<VV> Vair Block Casting-

[henry kaczmarek]

Bob
It would behoove you greatly to take a trip to the Niagara Power Vista, north of Niagara Falls  when you come to Buffalo. There is a power distribution map there that shows where the power from the Falls goes.  Most all of it to Northern New England, and some is sent to Erie, PA and Cleveland. NONE of it remains in the Niagara Frontier area. On the Canadian Side, Ontario Hydro does supply Southern Ontario with power, but NONE on the American side of the River. 

Now, if you want to look for Messina, look at a map of NY. Follow Interstate 90 east from Buffalo until you get to Albany. Then follow the interstate (I-87) north, and just before the border with QUEBEC, you will see Messina. It is a VERY small town. 

FYI, the power generating station for the Buffalo area is COAL powered, it's name is the Huntley Power Generating Station, and is located on the Niagara River, about 1mile north (downstream towards the Falls) of the Tonawanda Engine Complex. 

The area of the river in front of the power station, complete with its mountains of coal, is the best grass perch fishing spot in the Upper Niagara River.  It is also the exit point for those with enough guts to toss an inner tube off the International Railroad Bridge, jump into the river after it, and float downriver to that point, (about 3 miles), and then roll the tube back to your house, never actually "leaving the neighborhood" according to your Parent's instructions

There is no Reynolds Aluminum Facility in the Western New York Area. Nor has there ever been to my knowledge. 

The article in the Communique will bear all of this out, I remember reading it, and it was a good number of years ago, but perhaps someone who has them at their fingertips and can confirm this information. 

I spent all of my formative years in this area, and as I told Tony, Special Vats of molten aluminum, on special railroad cars, arriving 3 blocks from my house would not have escaped my attention. This is in addition to the reports of foundry employees who lived all around me, and most of whom still reside in my neighborhood (those who are still living, anyway)  One look at the railroad lines going into the plant (and there are 4 different sets of tracks)  would also give away the fact that there are no special rail lines in that area. 

BTW, From the Town of  Tonawanda/Buffalo City Line (3 blocks from my childhood home), the Falls is less than 20 miles. 

Regards
HANK


  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: BobHelt at aol.com 
  To: kaczmarek at charter.net ; virtualvairs at corvair.org 
  Sent: Wednesday, March 23, 2005 12:58 PM
  Subject: Re: <VV> Vair Block Casting-


  In a message dated 3/23/05 8:35:53 AM US Mountain Standard Time, kaczmarek at charter.net writes:


    The Aluminum company's complex at Messina NY was where the aluminum was smelted, and the casting was done in their plant a short number of miles away. As Tony mentioned, there were insulated vats on rail cars to take the aluminum in molten form from the smelter to the plant where the casting was done, a special line made just for this purpose.  

    As Tonawanda is "as the crow flies" over 350 miles from Messina, 


  Hank, 
  I know very little about the NY cities, but I was told that the aluminum smelting company (Reynolds) was located near the Niagra Falls power plant because of the electrical power available there. Now since Messina isn't on the Rand and McNally map atlas I have I can't locate that city. But isn't is true that the smelting plant was near Niagra (i.e., Buffalo)?

  I did find Tonawanda which is a suburb of Buffalo, so It really looks like the distance between the smelter and the casting plant at Tonawanda was 50 miles or less, and not 350 miles as you indicate. 
  Please  correct me if this is in error.

  Regards,
  Bob Helt