Chicagoland/Sometimes Austin
You miss 100% of the shots you don't take.
Republic Steel - Thomas Coke Works/Byproducts Plant
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
I haven't done one of these writeups on here in years but I miss making them. On a recent trip to Alabama with Sheavy and Mookster we visited what remains of the old Republic Steel mill in Birmingham. This place is about as good as it gets, loads of ancient machinery and other things about. Republic steel started operations in Birmingham in 1888 and continued up until 1972. The blast furnaces, rolling mills, and other steelmaking buildings have been demolished for years. Fortunately, the massive coke battery, blower house, boiler house, power plant, and a handful of other buildings still remain. 50 years of abandonment has not treated this place well, most buildings truly fit the definition of a death trap. Alas, here are the photos.

Starting off with the coke battery/byproducts plant, built in 1925:
DSC_5673 by pearson, on Flickr

DSC_5661 by pearson, on Flickr

DSC_5677-Enhanced by pearson, on Flickr

DSC_5655-Enhanced by pearson, on Flickr

On to the blower house, complete with a set of Harrisburg blower engines and an Ingersoll-Rand compressor:

DSC_5631-Enhanced by pearson, on Flickr

DSC_5627-Enhanced by pearson, on Flickr

DSC_5650 by pearson, on Flickr

Then the boiler house, I took very few photos in here. This was the deathtrappiest of all the buildings on the property:

DSC_5694-Enhanced by pearson, on Flickr

Finally, the power plant. This was probably my favorite, it was equipped with three General Electric turbines at one point. Only one remains completely intact, one was completely removed and the other was stripped:

DSC_5698-Enhanced by pearson, on Flickr

DSC_5717-Enhanced by pearson, on Flickr

DSC_5703-Enhanced by pearson, on Flickr

DSC_5707-Enhanced by pearson, on Flickr

DSC_5719 by pearson, on Flickr

Here are some other miscellaneous photos around the property:

DSC_5688 by pearson, on Flickr

DSC_5686-Enhanced by pearson, on Flickr

DSC_5682-Enhanced by pearson, on Flickr

DSC_5678-Enhanced by pearson, on Flickr


All in all, this place was absolutely phenomenal. We spent somewhere around 8 hours on the property. These photos definitely aren't my best work by any means, this place was very tough to shoot for the most part with lots of difficult lighting situations and tight spaces. But, I had a great time shooting it and wanted to share here.
Hoover, Alabama
Male
Re: Republic Steel - Thomas Coke Works/Byproducts Plant
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
Good shit dude! Definitely did not walk on anything insanely sketchy, nope nope.


Posted by Pear

Then the boiler house, I took very few photos in here. This was the deathtrappiest of all the buildings on the property:





Wandering around in the boiler house is great, you're constantly wondering whether you're going to fall through the floor or half the place is going to collapse on you
Don't be a Maxx
Re: Republic Steel - Thomas Coke Works/Byproducts Plant
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
So fucking killer pear.

Making uer great again.


Chicagoland/Sometimes Austin
You miss 100% of the shots you don't take.
Re: Republic Steel - Thomas Coke Works/Byproducts Plant
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
Posted by Sheavy
Good shit dude! Definitely did not walk on anything insanely sketchy, nope nope.





Wandering around in the boiler house is great, you're constantly wondering whether you're going to fall through the floor or half the place is going to collapse on you


Lol, I wasn't as daring as you in there.


Posted by randomesquephoto
So fucking killer pear.

Making uer great again.


Appreciate it dude.
Canada
Re: Republic Steel - Thomas Coke Works/Byproducts Plant
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
This looks like a fun place. Great shots!
Oxford, UK
Male
Re: Republic Steel - Thomas Coke Works/Byproducts Plant
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
I can't believe I went right up to the top floor of the boiler house.

Sketchiest industrial building I've ever set foot in.

Top set, and what a way to finish off my trip to the States.
New Jersey
Re: Republic Steel - Thomas Coke Works/Byproducts Plant
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
Dope place, that IR compressor is really cool. Seems like an awesome adventure and nicely photographed.
at the beginning
Male w/ Female Bits
Cave Cave Deus Videt
Re: Republic Steel - Thomas Coke Works/Byproducts Plant
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
nice work with the Best Southern Explorer of All time!! The Gods favor him even tho he wont give Bandcamp a goddammed dime!!!!!



Viet Nam
Male
Re: Republic Steel - Thomas Coke Works/Byproducts Plant
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
Really great place! I think one of the buildings got demoed in the last decade. It's super sketchy at the tops of everything. Just waiting for it to collapse, yikes.
Oxford, UK
Male
Re: Republic Steel - Thomas Coke Works/Byproducts Plant
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
Posted by YoelT
Really great place! I think one of the buildings got demoed in the last decade. It's super sketchy at the tops of everything. Just waiting for it to collapse, yikes.


There's no 'safe' way up to the top of the tower now, the only feasible way to get to the bottom of the staircase is too far gone so we didn't even try it.
Chicagoland/Sometimes Austin
You miss 100% of the shots you don't take.
Re: Republic Steel - Thomas Coke Works/Byproducts Plant
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
I can't believe I went right up to the top floor of the boiler house.

Sketchiest industrial building I've ever set foot in.

Top set, and what a way to finish off my trip to the States


Yeah, I can't either... Thanks!


This looks like a fun place. Great shots!

Definitely was for sure, thank you!


nice work with the Best Southern Explorer of All time!! The Gods favor him even tho he wont give Bandcamp a goddammed dime!!!!!



He lives up to your legend.. Thanks man


Really great place! I think one of the buildings got demoed in the last decade. It's super sketchy at the tops of everything. Just waiting for it to collapse, yikes.


What mookster said is completely correct, there is a way up to the top, but things were actively falling when I tried to traverse it. Not for me!


Dope place, that IR compressor is really cool. Seems like an awesome adventure and nicely photographed.

I really loved that compressor too, appreciate the kind words
[last edit 4/4/2022 6:52 PM by Pearson - edited 1 times]
Kansas City
Male
Huh. I guess covid made me a trendsetter.
Re: Republic Steel - Thomas Coke Works/Byproducts Plant
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
Man, these are some great photos. You really have a way of capturing the best angles. Thanks for sharing!
Re: Republic Steel - Thomas Coke Works/Byproducts Plant
Posted on Forum: UER Forum
Love it! Those are some wonderful shots right there. Good to see some more activity here and great to see this place still exists. We've been having so many place disappear, seems like all my old spots are gone now.

~O



Chicagoland/Sometimes Austin
You miss 100% of the shots you don't take.
Re: Republic Steel - Thomas Coke Works/Byproducts Plant
Posted on Forum: UER Forum

Man, these are some great photos. You really have a way of capturing the best angles. Thanks for sharing!


Thank you so much man, means a lot.

Love it! Those are some wonderful shots right there. Good to see some more activity here and great to see this place still exists. We've been having so many place disappear, seems like all my old spots are gone now.

~O


Thanks! I've been missing the activity here and decided I would bring some myself. At some point in the not too far future, somebody is going to get injured here and the Sand company will definitely be less forgiving with permission. But until then, it's a great place!
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