-Kosh-
03-07-2002, 05:01 PM
... On one of my other forums, some of us have taken cameras along with us and taken pics of an "average" day... :) So, here's my "average" day:
I work for Ford Motor Company, on the Rouge Assembly Complex, in Dearborn, Michigan. It's where the Mustangs are built. It used to be the largest complex of its kind, but I think it's now second or third.
Leaving the house, I hop onto I-75 south, then catch I-94 East. Along I-94, there's an exit for Canada. No, really! See:
Further along I-94, there's an exit for the Rouge Assembly Complex:
After a few minutes, you pass through the security gates and almost pass under the Stamping Plant. Yeah, the road actually goes through the middle of the Stamping Plant, which extends for nearly 1/2 a mile to either side of the tunnel, where the main road on the complex goes through:
Turning before the tunnel (dodging freight trucks along the way), you come to my building:
My desk (had to put a couple of shots together, to show the whole thing):
The new "Th!nk" cars we use for short trips to other buildings. They're electric, have a top speed of approx 45mph, and can travel about 60 miles before they need a recharge.
That's a regular-size Ford Explorer in the next parking spot over... you can park two of the Th!nk cars (or "rollerskates" as the guys in the shop are callling 'em now...) in the same space as one Explorer
Close up:
Going under the Stamping Plant (through the tunnel you saw in the other picture above), there are openings to the left that show the cavernous insides of the building. The huge coils of steel you see there are taken to the other side of the building (directly behind where this pic was taken), and are stamped out into Mustang body parts.
On the other side of the Stamping Plant, next to the Ore Storage, is the Boat Dock:
A train-tug moving containers of molten steel along the over 100 miles of railroad tracks we have here:
(Henry Ford's vision was to be able to bring the raw materials via any means - train, truck, boat - and spit a finished car out the other end)
More containers filling up with molten steel, which will then be taken to the foundry to be cast out into huge ingots:
This is the Powerhouse, which had the boilers explode, back in 02/99. Killed several workers and horribly injured many others. I was supposed to be in the powerhouse later that day. I'm very lucky that the explosion happened when it did. The Powerhouse is now non-operable, and is scheduled for demolition.
(I'll tell the story of the explosion, if there's interest)
Ford World Headquarters (technically: "Henry Ford II World Center"), about 5 minutes drive from my office on the Rouge Assembly Complex.
The new training center for the Detroit Lions, being built on what was once forested Ford land.
Give me any shit and I'll install this on your system.. Windows 3.0, still in the factory wrap:
After my job is done I go down to my partner's work, as they have a gym in the building there, and I work out:
Normally I hop onto the freeway and drive home after the workout. Tonight I took a "scenic route" through downtown near the river-front, to take some pictures for ya.
Joe Louis Arena, home of the Stanley Cup winning Redwings:
The Renaissance Center. Ford used to have many offices in here, but when the lease was up, GM offered more money, and so they got the offices. This has become GM's headquarters. The four smaller towers are all offices, and the center tower is offices with a four-star hotel. The main-floor level of the entire center is open-air, and full of shops and businesses. It's also the only place in North America where you can actually look South into Canada. No lie!
"The Spirit of Detroit". Huge statue. When the Redwings won the Stanley Cup, someone sewed a huge Redwings jersey and put it on him.
Finally heading north on the main boulevard out of downtown, I pass this statue collection of various war heroes who came from the Detroit area, topped by a statue of the Greek goddess Athena.
I work for Ford Motor Company, on the Rouge Assembly Complex, in Dearborn, Michigan. It's where the Mustangs are built. It used to be the largest complex of its kind, but I think it's now second or third.
Leaving the house, I hop onto I-75 south, then catch I-94 East. Along I-94, there's an exit for Canada. No, really! See:
Further along I-94, there's an exit for the Rouge Assembly Complex:
After a few minutes, you pass through the security gates and almost pass under the Stamping Plant. Yeah, the road actually goes through the middle of the Stamping Plant, which extends for nearly 1/2 a mile to either side of the tunnel, where the main road on the complex goes through:
Turning before the tunnel (dodging freight trucks along the way), you come to my building:
My desk (had to put a couple of shots together, to show the whole thing):
The new "Th!nk" cars we use for short trips to other buildings. They're electric, have a top speed of approx 45mph, and can travel about 60 miles before they need a recharge.
That's a regular-size Ford Explorer in the next parking spot over... you can park two of the Th!nk cars (or "rollerskates" as the guys in the shop are callling 'em now...) in the same space as one Explorer
Close up:
Going under the Stamping Plant (through the tunnel you saw in the other picture above), there are openings to the left that show the cavernous insides of the building. The huge coils of steel you see there are taken to the other side of the building (directly behind where this pic was taken), and are stamped out into Mustang body parts.
On the other side of the Stamping Plant, next to the Ore Storage, is the Boat Dock:
A train-tug moving containers of molten steel along the over 100 miles of railroad tracks we have here:
(Henry Ford's vision was to be able to bring the raw materials via any means - train, truck, boat - and spit a finished car out the other end)
More containers filling up with molten steel, which will then be taken to the foundry to be cast out into huge ingots:
This is the Powerhouse, which had the boilers explode, back in 02/99. Killed several workers and horribly injured many others. I was supposed to be in the powerhouse later that day. I'm very lucky that the explosion happened when it did. The Powerhouse is now non-operable, and is scheduled for demolition.
(I'll tell the story of the explosion, if there's interest)
Ford World Headquarters (technically: "Henry Ford II World Center"), about 5 minutes drive from my office on the Rouge Assembly Complex.
The new training center for the Detroit Lions, being built on what was once forested Ford land.
Give me any shit and I'll install this on your system.. Windows 3.0, still in the factory wrap:
After my job is done I go down to my partner's work, as they have a gym in the building there, and I work out:
Normally I hop onto the freeway and drive home after the workout. Tonight I took a "scenic route" through downtown near the river-front, to take some pictures for ya.
Joe Louis Arena, home of the Stanley Cup winning Redwings:
The Renaissance Center. Ford used to have many offices in here, but when the lease was up, GM offered more money, and so they got the offices. This has become GM's headquarters. The four smaller towers are all offices, and the center tower is offices with a four-star hotel. The main-floor level of the entire center is open-air, and full of shops and businesses. It's also the only place in North America where you can actually look South into Canada. No lie!
"The Spirit of Detroit". Huge statue. When the Redwings won the Stanley Cup, someone sewed a huge Redwings jersey and put it on him.
Finally heading north on the main boulevard out of downtown, I pass this statue collection of various war heroes who came from the Detroit area, topped by a statue of the Greek goddess Athena.