Questions on Steel Mills and Rolling Mills

[Ed Kapuscinski]

I think so .. did they just repurpose the Belt Line locos?

They did at first, but I think they've actually picked up some of their own stuff now. I really need to go over there and check it out, but in the meantime, track down Andrew Ordun, he knows all about it.

[Ed Kapuscinski]

Timely new addition to Railpictures.net:

https://www.railpictures.net/photo/808376/

Looks like the plant road taking a bunch of coil cars from the warehouse to the interchange.

Also, some hot (literally) steel mill switching action in Pittsburgh.

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[Jesse6669]

The Union RR back in my hometown is a fascinating operation.  There are a couple spots near the Edgar Thompson Works where you can watch their operation plus the NS Pittsburgh Line from public property.  One word of warning if you venture to watch their operation:  the Union is VERY anti-trespasser--moreso than even the strictest Class 1s-- so be sure to stay on public property and be discreet.  Maybe things have changed in recent years but I kinda doubt it.

[Ike the BN Freak]

The Union RR back in my hometown is a fascinating operation.  There are a couple spots near the Edgar Thompson Works where you can watch their operation plus the NS Pittsburgh Line from public property.  One word of warning if you venture to watch their operation:  the Union is VERY anti-trespasser--moreso than even the strictest Class 1s-- so be sure to stay on public property and be discreet.  Maybe things have changed in recent years but I kinda doubt it.

Also good spots to view from Kennywood if you ride their train

[Rossford Yard]

Timely new addition to Railpictures.net:

https://www.railpictures.net/photo/808376/

Looks like the plant road taking a bunch of coil cars from the warehouse to the interchange.

That is the kind of action I am looking for.  I found the location on Google Earth but am still wondering where those coil cars came from.  I traced the tracks all the way back.  Only a few tracks going inside the big mills, but several small storage yards, one for flats and steel plates, one for coil, one for scrap, etc.  I think I need transloading of all of those inside a building, no?

[Ed Kapuscinski]

Are you looking at this spot?
https://www.google.com/maps/place/41%C2%B039'45.1%22N+87%C2%B025'37.3%22W/@41.662533,-87.4292237,615m/data=!3m2!1e3!4b1!4m14!1m7!3m6!1s0x8811bc3712ab828d:0x98301a46014d10b5!2sBurns+Harbor,+IN!3b1!8m2!3d41.6258708!4d-87.1333676!3m5!1s0x0:0x8eb9e929d1104baa!7e2!8m2!3d41.6625329!4d-87.4270349

[ai5629]

The Union Railroad is a line serving primarily the USS Mon Valley Works.  The Mon Valley Works (the last remaining USS PGH mill) consists of two parts.  The Edgar Thompson Works (Braddock, PA) is the hot end.  They produce steel slabs via blast furnaces, BOF and continuous caster that are shipped hot via the URR to the other part of the Mon Valley Works, which is the Irvin Works (West Mifflin, PA).  This is the rolling portion of the operation.  The slabs are reheated in soaking pits, and then rolled into coils.  I toured this operation in 1990 during the NMRA convention in Pittsburgh.  Frigging awesome to see in person.  The finished coils are loaded into coil cars and primarily interchanged with NS (CR/PC/PRR) at Kenny Yard in Whitaker, PA and CSX (CS/B&O) in North Versailles, PA.  USS security can be bastards even if you are watching from public roads.  I got harassed watching from a public road in 1994.  Third trick security calls first trick security to let them know I was taking pictures (at 0730 in morning).  First trick shows up and could care less and sent me on my way.

Jeff

[Rossford Yard]

The Union Railroad is a line serving primarily the USS Mon Valley Works.  The Mon Valley Works (the last remaining USS PGH mill) consists of two parts.  The Edgar Thompson Works (Braddock, PA) is the hot end.  They produce steel slabs via blast furnaces, BOF and continuous caster that are shipped hot via the URR to the other part of the Mon Valley Works, which is the Irvin Works (West Mifflin, PA).  This is the rolling portion of the operation.  The slabs are reheated in soaking pits, and then rolled into coils.  I toured this operation in 1990 during the NMRA convention in Pittsburgh.  Frigging awesome to see in person.  The finished coils are loaded into coil cars and primarily interchanged with NS (CR/PC/PRR) at Kenny Yard in Whitaker, PA and CSX (CS/B&O) in North Versailles, PA.  USS security can be bastards even if you are watching from public roads.  I got harassed watching from a public road in 1994.  Third trick security calls first trick security to let them know I was taking pictures (at 0730 in morning).  First trick shows up and could care less and sent me on my way.

Jeff

I checked the aerial photos and this looks like the ideal prototype to model, i.e., the cold mill without the blast furnaces, etc.  Cold steel plates in, coil cars out, although a mill might also do rails, pipes, etc.  An outside storage yard for the plates and coils, plus interior loading from the looks of it.

[Rossford Yard]

Are you looking at this spot?
https://www.google.com/maps/place/41%C2%B039'45.1%22N+87%C2%B025'37.3%22W/@41.662533,-87.4292237,615m/data=!3m2!1e3!4b1!4m14!1m7!3m6!1s0x8811bc3712ab828d:0x98301a46014d10b5!2sBurns+Harbor,+IN!3b1!8m2!3d41.6258708!4d-87.1333676!3m5!1s0x0:0x8eb9e929d1104baa!7e2!8m2!3d41.6625329!4d-87.4270349

Yes, I saw that one, and thanks.  It appears that the tracks that enter the rolling mill have a runaround track?  How would those be used? Pull out the loads and then push the empties in from the spare track?  The short stub end yards for cars in waiting are also perfect for modeling!

Given I model this area, I think the rust covered rolling mills and this type of operation would be ideal, if possible.

[John]

djstrains ( a csx engineer ) has a pretty good video collection on the Union RR on his youtube channel .. https://www.youtube.com/c/djstrains

[mu26aeh]

To piggyback off John, re djtrains,,  he is good friends with Steve Johnson who models the Union Railroad in HO scale.  He can be found on YouTube and various FB pages.  He's located in Frederick, MD

[Ed Kapuscinski]

To piggyback off John, re djtrains,,  he is good friends with Steve Johnson who models the Union Railroad in HO scale.  He can be found on YouTube and various FB pages.  He's located in Frederick, MD

DJ is also a really nice guy. I met him at the Altoona N Scale Weekend a few years back. Wouldn't be surprised to see him again this year.

[ai5629]

DJ is also a really nice guy. I met him at the Altoona N Scale Weekend a few years back. Wouldn't be surprised to see him again this year.

I went to high school with DJ.  He and I railfanned the URR and Conrail in the mid/late 80’s a few times.  I last saw him at a Greenberg Train Show maybe three years ago.  Same guy I remember from high school. 

Jeff

[mu26aeh]

Steve Johnson's Union Railroad.  Steve is a former CSX and Amtrak engineer.  While at CSX he ran on the Hanover Subdivision that I'm modeling, so I have a little extra pressure to make sure things are accurate.

[Ed Kapuscinski]

I went to high school with DJ.  He and I railfanned the URR and Conrail in the mid/late 80’s a few times.  I last saw him at a Greenberg Train Show maybe three years ago.  Same guy I remember from high school. 

Jeff

And now you can add him to your layout: https://www.miniprints.com/product/dj-of-djstrains/