Pouring Molten Iron from Blast Furnace into Railroad Car Ladles at Ford Motor Company Rouge Plant, circa 1948

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Artifact Overview

Three blast furnaces at Ford Motor Company's Rouge plant converted raw iron oxide ore into metallic iron. The molten iron was then poured into special railroad car ladles for transport to open-hearth furnaces, where the iron was further processed into steel. Together, the three blast furnaces could produce 6,700 tons of metallic iron every 24 hours.

Artifact Details

Artifact

Photographic print

Subject Date

circa 1948

Location

By Request in the Benson Ford Research Center

Object ID

84.1.1660.776

Credit

From the Collections of The Henry Ford. Gift of Ford Motor Company.

Material

Paper (Fiber product)

Technique

Gelatin silver process

Color

Black-and-white (Colors)

Dimensions

Height: 8.125 in
Width: 10 in

Pouring Molten Iron from Blast Furnace into Railroad Car Ladles at Ford Motor Company Rouge Plant, circa 1948