7.02.2007

Molson Brewery 3

This is the third exploration into the former Molson brewery in Barrie.
For the first two adventures, look here and here.

From Left to Right in the Pipe Gallery -
CrossFire, JFK and yours truly.
UrbEx Barrie's very own JuicyFruitKisses and our good friend CrossFire from UEKW were in attendance today, both of whom had expressed a deep desire to explore the brewery. Having already put two explorations through a limited portion of the facility, one may suggest that perhaps I start an Urban Exploration adventure tour company.

I have already thought of that but could not think of a creative way to describe the nature of my illegal trespassing business within the business license application. Anyway, its always a pleasure to socially interact with other explorers , pick up on useful tips and perhaps find something very interesting overlooked previously.

Here, JFK, like a ghostly apparition, flows down the hallway to the boiler room.

Portions of the facility not previously explored that were covered today included the barley storage silos and the dimly-lit basement housing various process equipment.




JFK hamming it up for the camera.
Apparently there may a 'un-natural' gas hazard present in this room.




I am always fascinated by gauges, levers, pulleys, and dials at an industrial abandonment. I visually attempt to recreate the manufacturing processes by following the process piping and studying any labels still attached to equipment.

I could not determine what this lever did but if I were the process engineer, I would have it spring a trap door in the lobby.


From the boiler room area, stairs led down into an absolute blackness. This is the moment where I remember that I wanted to pick up an LED flashlight and chuck my little mag-lite out. Fully descended, we discover that the basement is basked an eerie glow from fluorescent tube lighting in. This room has not seen anyone from the maintenance department for quite some time.


Highlights of this exploration for Crossfire and JuicyFruitKisses were definitely discovering evidence of the former marijuana grow operation. Watering and fertilizing schedules were scrawled on the converted brew vats.



Not the best shot to say the least but my only one showing our exploration of the barley silos. There are three rows of four silos, all connected via passageways to allow access to the drain valving. As the thick walls provide structural support for the silos above, the doorways resembled those on a battle ship or submarine. Very nautical, without the smell of seamen.




In this large room is where I imagine where the bottling equipment may have been installed. All has now been removed by the contractors working on decommissioning the facility and preparing for the ethanol operation.
With no handrails, aggressive pigeons, open holes and a good drop from this second floor catwalk, this is no place for a complacent explorer.



One could almost hear the equipment rust in the boiler room here. Again, my interest is captured by the valves, pulleys and chains.

It is my wish that one of these days, I find an operational pneumatic tube system in a building to send rotten eggs to an unsuspecting explorer in the next room.


Reception on this old television was quite terrible . . . curious. There are quite a few TVs of all sorts, sizes and ages in these two or three adjoining rooms.









As I mentioned, this is my third trip to the brewery. You may have noticed that we have already posted shots very similar to these previously. I just can't help myself, I had to take another set.









A lonely bus seat near the boiler room, removed from its vehicle still parked in the bay.
Another shot of the 'pipe gallery' in the boiler room.

2 comments:

jannx said...

Nice photodoc C6. I've put a couple of shots up on my blog also Air33 has too. Its definitely worth another vist. We spent half a day and ran out of light! I know there is more to do there! TTYS, Jannx

http://www.ntropy.us/jannx/pblog/

Unknown said...

Hey, I don't know if you will get this, but I was going by the old plant on Barrie Transit heading up to the Walmart in Molsons. I saw that they finally tore down the WHOLE plant. I died a little inside when I saw that. You are truly lucky to be able to go inside that. What I would have giving to see that. And I thought I was crazy to think that anyone else share dmy fascination on exploring old buildings.

CopySix, here's a heads up. This spring/summer, Walmart in Molsons will be shutting it's doors for good after they re-open the then Superstore on Bayfield. I think that would be a little gem for you to look into after it shuts down.

OMG, what I would do just to go down to Detroit and explore there, an UrbEx best wet dream. If anyone is going there, better act soon. They gonna be bulldozing half of that city down, shrinking the city limits back down what it was in the early 1900's and turning all that bulldozed land back into farmland. It' a $300 million project that Detroit is going to do in order just to survive.

Thanks for letting me live my fascination of what places were, through you guys.