Hi Packman. I've got a question about the Packard Plant , in 1945. Thanks.
Hi Packman. I've got a question about the Packard Plant , in 1945. Thanks.
I might be able to answer your question.
Hi 56 Packman. I just wanted to get a second opinion on something. Over the winter, i read the book "The Fall of the Packard Motor Car Co." by James A Ward. Also read parts of the the Packard book by Beverly Rae Kimes. Both books mention, that after moving out the wartime machinery, Packard constucted a building,in conjunction with the dual assembly line. Neither book says where or what type. Could this have been the one story addition, on Building #22 [[on the north end). Do you have any ideas on this? I was under the impression, that by 1945, all existing buildings had already been built.
I would agree that no building occured after 1941, when building #22 was built for [[Rolls-Royce) aircraft engine building. According to the 1949 layout That building became the following departments, by floor:
1-Traffic/car preperation/final repair
2-Personnel/Training/Post office/Labor relations/Restaurant
3-Service Parts staff/Traffic/Service Engineering/Metallurgy
4-Chassis engineering/Body engineering/records/styling
The final assembly is shown in building #18, in the "old" section, along Concorde ave. just south of the point at which building #22 begins.
They had a glut of square footage after the war, if they built anything it wouldn't have been that large. BTW--how does one get to the old car factory HOF thread these days, I can't navigate this anymore.
Here you go!
http://atdetroit.net/forum/messages/6790/78791.html
Well, if it wasn't Building #22, how about this: Could it have been another one of the metal frame, shed roof buildings. I know there was one just North of the factory showroom, and another south of the parking garage. I've seen photos of new cars lined up in one [[late 30's).
Not likely.
UPDATE ! I think I finally figured out where this 1945 assembly line building was at. I was on Google Maps, looking at the sattilite image of the plant. I spotted a partially demolished roof structure. It's north of the nortwest corner of Concord & East Grand. Runs parallel with Concord. From the looks of it, maybe 3 to 4 hundred feet long. It was just a roof structure, built between two existing buildings. There is also a picture of it on Detroitfunks website [[ Packard Roof Views April 5, 2010). From that photo, it appears to have been constructed above the second floor. Everything is gone now. It's been torn down, and hauled away. dfunk made an excellant walk thru video, of that part of the plant, about a month ago. Nothing there, but rubble, a burned out van, and a pile of shoes.
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