Anyone Else Have One of These: GM In Transit Card

[cericd]

I posted in another thread regarding original paperwork from these old trucks but I don't want to clutter that thread up with questions about this specific item. I've looked through the forum and can't find anyone else mentioning one of these. It's called a GM In Transit Card. There are threads about SPIDs, Warranty Cards & Protect-O Plates and Build Sheets but I've never seen another Transit Card mentioned. Anyone one else have one of these, know how they were used and if they were commonly given to the original purchaser of the truck? I know it's an old computer punch card but that's about it. I'd assume they would have existed for other GM models too.

['68OrangeSunshine]

I started junior college at LACC in 1969. To matriculate, you were handed a packet of such cards, you made inputs on them and turned them in. Then next day, they gave you fresh punch cards that were your ID. Then you went to each class you wanted and tried to get a card from the instructor. If they gave you a card for their class, you were in. If they were out of cards -- or didn't think you had the pre-reqs, no card. No card, no class. It was a nightmare getting the right card to the right admin pocket by the deadline...
A lot of people dropped out.
But you needed to get a Drop Card to do that.

No clue how GM used them.

[Keith Seymore]

Originally Posted by '68OrangeSunshine

I started junior college at LACC in 1969. To matriculate, you were handed a packet of such cards, you made inputs on them and turned them in. Then next day, they gave you fresh punch cards that were your ID. Then you went to each class you wanted and tried to get a card from the instructor. If they gave you a card for their class, you were in. If they were out of cards -- or didn't think you had the pre-reqs, no card. No card, no class. It was a nightmare getting the right card to the right admin pocket by the deadline...
A lot of people dropped out.
But you needed to get a Drop Card to do that.

No clue how GM used them.

I did too. We programmed in FORTRAN.

Better hope you did not drop that box of cards.

Originally Posted by cericd

I posted in another thread regarding original paperwork from these old trucks but I don't want to clutter that thread up with questions about this specific item. I've looked through the forum and can't find anyone else mentioning one of these. It's called a GM In Transit Card. There are threads about SPIDs, Warranty Cards & Protect-O Plates and Build Sheets but I've never seen another Transit Card mentioned. Anyone one else have one of these, know how they were used and if they were commonly given to the original purchaser of the truck? I know it's an old computer punch card but that's about it. I'd assume they would have existed for other GM models too.

I have never seen one of those before!

Wonder if it is assembly plant specific (meaning: location. Like used St Louis but not in Flint).

K

[cericd]

I'm not sure. According to my VIN my truck was built at the St Louis plant.

The card is packed away with my other literature right now but if I can get my hands on it I can post a better picture.

[dagnabbitt]

I've found a few mentions of these cards in other online forums. Most people seem to think that they were generated at the factory and followed the car around as it was built to order, and eventually, delivered to the dealer.

Here is one for a 1970 Buick, there is a factory copy and also a glove box copy.

https://classiccars.com/listings/vie...michigan-48381

[Keith Seymore]

Originally Posted by dagnabbitt

I've found a few mentions of these cards in other online forums. Most people seem to think that they were generated at the factory and followed the car around as it was built to order, and eventually, delivered to the dealer.

No - I am sure that is not the case. We had built sheets and build manifests to facilitate the actual build and this card doesn't have the necessary detail.

My guess is that is was generated after the build was complete, and is specific to just the shipping process. There was a separate building out back which facilitated moving the vehicle to the haul away lot or the railhead.

Other than driving the red truck over to the shipping building when it was done I never really got involved in that. Once the truck(s) left the assembly line I was done with them.

K

These are all vehicles that are "complete" but either need repair of some kind or need to be moved to the shipping area:

[Keith Seymore]

and here is the rail yard.

All the areas in red would have vehicles parked in them, and then the blue area is where they would be loaded onto trains. The photo above was taken at the SW corner of the "L" shape, looking to the NE.

So you can see where there would need to be some sort of controls over just the shipping of the vehicle specifically.

K

[Keith Seymore]

A bit off topic, but seeing that overhead view has reminded me of this:

The first 300 Corvettes were built in Flint on the far northeast corner of this property, before production was moved to St Louis for the 1954 model year.

There was a small brick building known as the "GM Assembly Research Center" (GMARC). The facility was used for prototype builds, slow builds of vehicles on mocked up assembly lines, and training. Most of the Engineering/Assembly liaison personnel had their offices in that building (although they were never there, because they were usually away launching product at the various plants).

So while it is widely known about these first 300 cars, what is perhaps not as well known is that the build did not take place in the assembly plant proper but in this small remote location.

The building remained standing until just recently, when it was torn down to make room for more parking.

K

[Rust_never_sleeps]

"Return to Data Processing" in case your deck of cards blows across the train yard and buggers your inventory tracking system ;-)

[Keith Seymore]

Originally Posted by Rust_never_sleeps

"Return to Data Processing" in case your deck of cards blows across the train yard and buggers your inventory tracking system ;-)

Good eye.

I see the card in the original post says "Return to Traffic Only" which is the naming convention I am familiar with.

We had a "Traffic Office" that managed such things.

K

[Bob B.]

Originally Posted by Keith Seymore

A bit off topic, but seeing that overhead view has reminded me of this:

The first 300 Corvettes were built in Flint on the far northeast corner of this property, before production was moved to St Louis for the 1954 model year.

There was a small brick building known as the "GM Assembly Research Center" (GMARC). The facility was used for prototype builds, slow builds of vehicles on mocked up assembly lines, and training. Most of the Engineering/Assembly liaison personnel had their offices in that building (although they were never there, because they were usually away launching product at the various plants).

So while it is widely known about these first 300 cars, what is perhaps not as well known is that the build did not take place in the assembly plant proper but in this small remote location.

The building remained standing until just recently, when it was torn down to make room for more parking.

K

Thanks, I really enjoy your plant stories!

[cericd]

Found my lits. Here is a better pic of the card.

[Rust_never_sleeps]

Found this film. Looks like it's a little later, when paper tape was a shiny new technology(with copious stacks of printouts) and had mostly replaced cards. Covers some of the logistics of train transport though.
Whether they were still putting cards in the cars isn't shown.
https://youtu.be/jTtcPxSag50