Houston, PA: ATI/Allegheny Ludlum/Bethlehem/Lukens/Washington Steel

(Satellite)

This plant was evidently a branch location for Washington Steel, and it became part of ATI.

Tim Soom posted two images with the comment: "This was the old Washington Steel/ Lukens/Bethlehem/Allegheny Ludlum Steel Mill...Melt Shop in Houston, PA. "

Kellen Hodge: Was on JJ's crew. Melt shop leveled. Caster still standing. ATI can still get a tax write off. Storeroom still there. Rolling mill still standing. Easier to leave it rot then to reclaim it all.

Dave Jaap: Kellen Hodge what a shame. Such a great place to work. Finishing Mill up town is completely gone but the warehouse. [Judging from some other comments, I think "uptown" was Washington.]

John Stanish Jr.: Caster building and rolling mill are still standing. Rolling mill shut down in 2015.

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Steve Kashuba posted 15 photos with the comment: "This is what Washington Steel melt shop used to look like. There's nothing but weeds and empty ground now."

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These are the ladles preheating. Getting ready to pour Into.

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These people are getting the furnace ready to charge by shooting a protective coating inside the furnace.

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After a furnace taps it is repoured into the AOD where argon and oxygen heat it up to over 3000 degrees and other material is added to get the specific grade of steel/

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This is a bucket of cold steel scrap going into the furnace.
Jeff Berkoben: How many buckets of scrap was used per heat?
Steve Kashuba: Jeff Berkoben one on the cold charge and one on the back charge

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This is what it looks like at a craneman's view. Always smoky

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This lady is taking the temperature in the AOD.

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These are 2 very special ladies of steel. They always tried to work harder than the men and usually did.
Jeff Berkoben: What year did woman begin working in the mill? 1976 where I worked.
Steve Kashuba: Jeff Berkoben when I worked in Homestead they started in 1970.
Fran Iddings: Jeff Berkoben 1981, There were two of us, the first two in the melt shop! I loved it there, miss those days.

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This is the crane adding materials to the AOD to make the special spects of the order

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This is the AOD slagging off. The crane is holding a slag pot under the vessel.

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This is a view of her pulling the slag out of the vessel with a long steel pole.

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Just before the vessel dumps its load the ladleman pours sand into a gate at the bottom the ladle to preview from leaking.

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The full ladle is put on a electric transfer car and sent to the caster where it is poured and made into slabs.

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This us one of two electric furnaces
Trebor Nirom: What was the capacity?
Steve Kashuba: Trebor Nirom one was 40 ton and one was 65 ton. Little compared to the 350 ton furnaces at Homestead.

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When the empty ladle comes back from the caster the crane dumps the slag and the ladleman conditions the ladle for the next use.