Hey Tankdriver...Chicago Bridge & Iron!

mister honey · Jul 29, 2005

I visited Chicago Bridge & Iron in Memphis many years ago (mid 80s perhaps.) I recall meeting one gent, Gary Clik, that worked there.

CBI had a monsterous crane that would load these huge nuclear vessels onto barges in the Mississippi river. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I recall that this crane could lift 1250 tons with the boom extended 300 feet.

Also, I recall touring the facilities and seeing a G&L horizontal boring mill(Ø5 inch bar), less the table, which was mounted onto a fabricated platform. These weldments raised the machine about 4'-5' higher than its normal shop stance.

When I inquired, I was informed that this was the "Black & Decker Drill." If a flange face required milling or a bolt circle required drilling & tapping on a nuclear vessel, the overhead crane would lift the G&L into position. The platform would be welded to the vessel and any machining would be completed. They would then cut the platform free, and set the G&L back down until needed again!

I also recollect an immense Ingersoll horizontal boring mill that had sufficient power to push a Ø12 inch spade drill through a steel component.

CBI was a fascinating facility! When did it close?

Mike

Mebfab · Jul 29, 2005

Any pics? From anyone?

GregSY · Jul 29, 2005

Thank God we have moved all of that filthy industry to China! I hope they build something meaningful there, perhaps a Chili's, a Benningan's, and an Applbee's.

Wild West · Jul 29, 2005

Thank God we have moved all of that filthy industry to China! I hope they build something meaningful there, perhaps a Chili's, a Benningan's, and an Applbee's.

Do you think taco stands will ever be popular over there?

Jim
www.pivotlok.com
Professional Bench Top Work Positioners

Ryuill · Jul 29, 2005

Mike

Gary Click that you met at CBI is now in Birmingham, having left Memphis for the Cordova Alabama CBI plant. I saw the Cordova plant after it closed, the radiography room or vault, as well as the heat treatment oven, are large enough for submarine hull components, which is what they were building. I recall seeing a spreader in the plant that alone weighed 1200 tons! I always thought the machine shop at Bethlehem Steel in Bethlehem were huge, but there is no comparison to the Cordova plant.

Robert

adammil1 · Jul 29, 2005

When talking about big plants, was anyone here ever in the GE Lynn Massachusetts plant? Some of the guys at work have stories of working there or doing their apprenticeships there. One of the guys was telling me of his job there. At the time there were over 30,000 people working there. Rooms with row after of row of machines strectching for almost a mile. This guy in particular ran a Horizontal Boring mill made by the Skoda Iron Works in Chezkslovokia, of whose capture was one of Hitler's primary objectives when he declared war on the country.

On that machine he machined the rings that formed the skeleton of the trident nuclear submarines. He said one ring could take months to machine. They I believe he said were solid titanium, and the material alone was worth well into the millions of dollars. You didn't get to goof up on one of those machines. If you scrapped one of those parts never mind not showing up for work the next day, better get the hell out of the country! That big stuff is pretty neat. However for the most part alot of it is waiting. Most of us are used to running a lathe whose max speed is some where over 1000rpm. Well on those big lathes for example sometimes the top speed will be around 12RPM, and a single cut can take all day.

Adam

Tankdriver · Jul 29, 2005

It did not go to China. Green tree huggers did not like nuclear reactors. Crane is still there. I'll try to get a few photos problem is the US Navy has made it into a test facility for designing subs. It has a water tank that runs from one end of the building to the other. Most streets are blocked off to it and they keep a REAL close eye on it. The thinnest steel we used for the reactor shell was 16". We had to preheat the parts to 400 degrees before we could weld on it. We had natural gas burners that were 12 foot across that we put under the pieces to “warm” them up. If you have been here you know summer temps are about 96 on average with 90% humidity. I wondered why when I hired in it was easy to get the day shift. Believe me, I found out… All welds were all 100% X-ray. You had to be certified just to weld tabs to them to use a crane to move the pieces around. Just think, anywhere there is a CBI reactor, your life is in my hand....

Exptec · Jul 30, 2005

Adam,

Quite a coincidence that you mention GE Lynn and scrapped titanium parts.
I recently purchased an old Bridgeport from a fellow who had it in his garage about ½ mile away. The fellow claimed it came from GE. I didn’t think much about it. When I disassembled the mill, I took the wooden floor out of the little cabinet Bridgeports used to have in the side of the column. Shining a light down into the cavity I could see something shinning. Reached in and pulled out a nicely machined titanium gas turbine spindle part. Examining the part I noticed that one of the slots cut into the flange on one end had gone to far and ruined the part. Apparently my miller had been set up with a rotary table doing the slotting operation. Fifty years ago a machinist had a bad day ruined the part and stashed it. He probably got fired before he could retrieve the part and there it sat for 50 years. Turned out alright for me. After I got all the grease out of the ways that the previous owner had put in, I discovered that all the lead screws and nuts had been replaced at GE Lynn shortly before they scraped the mill.

ExpTec
DBA
Experimental Technique

mister honey · Jul 30, 2005

Tankdriver,

IIRC, didn't CBI Memphis sit on an island? I recall the drive to that facility and seeing the crane way off in the distance. We drove & drove while the crane became larger and larger! Absolutely huge structure!

Yes, I visited CBI on the dayshift, but I think it was springtime rather than in the summer. Mid 80s in the building, I think. Did it ever rain inside the building from the summer humidity?

Mike

Tankdriver · Jul 30, 2005

no rain, all the heaters took care of that. Yes, it set at the end of Presdients Island. The Island has 2 main roads. one on the riverside of the island, and one to the harbor side of the island. both meet at the CBI plant. Here's a google satelite photo of the crane.

Photo of CBI Crane

Try this web page. look up your address on their map, then change to the Satelite. Think about it if they have this much info what the goverment must have. When you go out of your house look up and wave

....

Access Db Guy · Jul 30, 2005

Speaking of Lynn, Mass... my Dad worked there after The War of German Agression, Phase II, making turbine gears for Navy ships.

When he dumped Mom he left his tool box behind. Over a year later my Mom gets a call from G.E. to come get it. So I remember coming home from the plant, at the age of 13~14, carrying this bodaciously heavy box on the bus and walking.

I've still got it and Dad's tools - and that box is STILL heavy.

The "River" plant was near Revere and I remember all the foul, yellow/green discharges the plant dumped near the remains of the car transfer barge the 36 inch gauge Boston, Revere Beach, and Lynn R.R. left in the river.

L Webb · Jul 30, 2005

after The War of German Agression, Phase II,

What's up with that?
Rewriting history?

Les

Tankdriver · Aug 1, 2005

Mister Honey, Boy does that sound strange.... Did you check out the crane photo?

mister honey · Aug 1, 2005

Yes, great photo! It casts some lengthy shadows.

I remember driving out on President's Island and seeing that crane in the distance; difficult to judge its size at that distance. We kept driving and the crane loomed larger & larger. I wish we knew some of the dimensions of that unit!

Mike

Tankdriver · Aug 3, 2005

Ifound a link that tell how large it is cap. who made it, etc...

"Ichabod" is 250-ft. high, has a lifting capacity of 1250 tons, and rotates a full 360°...

So now, the largest fixed derrick on the inland river stands not only tall but proud as it peers over the mighty Mississippi River, looking shiny and new and very much "The Champ." But how long will it stay that way? ....

There are several photos of it also...

Here's the link.

Ichabod the Crane

jkilroy · Aug 3, 2005

This location is located at the end of the road on Presidents Island in Memphis. The port of Memphis uses the same access road. I spent two weeks out there doing security work a couple of years ago. All they told us about that Navy facility was that we didn't have to worry about it. The Marines at the gate would take care of that.

Tankdriver · Aug 3, 2005

Yes, they have roving security also. I drive down there a few months ago to look at a lift at a company about 2 blocks from there. The road on the west side of it used to go all the way to the back of CBI outside the fence. When I got to the front of the plant, on that road, they had the raod blocked off with barcades. I stopped and was just looking at the buildings and in less than 2 minutes I had to explain who I was and why I was there, and politly told to leave. They were nice, told them I worked there when it was CBI and just looking around. They said fine, but I could not stay there. So I left.

mister honey · Aug 4, 2005

Ichabod is a wonderful read...thanks for digging it up, Tankdriver!

Mike

Bikeman · Sep 11, 2005

I just happened to find this article and remembered this post. Here is a little more info for those that may be interested.

http://www.dt.navy.mil/pao/excerpts%20pages/2000/portLCCSept.html

NetNathan · Jan 27, 2018

To resurect this thread...
I used ot work for CBI Nuclear and did maintenance there and on that huge crane..named "Ichabod".
Information:
Crane video
Ichabod Crane Barnhart's largest - YouTube

Pic of CBI Nuclear:
Google Maps

I used ot do PMs on all the equipment there and it was all huge stuff. Some of the biggest maching centers I have seen.

Hey Tankdriver...Chicago Bridge & Iron!

Stainless

Diamond

Diamond

Hot Rolled

Aluminum

Titanium

Plastic

Aluminum

Stainless

Plastic

Hot Rolled

Titanium

Plastic

Stainless

Plastic

Diamond

Plastic

Stainless

Plastic

Plastic

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