[drh4683]

Yes,

The plant at 4245 N. Knox was the original Rauland Tube plant. The plant is still there and is about 100 feet away from me as I type this on my break. Its owned by Dan Howard now, and insurance firm, and the building still looks exactly the same. There is a book from 1955 called "The Zenith story" and has pictures of the old plants around chicago, all of which still exist to this day. The company I work for moved to our new location at 4155 N. Knox back in october of '04, right next to the original rauland tube plant and across the street from the Admrial TV plant that just burnt to the ground last spring. The "ADMIRAL" boiler stack is the only thing that survived! The Admiral plant had an elevated walkway that crossed knox ave from the west plant to the east plant. The east plant was demolished for our new head office. We moved from 4455 W. Montrose, so it was only a couple blocks away. So I actually work at what was once property of the Admiral TV plant. The elevated train tracks are still there and very rarely do freights come down it anymore.

Also, to the new member, thanks for joining the forum. its great to hear that you worked for Zenith. Please tell what it was like durring the time you worked there. What was the difference between austin plant and dickens as far as what was produced? What did they build at the kostner ave plant? When you worked on the 20X1C38 chassis, was this production error corrections, or was this a service department? You probably recognize my avatar. The zenith water tower is still there at the dickens plant!

Im surprized zenith didnt want to keep the plant air conditioned. Ive spoken to a few ex Motorola employees and they enjoyed working for Motorola at the Grand Ave TV plant in Franklin Park, as it was always air conditioned and they played music over the PA throughout the plant for the assembly workers.