Gabriel (Flickr, Website) who I know from Flickr wanted to take photos at the old Titan Tire complex. I wanted to do another visit anyway to get more shots of the “itsy bits.”
Gears and sprockets
This spiral staircase was awesome. If it wasn’t outrageously hot and humid I would have spent more time perfecting it.
My excellent planning skills selected one of the most unbearably uncomfortable weekends. I could barely see through my viewfinder anymore from all the sweat smeared on the glass. Enough is enough, back to A/C.
Buildings, Des Moines, Urban Exploration
This is the third and last post of this urban exploration series at Titan Distribution just outside of downtown Des Moines, IA.
Abandoned Warehouses
? This building was extra deteriorated.? There were warning signs stating that some of the machinery uses acid in the manufacturing process.? I have a feeling this is no coincidence.
? You can see the stairs on the ground to the right that were cut from the 2nd floor to keep people from going up there.
Buildings, Des Moines, Greatest Hits, Urban Exploration
This is the 2nd? in a series of? posts from urban exploration at this abandoned tire factory complex.? Now we start getting into the interesting stuff.
? Copy cat!
Scavengers have already stolen all the copper wiring to sell as scrap.
? Transformers, more than meets the eye.
? Opened water boiler
? The stairways to the top floor were cut with a welding torch.? The only way up is to climb the wall.
? Roof access through the doorway.
? Cops are here now!? Time to go assholes.
? Quality computer equipment
? Phone board, with paper towel holder mounted.
Poop room is this way
Welcome to Heartbreak Ridge.
Break room
Kitchen
Sexy collage to encourage usage of safety glasses.
Buildings, Des Moines, Graffiti, Greatest Hits, Urban Exploration
This is the first post in a series of a couple taken from the old abandoned Titan Tire location near the Des Moines River.? Titan primarily makes off-road, agricultural, and construction tires. ? Like other locations that have been abandoned by Titan, this one has been sitting for years.? Several sources have spoken of a chemical spill that occured here and has deterred prospective buyers.? One source claims that this site is finally changing hands and may find a use in the near future.?
The bottom two feet of all surrounding trees and brush have been cleared.? Apparently this is an attempt to destroy places to hide from the police.? Some of the buildings seemed to have similar features to help police enforce the complex when called upon.
? Very old? equipment for banding cartons and crates the old fashioned way.
The first few buildings we looked at were the most heavily covered in grafitti.
? Epic?? Must be a popular word these days.
? This made my day.? Graffiti of Master Shake and Meatwad from Aqua Teen Hunger Force on Adult Swim.
OMG, it’s OMK!
Every skeleton needs a bow in it’s hair!
Graffiti on graffiti?? “I eat babys.”? What’s your thing?
Buildings, Des Moines, Graffiti, Greatest Hits, Urban Exploration
On our way to the Southeast side of Des Moines
Titan Tire, patrolled by dogs.? Good thing I brought Scooby snacks and fried legs of lamb.
The abandoned Armstrong Tire facility of Des Moines, IA.? Apparently? this small plant was bought out by Titan then immediately shut down in 1994.? Titan Tire seems to have a history of shutting down competition.? In their eagerness to monopolize,? Quincy, Illinois based Titan? Wheel incurred a $130,000 fine? for breaking anti-trust laws.?
This facility apparently made tractor tires.? The large round brown item in the center of the photo is a mold for one of these, complete with branding to be indented in the melted rubber.
Very interesting machines.
Tire manufacturing
I had to risk bird feces to get this shot.? Directly overhead lives a group of birds inside the insulation between the rafters.? There was still a few more things I wanted to shoot, but we were kicked out by some generic security outfit that patrols Titan owned? properties.
Des Moines, Greatest Hits, Urban Exploration