Summer Field Trip to Pittsburgh
B-CCC Field Trip to Pittsburgh & Carrie Blast Furnace
The B-CCC will be travelling to the Pittsburgh area on the weekend of JULY 26-27 to tour & photograph the CARRIE BLAST FURNACE & Mill plus the W.A. YOUNG MACHINE SHOP & FOUNDRY. This is an unofficial Club "field trip", and you are welcome to sign up for it and participate!! Costs will vary (see below).
CARRIE BLAST FURNACES
- Rivers of Steel National Heritage Area is operating private and guided tours of the Carrie Blast Furnaces. Constructed in 1906, the furnaces stood at the heart of U.S. Steel’s Homestead Works until 1979. At one time, the furnaces and the steelworkers who labored in them produced more than 1,000 tons of iron a day (during the war). Now these 92-foot-tall structures stand as sentinels to Pittsburgh’s steel heritage.
- The Homestead Works 160-Inch Mill was one of the largest plate mills in the U.S.
- http://www.riversofsteel.com/things-to-do/tours/
- http://www.riversofsteel.com/multimedia/videos/160-inch-mill/
W.A. YOUNG MACHINE SHOP & FOUNDRY
- It's about 1.5 hr drive from CARRIE.
- See http://www.riversofsteel.com/preservation/heritage-sites/machine shop/
- A prime example of America's industrial heritage. All of the equipment dates from 1870 to 1920. An intricate system of belts and pulleys throughout the shop runs 25 pieces of machinery, each independent of the other and fully operational powered by one motor.
I have arranged with the Rivers of Steel Heritage Area Two private, guided photographers' tours: The Furnaces on Saturday from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. (3 hours), and the Machine Shop on Sunday from NOON until 2:00 p.m. (2 hours). The Saturday start time will allow you to travel to the Pittsburgh area on Saturday morning (or on the previous day) without rushing. This weekend can be a one or two-night activity: Friday and/or Saturday nights stay-over, depending on your available time & interest.
The private tours include a pre-arranged MONITOR (guide) provided by the Heritage people. He /she loosely guides us through the two locations and briefly describes/explains their features. Part of your fee pays for their guidance.
In order to gauge the size of the tour groups, I'd need an Expression of Interest in advance for this, so please get back to me ASAP if you are interested in these private tours and in this weekend trip! (Some of you have already done so, thanks). I need a solid commitment by July 17 !!
Other Activities -- There apparently is a vast array of other photographic interest in the Pittsburgh area. I can personally vouch for:
Tour FEES -- an individuals' fees vary by number of people participating
- The overall tour cost (for each tour) is based on a SITE FEE + the MONITOR's FEE.
- Example: for 6 people, for 3 hrs: $250 (site fee) + $50/hr (for monitor) = $67/ea person.
- For 5 or less persons, the site fee is less, and hence, the per-person fee is less
- A fee is required for both the Carrie facililty and the Shop facility. The fee for the Young Shop will be less (only TWO hours).
- The Carrie fee will not exceed $67/each!
MOTEL ACCOMMODATIONS
According to Choice Hotels offerings, there appears to be over twenty possible hotel/motels within reasonable driving distance of Rankin, PA. (Carrie location). Here are two recommendations within close distance to Rankin and offering moderate and cheap prices:
- Convenient location, mid-priced: COMFORT SUITES, Monroeville, PA. Located at intersection of PA turnpike & I-376. (412) 373-0911. $115/night (as of today). 10 miles from Rankin; 15 minutes.
- Least expensive: ECONOLODGE, Jefferson Hills, PA. 13 miles to Rankin (25 minutes). $68/night. (412) 384-5811
- Others advertised at www.choicehotels.com. Input Location: Rankin, PA.
- Please make your own accommodations!
This should be a fun and photographically productive trip!! Similar, in some ways, to the Silk Mill and the Truck Farm trips. Updates will follow!!