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| Caterpillar Inc. | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: Sep 23 2010, 06:14 PM (2,307 Views) | |
| Memphis metro | Sep 23 2010, 06:14 PM Post #1 |
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I am curious if anyone has ever worked there or toured the facilty in Peoria Illinois? I would find that to be a awesome place to go through. |
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| Coche Blanco | Sep 23 2010, 06:31 PM Post #2 |
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Troll Certified
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No, but I love factory tours. LOVE LOVE LOVE them. |
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| Horn | Sep 23 2010, 06:48 PM Post #3 |
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I went there for the military.....It was pretty cool. They have a low dirt area. in the middle they have a carousel wheel in the middle with bleachers on it so it spins aroud and you can see all the equipment. they also have the cat orange county choppers bike. and a virtual gaming type room to simulate driving the vehicles. I had a good time there |
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| billy508 | Sep 23 2010, 07:23 PM Post #4 |
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billy508
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No But I worked for R G Leourneau in longview Texas. Their earth movers are also yellow, like the cats. LOL The first time I was a young guy going to the college there. they had a alter day program where you went to school one day and worked in the factory the alternate day. Hot, smokey, dirty, dangerous but it was a job. I went back after I got out of the Army and worked for about a year. They were making 500 lb bombs. Just the steel part They shipped them some where else to be loaded with explosives. I can tell you how they made them if any one is interested. Again HOT, dirty, oily smoke and not much fun LOL I saw this when I was there. It was way cool. they had a rough time making it turn, Like all of RGs stuff it had electric motors in each wheel. Some one found some of the wheels for it awhile back and they are on one of the Big Foot Monster trucks.
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| Car Nut | Sep 23 2010, 07:51 PM Post #5 |
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No I never did work there, but I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express last year. Sounds like a cool place to see. |
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| Johnny Mullet | Sep 23 2010, 07:52 PM Post #6 |
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Fear the Mullet
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Too bad Caterpillar, Detroit Diesel, and others are out of the highway truck market due to the EPA regulations. |
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| dimetrodon | Sep 23 2010, 10:07 PM Post #7 |
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Billy, R.G. Letourneau, the man was a very special person. I bought and read this book about him a few years ago. (The reviews of the book make interesting reading too!) http://www.amazon.com/Mover-Men-Mountains-R-G-Tourneau/dp/0802438180 I suspect that there are few business people around today who sell stuff to the government at extremely low profit margins just because they thought it would be sinful to get rich off the taxpayers during a war. But Letourneau was that man. It is hard to deny that God was looking out for him too. Good book. --Fred |
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| Memphis metro | Sep 23 2010, 10:12 PM Post #8 |
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I had never heard of this man or company or if I had I cannot recall it. Very interesting. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R._G._LeTourneau |
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| dimetrodon | Sep 23 2010, 10:14 PM Post #9 |
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Here is another book; this one about his electric drive vehicles. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/158388226X/ref=pd_lpo_k2_dp_sr_2?pf_rd_p=486539851&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=0802438180&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=0PJ2E5S57S0G43ZQKNRW |
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| billy508 | Sep 23 2010, 10:35 PM Post #10 |
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billy508
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I met him a time or two. He used to walk thought the plant sometimes. He would stop and say hello if he felt like it. He liked the lathes he would always have some comment. Feed too slow, not the right speed, you would just say Yes Sir. and keep on working. He had his own steel plant in the back of the plant. It was cool to see the big slabs of steel being put into the picking tanks. Steam and stink. He drove a Black VW and parked it right in front of the main entrance. We worked in giant Domes. He thought that that would be the wave of the future. Leourneau was not a very good place to work. It was super easy to get hurt and they did not like to pay very much. When we made the bombs they had to machine the bottom plate for them. They had about 20 or so ww2 mills that they used. Damn the smoke!!! One of my job was to clean the fan blades. It was so full of oily smoke they would be slinging oil off the blades in about every 6 hours. LOL He was a good guy but he used to have severe problems with cost over runs. One of those places you were glad to get away from. They made the bombs from lengths of pipe. They would cut it to lengtn then they had a big wall fired my natural gas and they would put the pipe in there until it turned red hot then the put it in a big press and formed it. It was so HOT that only black guys could stand it, I had to go back there one day to fix a crane and I was on my knees before we even got to the site LOL Bad work and very very tough guys.
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| superduty5.9 | Sep 24 2010, 01:19 AM Post #11 |
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Metro Defender
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Jm Detroit hasn't stopped making engines for on road. They have Blutec and are current with emissions. DD13, DD15, DD16. all current. They are also ready for the 2012 emissions standards. Cat on the other hand is just shifting gears and waiting to see what the other companies do. They will be back in truck before too long. VoMack is good. Cummins is good. International is good. And Detroit is good and current on emissions. |
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| billy508 | Sep 24 2010, 08:37 AM Post #12 |
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billy508
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I know you guys thought I was BSing. found a pic LOL Shell Casings Are Stacked Outside "Domes." the Domes Are Notorious for the Lack of Air Circulation and the Heat Which Builds Up Inside. Le Tourneau Marathon Ammunition Plant 06/1972Original Caption: Shell Casings Are Stacked Outside "Domes." the Domes Are Notorious for the Lack of Air Circulation and the Heat Which Builds Up Inside. Le Tourneau Marathon Ammunition Plant 06/1972 U.S. National Archives’ Local Identifier: 412-DA-3702 Photographer: St. Gil, Marc, 1924-1992 Subjects: Longview (Gregg county, Texas, United States) inhabited place Environmental Protection Agency Project DOCUMERICA There were 3 domes here is the other 2 Correction I am pretty sure the bottom pic was out by the steel mill
Edited by billy508, Sep 24 2010, 10:41 AM.
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| Murf 59 | Sep 28 2010, 01:11 AM Post #13 |
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At least you did not have to look up, and see some of those things falling towards you. ARC Light is a wonderful thing. If you are on the giving end. " 8 Miles high" My oldest bro had to do BDA's after some of the ARC lights strikes. He said the guys in the area that survived would just be wandering around with know idea of who they were. Or where they were. Thanks for sharing that Billy
Edited by Murf 59, Sep 28 2010, 01:14 AM.
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| billy508 | Sep 28 2010, 05:57 AM Post #14 |
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billy508
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I did not last too long in the bomb business. I woke up one night and though "WTF are you doing!!" I needed a job but not that bad. iI was single and was having a very hard time adjusting to being back. I bought a couple a case of beer to have something to make to Floida on. I noticed everyone was waving and smiling at me a lot. I thought they were just being friendly. I stopped on down the road and saw that I had left a 6 pack of tall Lones Stars on the roof!!!! I drove about 200 miles with them on the roof. LOL
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| Murf 59 | Sep 28 2010, 06:12 AM Post #15 |
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I saw this when I was there. It was way cool. they had a rough time making it turn, Like all of RGs stuff it had electric motors in each wheel. Some one found some of the wheels for it awhile back and they are on one of the Big Foot Monster trucks.

Shell Casings Are Stacked Outside "Domes." the Domes Are Notorious for the Lack of Air Circulation and the Heat Which Builds Up Inside. Le Tourneau Marathon Ammunition Plant 06/1972
There were 3 domes here is the other 2 Correction I am pretty sure the bottom pic was out by the steel mill
1:57 PM Jul 11