The most beautiful, and breathtaking, thing every man should see, is molten steel being poured at night. Even the skim-off is a sight to behold, and I am glad that I got to see it up close and personal on several different occasions. irontomflint
I agree. I started as a motor inspector apprentice at US Steel in Youngstown. Amazing sight to see them blow the plug on the open hearth furnace and the metal racing into the ladle. Even more wild is seeing them pouring from the ladle into the ingots and they get a "running stopper" and all kinds of alarms go off while the crane takes the ladle and goes running up and down until all the steel falls to the ground. Memorable times.
Real shame the blast furnaces at Bethlehem Steel in Bethlehem, PA are now lit up decorations for a casino. They were also used as a movie backdrop for Transformers, but had Chinese lettering on them. Go figure...
Bethlehem Steel had a plant in the small Texas town where I was born. It was the major industry in town. In the 50's, steel production was moving off shore and prices were falling. The union leaders decided to strike. After an extended strike, management walked in one day and agreed to every demand, no exception. Everyone was thrilled, even though it was expected to take years to recoup the losses suffered by the rank and file during the strike. 90 days later they shuttered the plant. It never re-opened.
My maternal grandfather, called home from the sea by a wife with child, went to work in the steel mill with three walls. Even in the coldest winter, inside the mill was too hot.
I shall now watch the movie with fond memories of Adam Steckes, a native of Sweden, now an American.
When I hauled chemicals back in the late 70's and early 80's, I took many a load to Bethlehem, Sparrows point and US Steel Fairless Works. All shuttered. I worked for JD Morrissey driving a Euclid at Fairless Works when they dredged out the precipitation pits and you had to drive past the area where the crucibles came out. 100 Yards away and you'd have to roll up the windows cause of the heat. Almost everyone I knew worked at Fairless. My father retired from American Bridge just before they closed that down.
I worked for a year on one of Bethlehem's jack-up oil rigs; built by men for men. One of the best years of my life, too....
ReplyDeleteand the unions that destroyed it.
ReplyDeleteThe most beautiful, and breathtaking, thing every man should see, is molten steel being poured at night. Even the skim-off is a sight to behold, and I am glad that I got to see it up close and personal on several different occasions.
ReplyDeleteirontomflint
I agree. I started as a motor inspector apprentice at US Steel in Youngstown. Amazing sight to see them blow the plug on the open hearth furnace and the metal racing into the ladle. Even more wild is seeing them pouring from the ladle into the ingots and they get a "running stopper" and all kinds of alarms go off while the crane takes the ladle and goes running up and down until all the steel falls to the ground. Memorable times.
DeleteReal shame the blast furnaces at Bethlehem Steel in Bethlehem, PA are now lit up decorations for a casino. They were also used as a movie backdrop for Transformers, but had Chinese lettering on them. Go figure...
ReplyDeleteBethlehem Steel had a plant in the small Texas town where I was born. It was the major industry in town. In the 50's, steel production was moving off shore and prices were falling. The union leaders decided to strike. After an extended strike, management walked in one day and agreed to every demand, no exception. Everyone was thrilled, even though it was expected to take years to recoup the losses suffered by the rank and file during the strike. 90 days later they shuttered the plant. It never re-opened.
ReplyDeleteMy maternal grandfather, called home from the sea by a wife with child, went to work in the steel mill with three walls. Even in the coldest winter, inside the mill was too hot.
ReplyDeleteI shall now watch the movie with fond memories of Adam Steckes, a native of Sweden, now an American.
When I hauled chemicals back in the late 70's and early 80's, I took many a load to Bethlehem, Sparrows point and US Steel Fairless Works. All shuttered. I worked for JD Morrissey driving a Euclid at Fairless Works when they dredged out the precipitation pits and you had to drive past the area where the crucibles came out. 100 Yards away and you'd have to roll up the windows cause of the heat. Almost everyone I knew worked at Fairless. My father retired from American Bridge just before they closed that down.
ReplyDelete