STORY OF FORD COAL AND COKE

The original catalog description provided by the Ford Motor Company reads as follows: “There are many reasons why Ford coke attains such a high standard of quality. Excellent mines of by-product coal is the first one.” “Stone, Kentucky. Ford mining towns are all noted for their cleanliness.” Town and residential area - men sitting on large front porch. “Every day the workmen get a lift up steep incline to mine.” Workers getting on small railroad car - goes up hill. “A mile into the mountain.” Railroad cars. “These mines are dug far in the mountain side. A mining machine under-cuts large faces of coal.” Workers in mine digging with machine. “A scoop swiftly loads the tipple cars.” Scoop loads cars - cars leaving mine. “The coal is weighed at a scale house on the way to the tipple.” “The coal is dumped into the tipple where it is separated into three grades.” Coal cars emptied - coal runs along conveyor belt. “Ford gondolas are run under the tipple on three different tracks…each receiving a certain size coal.” Gondolas being loaded. “Ford coal on its way to Toledo, Ohio.” Train loaded with coal. “Immense Ford Great Lakes freighters dock to be loaded with coal for the Fordson plant.” View of ship and dock. “Cars are automatically placed on car-dump.” Car being pushed by small engine car. “The entire car is picked up and the contents dumped into the hold of the boat.” Coal on conveyor belt. “Once more the great ships are loaded…but this time their burden is coke for transportation to various distributors on the Great Lakes.” Conveyor belt dumping coke into hold of ship. “Loading coke into cars for rail shipment.” Rail car being loaded by conveyor belt - loaded cars - locomotive pulling cars. “The Fordson plant is the largest and most complete in the world. It is no wonder then that Ford products are always true to standard in quality and price." “Charging the coke ovens.” Huge charger on rails charging ovens. “Discharging coke…the beginning of one of the marvelous sights in this operation.” “Now we begin to understand something about Ford coke…and a little about its preparation to obtain high quality.” “Loading the coke car.” Workers watching coke car being loaded. “The coke is quenched.” Locomotive pushes car into shower. “Dumping the coke.” Coke is dumped down embankment - enters gates at bottom. “The conveyor galleries…here the coke is transported to the screening building.” View of covered conveyor belts between building - coke on conveyor belt. “Flexibility of operation -- miles of conveyors carry the coke to ship and car.” “This conveyor loads the ship.” “The End.” Loaded cars pushed onto elevator - car lifted, turned over, contents dumped into hold of ship. “In these days the ways are modern and a boat of enormous size is soon loaded and on its way.” Large boat. “Unloading the coal again....this time at its destination, the Fordson plant. Large cranes unloading boat, scoops . “Coal, limestone and ore bins.” View of large bins on dock. [1928]