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Topic: PT Boat Giant Killers by ELCO |
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bubbletop409
MASTER
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Posted on: Nov 26, 2019 - 9:52am
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John Bulkeley's father is shown in one of those if I remember correctly. Lot of insight into the process and skills involved in building a hull.
Larry
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Travis B
Advanced Member
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Posted on: Nov 26, 2019 - 10:05am
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I live in Northern NJ, when it warms up I will be taking a trip to Bayonne NJ to check out the old ELCO Factory or where it use to be.
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bubbletop409
MASTER
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Posted on: Nov 26, 2019 - 10:07am
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Use to be is the key in that statement.
Larry
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Jeff D
Moderator
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Posted on: Nov 27, 2019 - 5:19am
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The videos were put up on youtube by our forum's fearless leader Dick Washichek. Dick has done a tremendous amount of work in promoting the history and remembrance of PTs, much of which he gives away freely. Have you checked out the "Free PT Documents" page? There's some very interesting reading there!
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Roy Forbes
TOP BOSS
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Posted on: Nov 28, 2019 - 7:39am
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While you are in and around Bayonne on your visit, be sure to photograph the 2 bronze plaques on the walkways of the Townhouses where the plant was. It is also worth a walk along the shoreline on both sides of the homes and see the remains of the old wooden piers and supports for the huge railroad bridge that once spanned the bay. Then, before you leave head north about 2 miles and visit the old restored Elco crane at the end of the walkway at the Bayonne Park just below the Bayonne Bridge. I also grew up in Northern NJ just 15 miles north of the plant and remember the night it burned. If you know where to look, there is a bunch of stuff to see.
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Travis B
Advanced Member
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Posted on: Nov 29, 2019 - 4:37am
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Thank you! If anyone would like pictures I will be taking a bunch, I will make the trip in early spring. I am not familiar with the history of ELCO or why they closed (im 31) can someone fill me in as to what happened?
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Jeff D
Moderator
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Posted on: Nov 30, 2019 - 6:50am
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I'm hoping someone with postwar knowledge of the plant will reply, I'm interested too Travis. I do know that there were 2 fires, one 1963 and another in 2001, that erased most of the plant. The crane was moved to a park where it still stands.
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Travis B
Advanced Member
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Posted on: Nov 30, 2019 - 9:00am
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I have found the article about the fire that burned down the ELCO factory. I have to wait for my subscription to become active, once I have access I well post the full article.
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bubbletop409
MASTER
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Posted on: Dec 2, 2019 - 2:59pm
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TRAVIS & JEFF
The following information comes from Victor Chun's first book on PT's.
Andrew Higgin's had a 5 million dollar manufacturing facility at the end of the war. He hoped to carry on building water craft, but problems arose with the National Labor Relations board, the Unions, and the decline in the demand for post was pleasure boats The company was liquidated Mr. Higgins died in 1952.
The story for Elco read's basically the same, Elco was left with a giant manufacturing facility, a tremendous overhead, and the same general lack of demand for their products, caused their demise
Larry
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