Spur over Chicago Drive - Grand Rapids

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J T
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Re: General Motors Plant - Burton & Burlingame

Unread post by J T »

cdressel wrote:FWIW, The GM plant was a war-built facility, beginning manufacturing in 1941/42. GM planned regular visits by a company photographer to record the construction and these photo albums were still in the facility as of 1990. Photos and employee memories record a steam locomotive placed beside the location where the plant's boilers were being installed to act as a stationary boiler and provide steam for building heat and manufacturing processes. In other words, the need was so great that manufacturing was started long before the building was complete.

The tracks were used for a variety of purposes, but normally not related directly to manufacturing; i.e., shipping a finished product. Salt was brought in by rail cars for the boiler water softeners, as well as Bunker 'C' oil for the boiler fuel. (Note: The boilers were dual-fuel - natural gas and Bunker 'C' oil.) The single track through the plant allowed tank cars to supply the tank farm on the east side of the plant. This tank farm supplied lubricating, cutting and machining oils to the manufacturing processes. The scrap metal processing facility was also on the east side of the main plant building and metal machining chips were removed by gondola.

The in-plant track was four feet below floor level and was crossed by two elevated bridges, which had to be lowered to allow the rail traffic to pass, powered by a Trackmobile. A constant curse was that one of the elevators were hit at least once a year when the Trackmobile was unable to stop quickly enough and struck the elevator and it had to be disassembled and its jack screws replaced.

In the late-70's, the east side single track was extended and converted to a double track. Six box cars were purchased from the C&O (Plymouth Yard) at scrap prices. These cars were used for tooling and small parts storage and were transferred in and out of the plant by Trackmobile.

Well, Diesel Equipment prided itself on being the smallest GMC Division. Then in the 1980s, built a second plant in Coopersville, MI to produce, first the Oldmobile Diesel fuel injection pump, then gasoline fuel injectors. Then came the cutbacks and Diesel Equipment was merged with Rochester Products. Then Rochester Products was merged with AC Spark Plug at the same time that Penske Diesel purchased part of the manufacturing facility and operated it as a separate company, within the same building. The Coopersville plant was closed and the equipment brought back into the Wyoming facility. Then the umbrella of Delphi Corp. took over most of the GMC component plants and employees had to decide which company to retire from, etc., etc. At that time, I left GM and went to work for Teledyne/General Dynamics in Muskegon, MI.

It's sad to think was the facility was, and what it is now. Oh well, life goes on . . . .

Chuck
FWIW?? This is worth a LOT! :D

Thank you for sharing your experience and knowledge of this building and operation. Without people like you sharing this kind of info, a lot of interesting history will be lost.
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Ben Higdon
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Re: Spur over Chicago Drive - Grand Rapids

Unread post by Ben Higdon »

I agree, thanks so much for sharing the history of that plant. Fascinating to learn the local details of what this country was made of.

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Re: Spur over Chicago Drive - Grand Rapids

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The (very) early history of GMC - Diesel Equipment Division goes back to GMC - Saginaw Steering Gear. In 1940, Saginaw Steering Gear (SSG) was awarded a contract to manufacture M1 carbines (among many others) during the build-up toward WWII. SSG decided to manufacture the carbines in Grand Rapids and quickly established a small factory in a leased building in the area of Division Ave. and Hall St. in Grand Rapids. In the meantime, land was purchased and a factory planned for the SE corner of Burton St. and Burlingame Ave. in Wyoming Township (later Wyoming, MI).

While the factory was being designed, it was determined that the machinery used to manufacture the M1 carbine was exactly the same machinery used to manufacture certain diesel engine components. This equipment included screw machines, centerless grinders, boring and chucking machines, degreasing equipment and heat treating equipment. The design of the plant was changed to meet the increased production goals and GMC soon decided the facility would be a separate division from SSG.

The equipment in the leased building was the first machinery installed in the new facility at Burton & Burlingame.

So, to specifically answer the question, the facility produced M1 carbines and diesel engine components for GMC - Detroit Diesel and Murphy Diesel. The diesel engine components were primarily fuel injection nozzles and other misc. fuel system components.

Chuck

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torgy1962
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Re: Spur over Chicago Drive - Grand Rapids

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cdressel wrote: it was determined that the machinery used to manufacture the M1 carbine was exactly the same machinery used to manufacture....
As was the case with Chevrolet, Frigidaire, Guide, Inland, Olds, Rochester ... for all sorts of barreled arms, small and large. Harrison's specialty was complex forming of brass and the like, so making shell casings was a natural.

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Re: Spur over Chicago Drive - Grand Rapids

Unread post by cdressel »

Primarily the M1 carbine. Contract was originally given to Saginaw Steering Gear, then transferred to Diesel Equipment. Original production was on Hall Street, SE until the new building on Burlingame was close enough to being ready.

Obviously from the name, all diesel fuel injectors and fuel systems were also transferred to Wyoming from Detroit Diesel in Redford (?). It seems the machinery, processes and heat treating for carbines was similar to the unit fuel injection system manufacture.

Chuck

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Re: Spur over Chicago Drive - Grand Rapids

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On a side note. I ran into a guy Christmas eve who had that look in his eye while looking at the EMD product I was running. Not the foamer look, but the mechanically minded look of curiousity. He told me that he had worked at Diesel Equipment and had built injector components for EMD engines, but had never seen the final product. I took him aboard and popped a tappet cover off for his viewing pleasure. I love the look on people's faces when they see that running for the first time. Long live GM Diesels!

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J T
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Re: Spur over Chicago Drive - Grand Rapids

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J T wrote:
MQT1223 wrote:The tracks are built almost on top of a building on the South side of Chicago.
What does this mean?

And you should have waited a little longer. While I was outside doing some yard work in Wyoming between 2-3pm, I could hear them blowing at Beverly.
And they are switching at Beverly right now. :)
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J T
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Re: Spur over Chicago Drive - Grand Rapids

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Sounds like the local is just arriving at Beverly to do some switching. I feel like I hear them quite often on Sundays.
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SD80MAC
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Re: Spur over Chicago Drive - Grand Rapids

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J T wrote:Sounds like the local is just arriving at Beverly to do some switching. I feel like I hear them quite often on Sundays.
Victor Barnes usually gets a switch on Sundays.
"Remember, 4 mph is a couple, 5's a collision!"
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Re: Spur over Chicago Drive - Grand Rapids

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Salt coming from Detroit Salt?

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AARR
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Re: Spur over Chicago Drive - Grand Rapids

Unread post by AARR »

Correct, Chuck, DD is in Redford. They are along the CSX Detroit District. Although it's a large plant they had their spurs removed more than 20 years ago. Mr. Penske owned DD back then (before selling to Chrysler) and he doesn't tolerate service levels below his expectations.
cdressel wrote:Obviously from the name, all diesel fuel injectors and fuel systems were also transferred to Wyoming from Detroit Diesel in Redford (?).
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SD80MAC
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Re: Spur over Chicago Drive - Grand Rapids

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Raildudes dad wrote:Salt coming from Detroit Salt?
Salt?
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Re: Spur over Chicago Drive - Grand Rapids

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Big pile on the north end of the property. No rail delivery?

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Re: Spur over Chicago Drive - Grand Rapids

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Raildudes dad wrote:Big pile on the north end of the property. No rail delivery?
Nope. Victor Barnes gets boards in boxcars and on bulkheads. M&J Trucking gets 2 bay hoppers of fly ash on some of the old Michigan Terminals tracks. There's also a new lumber customer on the north most track in the Reynolds complex.
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