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AC Fiat-Allis Springfield IL article
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AC7060IL View Drop Down
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Joined: 19 Aug 2012
Location: central IL
Points: 3489 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote AC7060IL Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Topic: AC Fiat-Allis Springfield IL article
    Posted: 30 May 2016 at 2:31pm
http://www.sangamoncountyhistory.org/wp/?p=2646

The we link above talks about the history of the AC Springfield plant. After reading the main segment, please continue scrolling downward to read personal Facebook quotes about those whose families were employed by AC. I thought it was a good read.
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ac89 View Drop Down
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Joined: 18 Mar 2015
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Points: 325 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote ac89 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 01 Jun 2016 at 6:08pm
Enjoyed the read thank you
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steve(ill) View Drop Down
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Joined: 11 Sep 2009
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Points: 85983 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote steve(ill) Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 01 Jun 2016 at 7:08pm
in the late 1960s they built HD16s for the military in Viet Nam. In the late 1970s they build HD31 and HD41B crawlers - 400- 500 HP for the big mines in Penn and Wyoming.  Sold a few BIG tractors to Siberia and South America also to work in the mines.
Like them all, but love the "B"s.
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AC7060IL View Drop Down
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Joined: 19 Aug 2012
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Points: 3489 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote AC7060IL Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 01 Jun 2016 at 7:50pm
Originally posted by ac89 ac89 wrote:

Enjoyed the read thank you

You are welcome. I'd always heard about it being there, but never visited the factory when it was running. Wish I had given it more thought.
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AC7060IL View Drop Down
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Joined: 19 Aug 2012
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Points: 3489 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote AC7060IL Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 01 Jun 2016 at 8:00pm
Originally posted by steve(ill) steve(ill) wrote:

in the late 1960s they built HD16s for the military in Viet Nam. In the late 1970s they build HD31 and HD41B crawlers - 400- 500 HP for the big mines in Penn and Wyoming.  Sold a few BIG tractors to Siberia and South America also to work in the mines.


Thanks for the additional crawler points. One of the Facebook posts at the bottom of the weblink mentions that President Reagan's trade embargo helped cancel a large Russian order of HD41s. Post says that order along would have kept the factory going another 5 years.
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steve(ill) View Drop Down
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Joined: 11 Sep 2009
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Points: 85983 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote steve(ill) Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 01 Jun 2016 at 9:08pm
Believe it or not, the US govt decided the US technology in final drive design might be an advantage to the Russians in building tanks.  Final drives in the 31 and 41B were in the 5000 hours or better life... Tanks were often 10 x less than that...... LOTS of tractors had been shipped to them in the past and there were talks for MANY more when the embargo hit.... about the same time, mines in the US cut way back on purchases.
Like them all, but love the "B"s.
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Joined: 14 Sep 2009
Location: Hermann, Mo
Points: 33224 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote DMiller Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 02 Jun 2016 at 10:53am
Hateful to say they built themselves into extinction building products we still use today some forty to 50+ years after they were built.  Cat is feeling those same pains as is Deere today having bought up the competition that had better machines but the clones keep coming from Japan and S Korea to cut prices to the nub yet being unworthy of take over bids or part of such large conglomerates they cannot be bought up.

I suspect we will see a rebrand of Cat much as we saw with Allis as someone in the Asian marketplace does exactly as Fiat did and buys them up while troubled.  Deere may just grow more feeble and back away from HE market.
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Points: 1251 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Dan Hauter Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 04 Jun 2016 at 11:38pm
I used to drive past the factory's former site in Springfield going to and from work.  If you didn't know where it was you'd never guess.  It's all fast food, offices, banks, & light commercial now.  I clearly remember it when still standing but never set foot inside the gates.  I know several guys who worked there.  Lots of good jobs disappeared when the place closed.
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Joined: 19 Aug 2012
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Points: 3489 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote AC7060IL Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 07 Jun 2016 at 3:27pm
Originally posted by Dan Hauter Dan Hauter wrote:

I used to drive past the factory's former site in Springfield going to and from work.  If you didn't know where it was you'd never guess.  It's all fast food, offices, banks, & light commercial now.  I clearly remember it when still standing but never set foot inside the gates.  I know several guys who worked there.  Lots of good jobs disappeared when the place closed.

I wonder how the AC plant was supplied with heavy raw steel - rail car or semis? I can't imagine the Sangamon River allowed a deep enough trench for larger barge traffic..
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steve(ill) View Drop Down
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Joined: 11 Sep 2009
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Points: 85983 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote steve(ill) Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 07 Jun 2016 at 4:24pm
lots of rail road tracks in the area... and semis brought in vendor parts and shipped out tractors and AC parts daily.
Like them all, but love the "B"s.
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