Tonawanda Foundry

[bergy]

Several members of this site have asked me over the years to explain the automotive casting process. Since most of my GM experience was at Tonawanda - I thought that I'd start with the overall plant layout - then drill down into how the processes worked in each department. I was blessed to have been superintendent of production in each of the production departments at Tonawanda. The foundry was shuttered in about 1983 and torn down in the 1986 through 1998 period. I couldn't find any composite plant layouts in my files, so over the weekend I placed the foundry outline as accurately as I could on a later drawing of the Tonawanda complex. The combined length of the motor plant and attached foundry was more than 2,000ft! Is this kind of stuff of interest to any of you?

[Plowman]

I am interested in this stuff,sound's cool.

[SCMProf]

I'd like to know more about the process and which parts were made there. I interviewed for a GMI position in 1980 at that plant, and can still remember the plant tour a little. I was fortunate to have taken a position in Lockport at the Harrison Radiator Div.
-Jim

[Steve Shauger]

Yes Bruce that would be an interesting topic. The more insight and understanding of the production process the more accurately we can restore and preserve our cars.

[SS427]

Absolutely interested. [img]<<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/biggthumpup.gif[/img]

[bergy]

You're gonna need to make the layout bigger to read it. The Tonawanda complex was (is) massive!

[YENKO DEUCE REGISTRY]

I'm all in, let's hear it! [img]<<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/biggthumpup.gif[/img]

[mockingbird812]

Bring it! [img]<<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/laugh.gif[/img]

[Material_Boy]

X2

[njsteve]

No I dont wanna hear it.

(Just kidding. Bring it on. [img]<<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/grin.gif[/img])