High-quality black-and-white photographs of large old machines and tools

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Originally Posted by MeJasonT

Attachment 26285

Thank you, to all those who have served, are serving and remember those who have fallen.

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Thank You, MeJasonT.

Immediate family...Father, Lieutenant USAAC/USAF WWII. Pilot trainer, in Waco TX, and Santa Ana, CA. He says "more hours in tailspins than many pilots have straight & level". Enlisted at outset of WWII, as a photographer. His abilities were recognized and urged to apply for commission.
Mother Staff Sergeant , USWMC. Photographer/ and Darkroom OIC, Cherry Point NC. She didn't recall how many shots taken; but lots of portraits, historical and classified documentation. Joked about toting 4x5 Speed Graphic around, [almost bigger than her], carried gear like lens boards in her jeep.
Myself, Quartermaster 1C. Likely first Airedale [aviation oriented designations], probably only one carrying helmsman card for any aircraft carrier. Did a little machining when they started recording our civilian employment; and priority work occurred with shipyard labor unavailable. Had all sort of ancillary tasks, enjoyed instructing most. Navigation, seamanship, small arms, and indoctrination of new petty officers.

One of the great things about the Heavy Press Program - besides the presses! - and the "Heavy" part - and the fact that it was an entire "Program" of multiple presses - was all of the accompanying tools. The world's largest machines also needed the world's largest loaders and world's largest manipulators and world's largest mandrels and world's largest tongs, etc., etc., etc. There were probably thousands of "world's largest" industrial records set in those factories.

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MANDREL AND TONGS FOR PRESS No. 2. - U.S. Steel Homestead Works, Press Shop No. 2, Along Monongahela River, Homestead, Allegheny County, PA

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Fullsize image: https://diqn32j8nouaz.cloudfront.net...s_fullsize.jpg
20MB TIF from the Library of Congress: https://cdn.loc.gov/master/pnp/habsh...s/359149pu.tif

https://diqn32j8nouaz.cloudfront.net/mesta_tongs.jpg

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48-inch universal plate mill, Homestead Steel Wks. [Works], Homestead, Pa.

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Around 1908, judging from the copyright stamp in the lower left-hand corner (alas, expired :) ).

Click the image below for a fullsize jpg, or get the 157MB tif from the Library of Congress. This is our largest fullsize image yet - 10,144x8096. Stand back!

https://diqn32j8nouaz.cloudfront.net...plate_mill.jpg

Jon you are going to keep on and I am going to steal my wife's 56" High resolution television and use it as the monitor for my laptop. I have a 32" that I use sometimes already for my drawings. Hum" maybe I should ask Santa for a new 102" Sony for Christmas.

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CLOSE-UP VIEW INTO A REHEATING FURNACE IN THE No. 2 FORGE SHOP. THE FURNACE IS MISSING ITS REFRACTORY BRICK LINING. - U.S. Steel Homestead Works, Press Shop No. 2, Along Monongahela River, Homestead, Allegheny County, PA

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Significance: As a group, the structures and steel-making equipment from Homestead Works represented one of the nation's most important steel mills and the Mon Valley's status as the pre-eminent iron and steel center in the United States for much of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.

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Click on the image below for a fullsize jpg, or get the 19MB tif from the Library of Congress website.

https://diqn32j8nouaz.cloudfront.net...ng_furnace.jpg

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GENERAL CROSS-VIEW OF No 1 PRESS AND PUMPING ENGINE. - U.S. Steel Homestead Works, Press Shop No. 1, Along Monongahela River, Homestead, Allegheny County, PA

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Click the image below for a fullsize jpg, or get the 17MB tif from the Library of Congress.

https://diqn32j8nouaz.cloudfront.net...ing_engine.jpg

Using the body or the press as a support for the overhead crane rails can be a mixed blessing on the 1 hand it is defiantly a solid support. But on the other hand all noise and vibrations from it are transmitted throughout the building.

Those are keepers Jon! Thanks...got quite a collection now...and probably not enough time. :p

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ROTARY PLATE SHEAR IN STAINLESS PROCESSING BUILDING - U.S. Steel Homestead Works, Stainless Steel Processing Plant, Along Monongahela River, Homestead, Allegheny County, PA

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Significance: As a group, the structures and steel-making equipment from Homestead Works represented one of the nation's most important steel mills and the Mon Valley's status as the pre-eminent iron and steel center in the United States for much of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.

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Click an image below for a fullsize jpg, or get the 19MB tifs from the Library of Congress:

19MB tif of first image from the Library of Congress website
19MB tif of second image from the Library of Congress website

https://diqn32j8nouaz.cloudfront.net...ate_shear1.jpg

https://diqn32j8nouaz.cloudfront.net...ate_shear2.jpg

The Shear size of it is mind blowing. :p Great article and pics Jon!