Birmingham History Part 17. Ghosts of the Past, The Ensley Works Today


Steve and Dave, Thanks for your interest. I enjoy knowing that there are other folks out there that want to keep our industrial history alive. :cool:

Since I'm just now figuring out how to properly resize photos for forum use in Canon's photo editor :eek:, I thought I'd repost a few of my favorite Ensley Works pics in a higher resolution format that is more optimised for computer viewing. I didn't want to redo the whole thread, but the new edits look much more like the on site views I enjoyed. I hope ya'll will enjoy them and forgive the reruns.

This is my fav, a view of the plant from the second story office window. I can only imagine who's office I was in and what the view looked like with the plant in operation.
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GE Center Cab
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Power House interior and it's flooded basement. The water must be 4-5 feet deep and is very clear. For some reason, the steps going into the water seemed almost surreal.
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Soaking Pit Stacks
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Remaining Open Hearth Stacks
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Ken, I stopped by the STEEL group and noticed some interest in the mixer. Here are a couple of new mixer pics as well as two others.

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Any idea what we have here? They are located close to the open hearth stacks.
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Office building interior
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Eric some very nice photos. My father worked for Vanadium Steel back in the fifties . His plant was one of the first to feel the effects of the US declining steel industry . So your pictures bring back childhood memories!!!
 
OldGettysk said:
Eric some very nice photos. My father worked for Vanadium Steel back in the fifties . His plant was one of the first to feel the effects of the US declining steel industry . So your pictures bring back childhood memories!!!
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That's some cool info, Paul. I bet he had a few stories to tell. :cool:
 
Hi everyone.

I went back to the Ensley Works today with a friend. He's a pro photographer. While we burned a lot of time with Frank teaching the newbie, we did get some new shots. What a great education it was! I know one thing, there's a lot to learn... BTW, thanks Frank, I'm looking forward to the next trip (lesson) and thanks for the help and use of your L series lenses!

It was sunny and warm, unlike my last visit. I thought I'd share some of the pics I took with anyone that may have an interest.

Power House

This shot is my attempt to bring out the ceiling detail that I didn't get last visit.
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Basement corridor.
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Flooded section of the basement.
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Doors leaned against the wall in the turbine room.
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Turbine blades. :cool:
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Soaking pit stacks basking in the sun.
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GREAT PHOTOGRAPHS!!!! What a treasure trove... I love the details of the peaked roof. Is that their old engine shed?

Thanks for sharing those excellent shots... Bob
 
Eric;

Again, great thread and photos!

Now for some news. One of new clubmembers shows up last night, he works for US Steel, at the meeting with copies of blueprints of two things.

One was the floorplan/placement of all equipment in the electrical room there.

The other was a blueprint of the changes made to a Baldwin 1200HP switcher,that had been converted to an EMD prime mover. It shows all hood changes that were made, door types and placements etc...talk about a modelers delight!:p

Since he had two copies of this particular plan, guess who got it?:rolleyes:
Both were approx. 18x24" so I can't scan them for placement here. I will try to photograph it later and post it!
 
Cjcrescent said:
Eric;

Again, great thread and photos!

Now for some news. One of new clubmembers shows up last night, he works for US Steel, at the meeting with copies of blueprints of two things.

One was the floorplan/placement of all equipment in the electrical room there.

The other was a blueprint of the changes made to a Baldwin 1200HP switcher,that had been converted to an EMD prime mover. It shows all hood changes that were made, door types and placements etc...talk about a modelers delight!:p

Since he had two copies of this particular plan, guess who got it?:rolleyes:
Both were approx. 18x24" so I can't scan them for placement here. I will try to photograph it later and post it!
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WOW!!! Carey, I need a copy of the powerhouse print!!! :cool:
 
I have some sad news for you guys about the old Ensley Works. As of October 5, 2009 the soaking pit stacks are gone. Sorry! Only took 4 days, and boy was it fun. The rest of the building and the mixer will also be dismantled, just not sure when. I believe the Open Hearth stacks might be staying for historical reasons. Don't quote me on though. Those are some very nice pics that you guys took.
 
I'm confused. Today is October 3. How can the stacks already be gone? What did you have to do with this? The guy who took those pictures is a park ranger now at the Red Mountain Park and I'm sure he'd be very interested in what you know and what you're doing.
 
To help clear things up, as of today Oct 3. 9 of the 11 soaking pit stacks are on the ground. We, and that meaning the company I work for, will have the last 2 stacks on the ground monday morning. I am an operating engineer and in this project am pulling the stacks over with a front end loader.
 
I'm sorry to hear another bit of history is being lost. :( You're using a front end loader to pull those stacks down? You're a braver man than me.
 
That place would have made a nice museum but a major money pit to restore everything. I wish communities would just leave well enough alone. Its not like it hasnt been there the last hundred plus years. When did this place shut down for good then? Quite frankly, im supprised scrappers didnt raid the place a few years ago when the price of scrap metal shot through the roof.
 
it's not so much being brave as it is being safe. We use a cutting torch to flat cut around the base of the stack, about 6' up from the ground. On top of the stack we attached a 190' long cable that gets attached to the loader. So I'm a good ways away from it when it hits the ground.
 
ChevelleSSguy said:
That place would have made a nice museum but a major money pit to restore everything. I wish communities would just leave well enough alone. Its not like it hasnt been there the last hundred plus years. When did this place shut down for good then? Quite frankly, im supprised scrappers didnt raid the place a few years ago when the price of scrap metal shot through the roof.
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Eventually everything has to come down in it's time.
Having a large site like that is a reminder of what happens when unions get too powerful and out of hand. I remember watching the news during the 60's and 70's with the recurring theme of companies in contract negotiations with unions and warning they would have to shut down. Time and again they did just that. Now the city is full of empty industrial buildings which over time are being leveled or becoming victims of arson.
 
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