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Exploring Ford's Detroit Powerhouse - Abandoned After Tragic Explosion

The Proper People

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In this episode, we're venturing inside the original powerhouse of Ford's famous River Rouge factory. It opened in 1921 and provided power for the entire facility until a tragic boiler explosion occurred in 1999. From that day on, the wrecked building sat untouched for 25 years. Now, join us as we venture inside and discover the incredible and historic machinery that remains within.

Interview with a survivor of the explosion:
Ford Motor Company Rouge Power House Explo...

Historic footage sources:
Trip Through The River Rouge Plant
The Rouge (1960s)

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20 Comments

@fuzzymoto420 1 year ago

take notes kids this is real exploring no vandalism no theft no tagging purely "taking nothing but pictures and leave nothing but footprints" well done gents

@jasondavey1686 1 year ago

These guys are literally doing a public service by documenting these historic places before they are gone and forgotten forever.

Take nothing but memories, and leave nothing but footprints.

@b3motorsports796 1 year ago

The control room and control boards were saved and are currently in storage at the Henry Ford Museum.

@jalopyjustin 1 year ago

My Grandpa worked at Ford Rouge on the number 3 boiler. Were you are standing @8:43 is where he worked. On that tragic day in 1999, he was fortunately running late to work when the explosion happened. Thanks for showing it off before they demo it.

@rockychelle6362 1 year ago

My brother worked in the powerhouse for many years. He retired from Ford after 40 years in 2019. He was on medical leave for a few weeks when the fire happened. He knew all the employees that died and says he surely would’ve been one of them and he been there. So tragic.

@squibrail4014 1 year ago

I've never watched your channel before. You guys seem to know how to be safe. I don't care if someone calls it trespassing, you are preserving history. Ford Motor Company could have made this video, but they didn't. No harm. No foul. History preserved. Good video guys.

@PANZER1979 1 year ago

An old friend of mine lost his dad in that accident. He was unfortunately one of the 6 to perish in that tragedy. While nothing can replace your father, I will say Ford really stepped up to help those families out.

@wood4278 1 year ago

I worked at Ford Motor Company for 32 years...Retired and miss building those Foxbody Mustangs work was so much fun

@sccherbatsky 1 year ago (edited)

To add some encouragement on top of what is in the video, I so highly recommend everyone watch the video of the interview with the survivor of the explosion after you watch this explore. Every bit of it is worth watching, and what Mr. Moran experienced is tragic and incredible. But in particular I found one thing to be amazing: the guys stop at #3 boiler and also dip into a "protective area" right afterwards that turns out to be a break room. Upon first watch, I was interested in looking at the booth outside, the control panels, and then looking at the cool old designs on the vending machines in the break room. After watching the interview (and some before-explosion footage of the same area of the plant) you'll have a new appreciation for this portion of the explore. What an incredible thing to stand in those spots so many years after the accident.

@josephelden4573 1 year ago

9/19/73 was the first day I walked over the famous overpass on Miller Rd. to report for work. There were 47,000 people just in the rank and file. The next day an older gentleman told me it was easier to come in Gate 10 as I worked in the Stamping Plant. In 1999 I was on the shop floor when the lights went out. They went out North to South and yes, the floor moved under our feet.
I retired 4/1/2020.

@Der8cho 1 year ago

I was a steam boiler operator for a decade. 600 pound super heated steam is no joke. Every day I wondered if it would be my last. Thankfully, I now have a safer career.

@AndreasViklundOfficial 1 year ago

I'm just a nobody, one of your 1,5 million subscribers, but I'd still like to say "Thanks!" for sharing your experiences. I really appreciate the calm, careful and respectful way you explore different places. No drama and no staged shots, just handheld cameras. Keep it up, and greetings from northern Sweden!

@JamesCameron1 1 year ago

Fun fact: that freezer in the break room saved a mans life.

@449er 1 year ago

As a retired pipefitter, I can appreciate this video more than most people, thanks!

@jcolby7177 1 year ago

My dad worked there was a millwright and was out fishing the day of the explosion, he got home and called in to see if they needed help and they let him come in to help assess the situation.

@brosch91 1 year ago

Gone, but not forgotten. Thanks for documenting this place before it was demolished! As a life-long Michigan resident, I love seeing anybody putting in the effort to preserve the rich history of Detroit. Sad that a lot of people look at Detroit today and they see what it is today. But it wasn't always that way, it used to be the place to live if you wanted a well paying job that didn't require a college degree. When my family came here from Poland 3-4 generations back, sometime before the establishment of the Second Polish Republic. they originally landed in Pennsylvania, but they eventually moved to Detroit because of the great job opportunities during the roaring 20s.

@WhipsDos 1 year ago

I love these powerplant videos, its what first got me into this channel almost 9 years ago now. Those double decker turbines are insane! Truly a pillar of American Industry

@tcc187620 1 year ago

The explosion in '99 was tremendous in size. I worked for Operating Engineer's #324 and helped with the cleaning up of the aftermath. I'll never forget coming across the marked places where the bodies were finally located.
~ 12 Block Tokie ~
Detroit Michigan