiting the south-end of old factory #07. That is the north wall of factory #01. For those unfamiliar with factory #62, it was created in the mid twenty's as the "Unified Assembly Plant". It consisted of: factories #06, #07, #10, #62, #09 and #01. The area between factory #07 and #10 were roofed over, thus creating a new factory by simply building a roof.


links: Buick Factory #62 Factory #62 Buick Assembly Factory #62 Revisited. Buick Assembly 1947 Factory #62 1950 Bumper Installation. Factory #62 Chassis Loading Factory #62 The Forty's Factory #62 1927 Factory #62 1942 Factory #62 1952 Factory #62 1937 Factory #62 1933 Factory #62 1936 Factory #62 radiator installation. Factory #62 WWII Factory #62 Construction And Assembly Factory #62 Emmanuel Godin Factory #62 1955 Factory #62 1937 Factory #62 Construction Detail Factory #10 1923 Buick Assembly 1922 Factory #07 Seat Stuffing Factory #09 Northeast Corner Assembly factory #06 Factory #06 Assembly Buick factory #1 & #6 The Last Flint Built Buick During World War II Factory #01 Buick Factory #1 Hamilton st. Flint Michigan (view south west) Buick At It's Battle Stations

No comments: