I hope they didn't leave someone in there after all of these years

actually I think what you are looking at is the pattern in the adhesive used to mount the tile to the wall in places where the tile has fallen off. The pattern is from a notched trowel used regulate the depth of the adhesive.

Thank God for Lynn-:) it is really great having someone around that knows this stuff first hand and it really adds to the pictures to understand how this stuff is used.

They are autotransformer dimmers for the lighting equipment= probaly WardLeondard or old Century Strand. The colors of the handles probaly indicate which colored circuits of a strip of lights over the stage they controlled. I began my theatre career using a similar dimming system- Now I make lots of money repairing and replacing these.

Same green tile I have in one of the bathrooms in my 50's era house.

I originally thought a conveyor as well since it goes between two different levels. On closer inspection however it looks like there are no remnants or signs of any rollers having been mounted between the rails. This would be necessary to deal with teh incline. I am more inclined now to believe that htis is a what is known as a Cable Tray. It would be used to run heavy electircal cables between two areas. Usually used as part of a renovation when it is to costly and not necessary to run large conduit.

Looks like it was last service in 96 so I would geuss Tom is right, a simple service call and you could be cranking out Studebakers.

I hope it was turned off as it would give you one hell of a "Splitting" headache if were to come down on you.

I think I figured out the balconies a few pics ago thanks to the before and after shot- to recap a large gantry crane appears to be no longer there is visible in the vintage pic. It could probaly travell the lenght of the room an tracks above the ceiling as well as move right and left. This means that it could pick up loads of raw materils from the incomeing train cars and deposit them directly onto the appropriate balcony for storage or use in production. Also could do the reverse op for assembled components.
Notice there are no two balconies stacked above each other. This allows all balconies to be serviced by the crane.
Any other ideas??

Now I understand what the balconies are for. It looks like the Gantry crane would pick up loads directly off the train cars and deposit them onto the appropriate balcones for quick movement into storage or production. Notice there are no two balconies stacked above one another.

I have seen the buckling happen in wood stage floors as well. The floors are built so tightly that when the wood gets wet it swells (like a dry sponge getting wet) and has no room to expand. Each block only swells up a little bit, but with so many blocks it adds up and they are foced to heave up.

Having worked for city and state institutions in the past I have discovered that the number of steps and amount of paperwork to sell something that is state or federal property often makes it more cost effective to just leave it behind. This is particullary true if the item is not almost brand new and latest model or something really hi dollar. This is probaly why you find so many wheel chairs left behind. It isn't worth spending 500 in labor adn admin costs to sell something worth under 100 on the used market.

Looks like the remnants of a turbine assembly.

I wonder where the rest of the stiles are.

It is interestng that the seats are still there. In most of these situations that is the first thing to get sold off.

IT makes sense that the admin building is in better shape as it was probaly the last building to be vacated

Sure beats some new mass produced monstrasety. It is amazing the level of craftsmanship in these buildings

This fixture may be part of an emergency lighting or safety circuit, in which case it is designed to always stay on. As long as there is power to the building it would be in operation. In responce to the question of longevity notice that it is a flourescent, which, particuallarly the type purchased for a large insttuion where cost is a factor, could be an extened life version.

So I geuss this means the utilites were all still turned on. That seems strange.

I can't believe how good a shape they appear to be in. I hope that at least one of these is saved for a musuem somewhere. While they do seem a little creepty to some these meant the difference between life and death for someone.

I think the bigger issue here is that most folks, myself included, would rather see them saved and preserved than smashed and rotted. It almost seems discrespectfull to all that passed through before to let them simply rot away

I was also thinking it was a ballroom and pherhaps a lecture hall of some sort.