The Consolidated Steel Corporation was an American steel and shipbuilding business. Formed on 18 December 1928,[1] the company built ships during World War II in two main locations: Wilmington, California and Orange, Texas. It was created by the merger of Llewellyn Iron Works, Baker Iron Works and Union Iron Works,[2] all of Los Angeles. The company entered the shipbuilding business in 1939.[3] In 1948, now a pioneer producer of large-diameter pipelines, Consolidated Steel was renamed Consolidated Western Steel and acquired by U.S. Steel and operated as a wholly-owned subsidiary.
The San Diego-based Consolidated Aircraft Corp. is not related and neither is the Union Iron Works of San Francisco. The company did not produce steel (the Llewellyn Iron Works did so during 1916–1923), neither from iron ores nor from pig iron, but rather fabricated standard steel mill product (plates and bars) into steel products (buildings, ships, pipes). In the 1950s, the company contributed ground equipment to the Project Nike missile system. In 1964, Consolidated was merged into the American Bridge Division of U.S. Steel.
The Orange, Texas shipyard lay on the banks of the Sabine River at (30.0864°N -93.7243°W[4]), a few miles upstream of the Sabine Pass that grants access to the Gulf of Mexico (Pennsylvania Shipyards, Inc. in Beaumont, Texas made use of it as well). Consolidated Steel bought the Orange Car and Steel Company (railcars) property in February 1940[5] with the original intention of going into the business of barge and tug construction. Before November 1922 this company was called the Southern Dry Dock & Shipbuilding Company,[6] which operated 5 building ways for wooden hull construction for the United States Shipping Board,[7] of which 6 were launched and at least one, Gonzalis (1918), was fitted with engines.
The modest facilities were expanded when Consolidated Steel was awarded destroyer contracts from the U.S. Navy in September 1940. After the war the site was sold to U.S. Steel together with Consolidated's assets in Los Angeles and whatever was obtained from the merger with Western Pipe and Steel elsewhere. However, the wholly-owned subsidiary and soon after the U.S. Steel corporate division both continued to operate as Consolidated Western Steel. The government-owned shipyard facilities were eventually bought by Consolidated Western Steel for $1,001,000 in the Summer of 1949, but not to be used for shipbuilding beyond the obligations imposed as part of the deal, to maintain this capability for some time.[8] Another pipe mill was built in Orange during the boom years. At its peak durning the war, it employed 20,000 people. The first ship launched was the destroyer on March 2, 1942. The last ship launched was the destroyer on December 28, 1945. United States Naval Station Orange was the overseer of the Navy projects.[9] [10]
Contracts for 12 Fletchers were authorized with the Two-Ocean Navy Act and awarded later in 1940[11] Fletchers were produced no more than six concurrently. Gearings were produced no more than ten concurrently. There were six slipways that could build one destroyer or destroyer escort and there were two side launching ways that could each build two destroyers or 3 destroyer escorts. The stern-first launching ways must obviously have been there first, see also launch photographs e.g.[12] [13] [14]
Levingston Shipbuilding Company and Weaver Shipyards round up the landscape of WW2 shipbuilding in Orange.
The Consolidated Steel Wilmington shipyard (33.7677°N -118.2725°W) in Wilmington, California was an emergency yard built in 1941 in the Port of Los Angeles West Basin after Consolidated Steel was awarded Maritime Commission contracts. At its peak, it employed 12,000 people, working on eight shipways on the 95-acre facility at 1100 W Harry Bridges Blvd, Wilmington. Production peaked on May 29, 1944, when it launched three large ships in only a -hour period. The yard was built as a temporary facility and, like most such war plants, it was closed after the war ended.
Together, the shipyards ranked Consolidated 29th among United States corporations in the value of wartime production contracts.[16]
Fifteen of the C1-B were built with steam turbines supplied by Joshua Hendy Iron Works ("JH") instead of those built by Westinghouse ("WH"). Hendy also provided the 36 triple expansion steam engines that went into the patrol frigates.
The yard changed to a 2-shift rotation (10.5 hours) on June 12, 1944.[17]
| Contract No. | Type | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|
| MCc 412 | 1 C-1B, full scantling, turbine | Lump sum | $2,150,814.96 |
| MCc 413 | $2,248,486.96 | ||
| MCc 414 | $2,248,486.96 | ||
| MCc 415 | $2,386,408.97 | ||
| MCc 1275 | 1 P1-S2-L2, twin screw transport, turbine | $5,808,149.22 | |
| MCc 1276 | $5,760,072.99 | ||
| MCc 1953 and 1675 | Acquisition and installation of plant equipment | Cost only | $13,133,630.60 |
| MCc 1520 | 4 C-1B, full scantling, turbine | Price minus | complex |
| MCc 1790 | 9 C-1B, full scantling, turbine | ||
| MCc 1791 | 9 C-1B, full scantling, tubine | ||
| MCc 1792 | 8 C-1B, full scantling, turbine | ||
| MCc 2235 | 4 C-1B, full scantling, rurbine | ||
| MCc 7713 | 18 C-1B, full scantling, turbine; 13 troopships; 2 uncompleted hospital ships | ||
| MCc 7714 | 6 C-1B full scantling, turbine, 1 uncompleted hospital ship | ||
| MCc 8524 | 18 S2-S2-AQ-1 steel escort | ||
| MCc 15951 | 32 S4-SE2-BD1 | ||
| MCc 26055 | 27 C1-M-AV1 | ||
| DA MCc 857 | 30 C1-M-AV1 (28 delivered) | ||
| MCc 34768 | 10 C2-S-B1 (10 delivered), 6 R2-S-BV1 (0 delivered) | Selective price |
Ships built:[20]
| Yard# | Name | Keel laid | Launched | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 519 | 19 Mar 43 | 5 May 43 | 528 | 7 Jul 43 | 6 Aug 43 | |||
| 520 | 26 Mar 43 | 20 May 43 | 529 | 17 Jul 43 | 17 Aug 43 | |||
| 521 | 6 Apr 43 | 29 May 43 | 530 | 27 Aug 43 | ||||
| 522 | 17 Apr 43 | 11 Jun 43 | 531 | 7 Sep 43 | ||||
| 523 | 6 May 43 | 17 Jun 43 | 532 | 18 Aug 43 | 17 Sep 43 | |||
| 524 | 21 May 43 | 23 Jun 43 | 533 | 28 Aug 43 | 27 Sep 43 | |||
| 525 | 12 Jun 43 | 6 Jul 43 | 534 | 18 Sep 43 | 18 Oct 43 | |||
| 526 | 18 Jun 43 | 16 Jul 43 | 535 | 28 Sep 43 | 13 Nov 43 | |||
| 527 | 24 Jun 43 | 27 Jul 43 | 536 | 7 Dec 43 |
| Yard# | Name | Keel laid | Launched | Yard# | Name | Keel laid | Launched | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 720 | 30 Nov 43 | 28 Mar 44 | 736 | 27 Sep 44 | ||||
| 721 | 9 Apr 44 | 737 | 7 Oct 44 | |||||
| 722 | 1 Dec 43 | 21 Apr 44 | 738 | 12 Jul 44 | 18 Oct 44 | |||
| 723 | 24 Jan 44 | 3 May 44 | 739 | 27 Oct 44 | ||||
| 724 | 28 Jan 44 | 11 May 44 | 740 | 31 Jul 44 | 6 Nov 44 | |||
| 725 | 23 Feb 44 | 20 May 44 | 741 | 17 Nov 44 | ||||
| 726 | 8 Mar 44 | 31 May 44 | 742 | 29 Aug 44 | 27 Nov 44 | |||
| 727 | 13 Mar 44 | 10 Jun 44 | 743 | 5 Dec 44 | ||||
| 728 | 29 Mar 44 | 19 Jun 44 | 744 | 28 Sep 44 | 14 Dec 44 | |||
| 729 | 10 Apr 44 | 30 Jun 44 | 745 | 24 Dec 44 | ||||
| 730 | 22 Apr 44 | 11 Jul 44 | 746 | 4 Jan 45 | ||||
| 731 | 4 May 44 | 20 Jul 44 | 747 | 28 Oct 44 | 13 Jan 45 | |||
| 732 | 12 May 44 | 30 Jul 44 | 748 | 7 Nov 44 | 23 Jan 45 | |||
| 733 | 15 Aug 44 | 749 | 31 Jan 45 | |||||
| 734 | 28 Aug 44 | 750 | 20 Nov 44 | 10 Feb 45 | ||||
| 735 | 12 Sep 44 | 751 | 6 Dec 44 | 17 Feb 45 |
| Yard# | USMC# | Owner | Name | Keel laid | Launched | Delivered |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1358 | 2817 | Messenger | 10 Jul 45 | 20 Oct 45 | 6 Feb 46 | |
| 1359 | 2818 | Grace Line | Spitfire | 27 Jul 45 | 9 Nov 45 | 22 Feb 46 |
| 1360 | 2819 | States Marine Corp. | Ocean Rover | 8 Aug 45 | 29 Nov 45 | 15 Mar 46 |
| 1361 | 2820 | National Eagle | 20 Aug 45 | 21 Dec 45 | 2 Apr 46 | |
| 1362 | 2821 | Mountain Wave | 24 Aug 45 | 15 Jan 46 | 18 Apr 46 | |
| 1363 | 2822 | Carrier Dove | 4 Sep 45 | 19 Feb 46 | 7 May 46 | |
| 1364 | 2823 | Agwilines | Twilight | 15 Sep 45 | 5 Mar 46 | 24 May 46 |
| 1365 | 2824 | Wild Ranger | 8 Oct 45 | 28 Mar 46 | 14 Jun 46 | |
| 1366 | 2825 | Crest of the Wave | 22 Oct 45 | 17 Apr 46 | 28 jun 46 | |
| 1367 | 2868 | Golden Light | 9 Nov 45 | 29 Apr 46 | 10 Jul 46 |
Bethlehem San Pedro and California Shipbuilding were located nearby on Terminal Island.
The former Long Beach Shipbuilding Company yard was the first Consolidated Steel facility to become operational. It was located at the entrance of Channel No. 3 on the south side (33.7689°N -118.216°W).
On Liberty Fleet Day, September 27, 1941, the yard launched SS Alcoa Polaris, a C1-B type cargo vessel, as one of the fourteen ships launched nationwide on the same day to show the magnitude of the shipbuilding program.[112] [113]
On 26 June 1927 Union Iron Works formally opened the first unit of a new multi-million dollar plant on their 25-acre tract at Stauson and Garfield avenues (33.9822°N -118.1422°W).[144]
26 July 1930, Consolidated Steel purchased 50 acre at NE corner of Eastern and Stauson avenues (33.9865°N -118.1613°W).[145]
The Union, Baker and Llewellyn Iron Works were competitors prior to consolidation in the markets of steel fabrication and erection in the Los Angeles area.[146]
In August 1930 plans were being implemented to erect the typical shops of a steel plant on the tract at Slauson and Eastern. The projected cost was $1,000,000 including machinery. Predecessor plants were to be dismantled and moved to the new location.[147]
During World War II 761 Landing craft mechanized were constructed to completion in the plant and their motors and hull integrity tested on site in a large water tank.[148]
Also built were 403 5-inch/38 twin mounts.[149]
Consolidated built the first blast furnace of the Kaiser Fontana integrated mill in 1942.[150]
In 1949 the plant was 60 acres in size with equipment for the manufacture and erection of heavy steel products. Including 26 to 36-inch welded pipe, structural steel for industrial and commercial buildings, bridges and railcar frames; cement kilns; penstocks; storage tanks (gas, oil, water, chemicals).[151]
Shortly after the end of the war, in September 1945, Consolidated Steel bought the assets of the Western Pipe and Steel Company of California, another wartime shipbuilding firm, for $6,217,373.[152] The property consisted of main plants at South San Francisco and Vernon and small plants serving local industries in Taft, Fresno and Phoenix.[153] [154]
In October 1946 a shipyard on Manicani Island off the coast of Samar in the Philippines came under the control of Consolidated and Bechtel interests under the name of Philippine Consolidated Shipyards. Initial contracts from the U.S. Navy for conversion, repair and construction of small craft,[155] which was completed in August 1947 after which Philippine Consolidated carried on with similar work in Manila and Cavite.[156]
Going into the legal proceedings surrounding the planned acquisition by the Columbia Steel Company (a U.S. Steel subsidiary), at the beginning of the year 1947 Consolidated Steel owned and operated plants in Los Angeles, Vernon, Fresno, Berkeley and Taft in California, and in Phoenix, Arizona and Orange, Texas.[157]
The company name was changed to Consolidated Western Steel Corp. on 1 July 1948.[158] A separate company with the same name was incorporated in Delaware on 31 August 1948,[159] marking the acquisition for $12,481,221[160] by U.S. Steel.
In January 1949, Consolidated was contracted to build a new blast furnace at the Kaiser Fontana steel mill.[161] This was furnace #2, blown on October 13, 1949.
October 1949, construction is planned of a new pipe mill in Houston near the ship channel with a projected capacity of 50 miles of large diameter pipe per month.[162] The project is cancelled, the mill is instead built in Orange, Texas.[163] A general purpose plate shop and an 85x900 feet pipe mill became operational in March 1950.[164] Also during that time the Orange plant was fabricating the large 34 feet, 10 inches diameter pipe sections for the Baytown Tunnel that crossed the Houston ship channel.[165]
September 1949, Consolidated is applying for a certificate to operate in Pennsylvania to assist in the construction of a new welded pipe mill in McKeesport.[166]
Effective 31 December 1951, in an internal corporate restructuring, the subsidiary corporation became the Consolidated Western Steel Division of the United States Steel Company with Alden G. Roach as president, who was also president of the newly formed Columbia-Geneva Steel Division.[167] [168]
In May 1955, a new pipe mill in Provo starts shipments for the Pacific Northwest Pipeline Corp..[169] The relocation of all pipeline operations to Utah was first announced in September 1954.[170]
The small diameter pipe mill was moved from Berkeley to the new pipe plant at Provo after the large diameter portion had reached full production and the transfer was completed in January 1956.[171]
20 December 1956, Alden G. Roach, the pilot and the co-pilot died in the crash of a company Lockheed Model 18 Lodestar near Tyrone, Pennsylvania.
During much of the 1950s, Consolidated was part of Project Nike, producing $146.2 million worth of launcher loaders, earning $9.3 million in profits.[172] The first generation Nike-Ajax loaders were a Douglas Aircraft design, the enlarged Nike-Hercules loaders were Consolidated Western's design.[173] Many thousands were produced at a price on the order of $20,000 to $30,000 each.[174]
In March 1957 a design study for a heavy water reactor pressure vessel was released, prepared on behalf of the Atomic Energy Commission.[175]
In 1964, in an internal corporate restructuring, the Consolidated Western Steel Division was merged with the American Bridge Division to form a single steel fabrication division within U.S. Steel (the American Bridge DIvision).[176] Occurrences of the former name in the press dropped sharply at that point.
| Name | Location | From | To | Length | Diameters |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Taxas-California | California | Blythe | Santa Fe Springs | 214 | 30 |
| Trans-Arabia | Saudi Arabia | 980 | 30, 31 | ||
| Transcontinental | United States | 1840 | |||
| PG&E Super Inch | California | Topock | Milpitas | 34 | |
| Kirkuk-Baniyas | Iraq and Syria | Kirkuk | Baniyas | 490 | 30, 32 |
| California | Needles | Newhall | 241 |
In September 1946 production was to commence on 214 miles and 60,000 tons of 30-inch pipe for the Southern California Gas Company for a contract value of $6m.[177] This 214 mile section between Blythe and Santa Fe Springs was the western section of the first of the El Paso Natural Gas Company's pipelines supplying California from natural gas fields in Texas.[178] Steel plates were provided by the Geneva Steel mill.[179] The pipeline became operational on 13 November 1947.[180] The source material for the process was 30 feet long, 92 inch wide plates, the welded pipe segments were hydraulically expanded (i.e. cold formed) in a closed die, yielding very straight pipe of improved strength. The capacity of the plant in 1947 was 9 miles of pipe per week. Shipped pipes were 60 feet in length, 2 sections welded together at the factory.[181]
In early 1947 Consolidated was contracted to provide 980 miles of pipe for the Bechtel-built Trans-Arabian Pipeline (oil), the National Tube Company of Pittsburgh (a U.S. Steel subsidiary) was to supply another 70 miles.[182] A second production line was installed at the Maywood plant[183] for the construction of 31-inch pipe, which made up 50% of the order and this allowed the volume of shipping and shipping costs be cut in half with one pipe segment stored inside one larger pipe segment. The Trans-Arabian Pipe Line Co. underwrote the cost to increase production capacity to 3 miles per day.[184] The January 1949 issue of U.S. Steel News stated a capacity of 3.5 miles of pipe per day at the Maywood plant.[185] The with the first load of pipes[186] (a little more than 5 miles[187]) departed Long Beach for Ras Tanura on 7 November 1947.,[188] followed by the,,, and others.
During delays caused by failure of Tapline to obtain export licenses, 30 and 31-inch pipe was diverted to the Tennessee Gas Transmission Co. to loop the 661 miles between Victoria, Texas and Cornwell, West Virginia laid in 1947 and 1948 with 204 miles of 30/31-inch loop line.[189]
In January 1949 CWS began fabrication of 1840 miles of pipe for the Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line Company's Texas-New York pipeline (natural gas).[190] (FPC Docket No. G-704, certificate issued 29 May 1948[191]) The plates for this pipeline came from Kaiser Fontana. The Basalt Rock Company at Napa (Bay area) also turned Kaiser plates into pipe for that project. The Fontana mill was making plates at an approximate rate of 20,000 tons per month for Consolidated in late 1949.[192]
June 1949, contracts are awarded for Pacific Gas and Electric's 34-inch "Super-Inch" Pipe Line (natural gas) from Topock to Milpitas.[193] Ditching started June 29, 1949 for the 80-mile section between Llanda (near Hollister) and Milpitas, which was to be used as an underground storage reservoir until completion of the whole line, to be ready for the 1949/1950 winter season.[194] [195] The pipe segments were produced in South San Francisco and joined in pairs or if conditions permitted in groups of three at a depot near Santa Clara. The depot was then moved to Barstow in late 1949 or early 1950 when the northern leg was about completed. Stockpiling began for the ensuing completion of the pipe, which started from the Arizona border at Topock, heading west.[196]
September 1950, construction to begin on 30-inch pipe for the Kirkuk–Baniyas oil pipeline,[197] which was to loop the existing 12-inch and 16-inch lines of the Kirkuk–Haifa oil pipeline. Diameters of 30 and 32 inches. Plates fabricated by Geneva Steel. First first shipment sails on 30 September 1950, Construction by Bechtel commenced in November 1950, shortly after the completion of the Trans-Arabia. Last shipment leaves the Port of Los Angeles February 1952 aboard the .[198] The line went into operation in April 1952.
August 1952, fabrication of parts of a 953-mile 24-inch crude oil pipeline from Wink, Texas to Norwalk, California to begin in a few months.[199]
Consolidated was contracted for 20 miles of 30-inch pipe for an expansion of the California portion of the Texas Pipeline (natural gas) in November 1952, the project expected to be finished in March 1953.[200]
The Provo pipe mill produced 241 miles of 30-inch pipe to be laid in the first half of 1957 between Needles and Newhall, Pacific Lightning Corp subsidiaries (conjecture: SoCalGas), total project cost $24,000,000.[201]
The Baker Iron Works had its start at Los Angeles, California, about 1874,[202] when Milo Stannard Baker (1828–1894) acquired a small machine shop there. The business, begun on a small scale as M.S. Baker & Company, grew quite rapidly. A much larger facility was erected in 1886 and in June of that year the business was incorporated as the Baker Iron Works with capital stock of $75,000. Five directors were named: Milo S. Baker, E.H. Booth, Charles F. Kimball, Fred L. Baker (Milo's son), and H.T. Neuree. Less than a year later, Baker erected a $15,000 building on Buena Vista Street near College.
Baker Iron Works had a great many different products, manufacturing mining, milling, pumping, hoisting, oil and well drilling machinery, streetcars, boilers, oven and heating furnaces, as well as a line of architectural iron. It seems to have been especially noteworthy for steam boiler fabrication, installation and maintenance. According to one authority, in 1889 Baker produced the first locomotive built in Los Angeles, designed by Milo's son Fred, vice president of the firm.
Another authority says Baker built horse cars and perhaps street cars for Los Angeles, Pasadena and other communities in the Los Angeles area and that they built some larger cars for the Santa Ana & Orange Motor Road in 1898. According to this authority, after Pacific Electric bought this line, the cars were revamped and continued in service until 1920. It is claimed that in the early 1890s, Street Railway Journal reportedly ranked Baker "among the principal car builders on the Pacific Coast."
In 1887, Baker constructed six street cars for the City & Central Street Railway.
According to an article in the 1 January 1890 issue of the Los Angeles Times, the Baker Works then occupied some 25000square feet and provided employment to 75 men. A large variety of manufacturing was being done. The foundry was making iron and brass castings to fit nearly all kinds of machinery for mining and milling purposes, besides pumping plants for large and small waterworks, and steam plants for all the variety of uses to which steam was put. They manufactured their own boilers. They were also manufacturing oil-boring tools and rigs, and constructing elevators—both passenger and freight—in all varieties: hydraulic steam or hand. It was claimed by the newspaper that Baker had installed nearly all the first class passenger elevators in Southern California. The article said they manufacture street-cars and did other railroad work to order and claimed to make the best gang plows and road and field rollers that could be obtained anywhere. They also installed heating and ventilating plants for public buildings, both steam, hot water and hot air. And they did architectural iron-work. Milo S. Baker was then president, J.E. Sills was vice-president and treasurer, and Fred L. Baker (Milo's son) was secretary and plant superintendent.
In 1891, Baker was awarded the contract to build the Santa Ana Water Works. In six months, for a total price of $58,000, Baker put in 9miles of street mains, sixty fire hydrants and gates valves, one reservoir 10*, build one fire-proof power house, two 60spell=inNaNspell=in boilers and brick stock, two 10x compound condensing engines of 2060000USgal capacity every 24 hours, All this complete and functioning: truly a "turn-key" operation.
After the turn of the 20th century, Baker seems to have specialized in steel fabrication and elevator building. Fred L. Baker headed the company as president after his father's death. Over the next 30 years they did the steel work and/or elevators for—among many others— Los Angeles' first skyscraper, the twelve-storey Union Trust Building, the Public Service Building, the Queen of Angels Hospital, the YWCA Hotel, the United Artists-California Petroleum Building, the University of California at Westwood, The Masonic Temple at Glendale, the Los Angeles-First National Bank at Glendale, the Los Angeles-First National Bank at Hollywood and the University of Redlands at Redlands.
Erection of the Hotel Alexandria from prefabricated materials.[203]
Fred L. Baker acted as president of the Los Angeles Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company. The keels for the first three ships hastily laid down in the yard in July 1917 were fabricated in the Baker Iron Works shops.[204]
Baker had a machine shop on North Broadway near Castelar street (34.064°N -118.2386°W).[205]