Budd Company - Gary IN

[Tadman]

Today I was at a brownfield facility that was once a Budd holding in Gary, Indiana. I've seen one official piece of Budd literature acknowledging the facility, but I'd like to know what was built there and when it opened, closed. I know Budd was also involved in aircraft and auto manufacturing, including bodies for Ford Thunderbirds. As a side note, being in the crane business, I found an ancient overhead crane taken out of service and placed on the ground out back of the plant - I grabbed the builders plate (4.5' long, 100 lbs cast iron) and I would date it to about 1950.

[Engineer James]

Bud, Being from the state above you, I ask why steal the builders plate?? I ask not out of offence... but that is why the last two RF16 sharks (#1205 and #1216) are currently is storage, BECAUSE OF PEOPLE STEALING BUILDERS PLATES!!! NO Offence.... I am just saying.

[Tadman]

The only people interested in crane builders plates are people in the crane biz - most people look at those cranes as scrap metal, as they cost an arm and a leg to move and have little to no salvage value. Just to scrap the crane, you would have to get a mobile crane to pick the girders and then a trucker to move it - we're talking $5000+ right there. I understand your concern about preserving the Sharks and their bretheren, because I share the same concern - stealing builders plates off anything other than a rotting GP35 is not cool, as it's either illegal or wrecking historic equipment.