@@1adneumann It would be great if TH-cam had the option to put "music" and commentary on separate tracks and you could then have the option of turning off either, or even both.
Also fun fact. Some of the railcars you see have seen service since the near end of steam. Meaning some of these cars were dragged by DM&IR's massive 2-8-8-4 Yellowstone type steam engines from the mine to the sort yards. They had more tractive effort than Big Boy
@@SD457500 It would have been very cool if the orange trio had been together for this video. We still have 1 orange and 1 DMIR arrow here on the BLE, but the primary road power is CN stripe.
Taconite is indeed more dense than coal. The main reason they are stubby is because they are the same length as the spacing of the hatches on great lakes freighters.
When I was younger, I went here as part of a field trip at a rail camp Michigan tech did over the summer in Houghton Michigan We visited this exact ore dock and got to see it in action and it was freaking awesome, we even got to collect and keep some of the ruined iron ore pellets that were scattered all along the railroads right of way near the dock A Truly incredible piece of engineering, and a process that despite its age, is still one of the most effective ways to load ore onto a lake freighter
During Covid I was involved with the upgrade project at Neptune Bulk Terminal in North Vancouver (Allison Project). It was really neat to see how they managed rail volume in a relatively small amount of space. For those unawares, NBT is a coal and potash export terminal.
That B&LE SD-45 on the ore dock used to run between Conneaut, Oh and Bessemer, Pa. around 10 years ago. Now CN SD-70m's are in service. Those 20 cyl. 645's sure shook the ground when they went by the house!
Close, it's a former SD45T-2, rebuilt to SD40-3 specs. During the rebuilding process, it lost its V20, and had it replaced with a V16. :/ Having grown up around the WC, I am partial to SD45s, and love how they sound. Thanks for the comment, and watching!
Awesome video. Colorado has nothing on Minnesota with the beautiful colors of Autumn. Lake Superior is one not to mess with. Many lives been lost in her , many more to come.
I've driven under that bridge going out to the ore dock many times, but I never realized it was still in operation, I thought the trains were just taking it further south. I've also listened to these trains up on the iron range all night long for up to a week at a time sleeping in a tent. From when I was born until I was about 3 I live d next to freight tracks, so it puts me to sleep.
@SD457500 it was like having mini earthquakes every day. Well, until the democrats came in, they shut the mining down. I also got caught by the police playing underneath the ore docks as a kid, I remember. You can see my house in your video. I remember the train always honking its loud horn at us if we were outside playing to say hi. I know those ore docks like the back of my hand. You know what else made me think of these ore docks like 6 months ago. I was touring vietnam, and I was in Da nang, and our tour guide pointed out these unused bridges are from the American war. I thought holy shit. Their made from Iron so that material once past next my house. Let's say I didn't tell anyone on that tour that lol.
Another outstanding video - great shots, great editing, love the music too. You keep getting better SD457500! We were just up in Duluth staying at Pier B and I was desperate to walk over to the rails nearby because I could see "Hustle Muscle" and a couple other interesting engines there. Was not able this time but next time we are in Duluth will have to do it legit and get tickets and visit the engines properly! (I was hoping to just sneak across the road and shoot still shots from the fence!)
I truly appreciate the kind words, and GREAT to hear you enjoyed the video! You should go check out the Hustle Muscle when you're back up that way. That classic SD45 is sharp, and a great locomotive. The museum has so much to offer, and see. Thank you for watching! :D
Just imagine when they built that dock, all the trains were powered by steam locomotives,,,the construction of the docks themselves would have been a huge undertaking…again all done with steam power. Diesel engines were around but very much in their infancy.
i been the that ore dock ive worked on the miner. you really don't get size scale until your standing on or next to these. on the ship deck its a heck of a hick to get one end to the other. but guy does a good job trying to convey the size.
Is it weird that as soon as I saw the ship I knew this must be the great lakes? I don't know why but it seems like the ships that operate on the lakes just have their own look, different from what an ocean going freighter looks like.
O.o 900 is still in action, it was made just before i was born. had seen it a few times with the soo line on hwy 55 since i was little i thought it was an sd-70 for some reason it's look is the only reason i remember it because it was the first time i got to talk to the caboose crew it was leading out by my grandparents house on lake sarah while it was in the siding, had no idea it was a t3 version- SD40T-3
Glad you liked it, and the music! The song is actually from NoCopyrightSounds on TH-cam; they have WONDERFUL tracks. Here is the link, and more info is in my video description! th-cam.com/video/ymHZIhsDuH0/w-d-xo.html It is such a challenge to find, and use good music for a video on TH-cam. I appreciate the feedback.
Also. Taconite cars are specialized. There are a limited number. Needed to run from Duluth to the Range and back. Not that far, compared to distance from Hibbing to Gary.
Great footage, but I have to agree about the music a little bit too much. I’m subscribed and love your content . Don’t listen to haters , most haven’t done anything with themselves and only criticize people who get stuff done. Are the hopper cars 28’? It’s incredibly enjoyable watching the taconite drain .
Thanks a lot; this was fun to make, edit, and produce! I want to do more of these, but to make what next is the question... I have a video of CPKC replacing an entire mainline switch, and that's in process.
I have a question. When the empty cars are being pulled downhill, do all three engines need to be running, or to save fuel, can only one engine handle it?
Pretty amazing video. I've seen the south end of the process, unloading at the mills in Gary,In and Cleveland, OH. Used to see the taconite trains rolling along on the EJ&E, now CN. Depending on the harshness of winter
intereseting. the loud music between narration was a bit irritating, not at same VU as narration. Would have been neat to see the loading in action as well for a "complete" picture as it were. great work
I believe the other dock went out of service in the mid to late 1980s. Taconite in Superior comes off of the BNSF Railway, and originates on the Iron Range in MN. Thanks for watching!
@@SD457500 I worked in Ashland, Wi., in the early 80s after the docks closed. Crack on my boss was that it was his job to stare out the window and watch for the ships to return because he was useless at any other task. At any rate, I'd see the coal ships come to the power plant.
Those cars are in captive service, and really never in any sort of area that taggers could get to them. What makes it even more impressive is that those ore cars as from the 1940s/50s, and in original paint! Thanks for watching!
@@charlesburgoyne-probyn6044 You mean the cars? These are four axle, i.e. 8 wheels. Look at 2:12, for example. They look very short, because taconite is very heavy.
Four wheelers are not the standard here in Europe but you still see one on nearly every mixed train from DB Cargo between freight yards. But stil I would say without proof that 4 and 6 wheelers are more common. 6 for heavy loads like steel. There are also weird cars like 5 wheelers for car transport where essentially two cars are combined into one with a hard connection and one set of wheels in the middle and proper two sets on each end. @@charlesburgoyne-probyn6044
He says ore ship, I hear horse shit😅😂 might be my English ears😅 Edit: excellent mini documentary! Really well done. The only negative is that i want a 45 minute version😅
Please revise your narration to use vernacular that is a little more accurate: GREAT LAKES SAILORS and those people who worked there…either on the docks…..or on the railroad…..or people anywhere in the TWIN PORTS of DULUTH MN & SUPERIOR WI…..or in the Great Lakes area-at large-never referred to these vessels as ORE SHIPS…..they are always called ORE-BOATS….thank you for recording this history…..most people never get to see this up close because…..the work-areas are hazardous and the companies are sensitive to liability lawsuits from tourists and visitors who might be accidentally injured…..
Good question! For taconite, covering it doesn't really need to happen. The can also store it outside for months if needed, and the end product will still be ok to use at the steel mill. Thanks for watching!
Glad you enjoyed it! The trains are loaded at a few different mines on the Iron Range such as Minntac in Iron Mountain, MN. Once they get loaded, trains bring it down, and over to the ships for loading. Thanks for watching!
@SD457500 minntac is impressive! Some of highest quality iron ore in the world comes from there. I worked on furnaces up there. The rotary kilns along with the rest of the operation is very impressive!
Is there any change you’d be able to dig up as much information about the history of streator illinois coal mines. I’ve been researching it’s mines for years now and I would love to see someone make a video about it.
That appears to be correct. Capacity Per Wiki: Iron ore: 59,000 long tons (60,000 t) Coal: 63,300 long tons (64,300 t) Thanks for watching, and the comment!
There is some evidence that the fine fibers in taconite can have adverse health effects. It is suspected that it can cause conditions similar to those caused by asbestos, particularly asbestosis and mesothelioma. So I hope the workers and residents are safe.
From Scotland(maybe silly question)how does the taconite get delivered during winter when the lake freezes, awesome and informative video, truly captured the huge scale of this operation 🏴🇬🇧…
These ships pass through the Zoo Locks on the Michigan/Canadian border, and the locks close from Mid January to late March for maintenance. So, basically, the ships are offline only 10 weeks a year.
The ships have massive skis on them. As the lakes start to freeze, the ships are brought into drydocks. Once the lakes are totally frozen over, the ships are released from the drydocks, and use the skis to glide across the ice. Propulsion is from twin rubber belts (under the ship) like snowmobiles have, except they have tungsten studs imbedded in the rubber tracks. The rubber tracks are hydraulically controlled and kept in contact with the ice, with only enough pressure to maintain contact with the top 3" of ice. The ice chunks created as the ships are driven is picked up by a tender ship and a barge. The freshly made ice chunks are then bagged on the barges, and transported to different ice houses for sale to the consumer. The guy you see on the cart unlatching the railcars also lowers the belt drives on the ships.
I've seen Ore trains like This in Duluth when i first stayed at the hotel back in 2021 and it's called the best western when i first saw this ore train CN from the Hotel Room window and the hotel window inside thing did not work so had some pretty good shots for it
Are you talking about the all rail trains which ran in the early 2000s? If so, those were mainly former CNW cars, and I think those are all long gone. Thanks for watching!
That large boom on the ship is how it unloads. Once it gets to its end destination, it'll swing over, and use belts inside the ship to unload the cargo. Thanks for the comment, and watching!
Those are called “TRAPPING MACHINES” because they operate the (trap)-doors under each car….btw….the reason the ore-cars are so short is because they were designed to fit neatly over each “pocket” in the dock….to prevent spillover when they are dumping ore…..one ore-car per pocket dumped at a time…..and if memory serves….each dock pocket will hold (4) ore-cars to be completely full…..
That big boom that is swung off to the side. There is a conveyer in the bottom of the hold that carries the ore to a vertical belt and onto the unloading boom.
distance to destination and 1 of those ships can haul a lot more ore than that train can and its far cheaper to move it by ship then by train due to both volume and reduced amount of labor needed
Great video and narration but the soundtrack is very distracting and unpleasant - especially the heavily percussive noise. The sound of the rolling stock is much more interesting but there is nothing wrong with silence. I wanted to switch to closed captioning so that I could turn off the audio but it was disabled for some reason. Please reconsider the need for a soundtrack.
I'm finding it hard to choose what I like best in this video. The narration, the videography, or the epic guitar riff.
Glad you enjoyed it! It's always a challenge to find music that goes well with a video, but this seems to fit. Thanks for watching!
@@SD457500 I find it all fascinating, EXCEPT forn the obnoxiously loud corporate guitar music...There must be something more sublte and appropriate...
@@1adneumann It would be great if TH-cam had the option to put "music" and commentary on separate tracks and you could then have the option of turning off either, or even both.
Built in 1918 and still works like intended in 2024. Awesome engineering back then.
Was with an engineer in Park Point. He made a similar remark about the lift bridge.
@randywise5241 It's amazing how old the tech is, yet still vital to this very day! Thank you for watching!
Great video, nice to see the train side of the process, opening the hoppers and watching them empty, very cool.
Also fun fact. Some of the railcars you see have seen service since the near end of steam. Meaning some of these cars were dragged by DM&IR's massive 2-8-8-4 Yellowstone type steam engines from the mine to the sort yards. They had more tractive effort than Big Boy
Seeing that Milwaukee Road loco still being used is cool
Close! Its actually a B&LE locomotive which CN now owns. From a distance, it does appear to be Milw power. Thanks for the comment, and watching!
@@SD457500 It would have been very cool if the orange trio had been together for this video. We still have 1 orange and 1 DMIR arrow here on the BLE, but the primary road power is CN stripe.
Also an ex-Illinois central sd40
Those cars are ultra-stubby compared to coal cars because taconite is about three times denser than coal, which is what’s usually transported
Taconite is indeed more dense than coal. The main reason they are stubby is because they are the same length as the spacing of the hatches on great lakes freighters.
When I was younger, I went here as part of a field trip at a rail camp Michigan tech did over the summer in Houghton Michigan
We visited this exact ore dock and got to see it in action and it was freaking awesome, we even got to collect and keep some of the ruined iron ore pellets that were scattered all along the railroads right of way near the dock
A Truly incredible piece of engineering, and a process that despite its age, is still one of the most effective ways to load ore onto a lake freighter
Great video, I have always wondered what the unloading process looked like. Thanks for answering that for me.
During Covid I was involved with the upgrade project at Neptune Bulk Terminal in North Vancouver (Allison Project). It was really neat to see how they managed rail volume in a relatively small amount of space. For those unawares, NBT is a coal and potash export terminal.
I was a PCL PM at the time on both the Neptune and Fibreco teminals when they were doing some work, small world!
@@ScreamOG1It's crazy how compact those terminals are and still able to get things done.
Videos like those somewhat make me want to play Transport Tycoon Deluxe again :)
I remember that game, and loved playing it. Thanks for watching!
Very interesting! Clearly explained with the narration too. Thank you!
I work for Koppers railroad industry... We make the joints and I'm very proud to be part of this whole family
Very cool! It looks like it would be an interesting industry to be a part of, with SO many moving components involved.
Good video. Great to see engineering like that.
That B&LE SD-45 on the ore dock used to run between Conneaut, Oh and Bessemer, Pa. around 10 years ago. Now CN SD-70m's are in service. Those 20 cyl. 645's sure shook the ground when they went by the house!
Close, it's a former SD45T-2, rebuilt to SD40-3 specs. During the rebuilding process, it lost its V20, and had it replaced with a V16. :/ Having grown up around the WC, I am partial to SD45s, and love how they sound. Thanks for the comment, and watching!
That was a very interesting vid thank you!
Glad you enjoyed it, and thank you for watching!
That was awesome. Thank you
Glad you enjoyed it, and thank you for watching!
I used to work sitting in a tiny shack above the ship running the belts that fed coke into the cargo holds. Memorable times!
That sounds like a neat role, and I bet you've seen a lot of neat ships come and go over the years!
I always wondered what that bridge looking thing was for. Thanks for sharing!
Good to see those ex-SP tunnel motors are still hanging around.
Awesome video. Colorado has nothing on Minnesota with the beautiful colors of Autumn.
Lake Superior is one not to mess with. Many lives been lost in her , many more to come.
I've driven under that bridge going out to the ore dock many times, but I never realized it was still in operation, I thought the trains were just taking it further south.
I've also listened to these trains up on the iron range all night long for up to a week at a time sleeping in a tent. From when I was born until I was about 3 I live d next to freight tracks, so it puts me to sleep.
It's all good for me. To each his/her own taste.Thanks for the video.
Glad to hear you enjoyed it, and thanks for watching!
First time viewer. You capture some fantastic footage. The fall colors shot here is just gorgeous.
Thanks for the kind words, and glad you enjoyed the video! Thank you for watching!
I literally grew up a half block away from this ore dock.
Must have been neat growing up that close, and seeing all the ships come and go. Thanks for watching!
@SD457500 it was like having mini earthquakes every day. Well, until the democrats came in, they shut the mining down. I also got caught by the police playing underneath the ore docks as a kid, I remember. You can see my house in your video. I remember the train always honking its loud horn at us if we were outside playing to say hi. I know those ore docks like the back of my hand. You know what else made me think of these ore docks like 6 months ago. I was touring vietnam, and I was in Da nang, and our tour guide pointed out these unused bridges are from the American war. I thought holy shit. Their made from Iron so that material once past next my house. Let's say I didn't tell anyone on that tour that lol.
I’ve loaded that ship many times! That contraption is a trap machine! It uses hydraulic power to open and close the rail cars
Great video, thank you.
Glad you liked it, and thank you for watching!
The best video I've ever seen in my life! I can't decide which part is the best. I've seen this 3 times.😊😊😊😊😊
So cool...great drone footage..
Glad you enjoyed it, and thank you for the comment!
It must be 03:40 if I am watching this - it is, it's 03:40. Best show on at this time.
Very nice video.
Appreciate that, and thanks for watching!
great production value on this video!
Much appreciated, and glad you enjoyed it! This was a lot of fun to produce.
Woww,,,nice video❤❤❤ friends ❤
Really interesting, Thanks.
Glad you enjoyed it, and I appreciate the comment!
Great video. It would be interesting how long it takes to complete the entire cycle of loading.
Great suggestion, and something I'm working on. If all goes well, I'll have an unloading video made this summer too.
Great video! It's amazing to see such impressive engineering in action.
Another outstanding video - great shots, great editing, love the music too. You keep getting better SD457500! We were just up in Duluth staying at Pier B and I was desperate to walk over to the rails nearby because I could see "Hustle Muscle" and a couple other interesting engines there. Was not able this time but next time we are in Duluth will have to do it legit and get tickets and visit the engines properly! (I was hoping to just sneak across the road and shoot still shots from the fence!)
I truly appreciate the kind words, and GREAT to hear you enjoyed the video! You should go check out the Hustle Muscle when you're back up that way. That classic SD45 is sharp, and a great locomotive. The museum has so much to offer, and see. Thank you for watching! :D
Awesome mesabi miner
The ship is HUGE! Thanks for watching!
Just imagine when they built that dock, all the trains were powered by steam locomotives,,,the construction of the docks themselves would have been a huge undertaking…again all done with steam power. Diesel engines were around but very much in their infancy.
i been the that ore dock ive worked on the miner. you really don't get size scale until your standing on or next to these. on the ship deck its a heck of a hick to get one end to the other. but guy does a good job trying to convey the size.
Is it weird that as soon as I saw the ship I knew this must be the great lakes? I don't know why but it seems like the ships that operate on the lakes just have their own look, different from what an ocean going freighter looks like.
Gotta love the roar of those old EMDs
Very good!
Thanks for watching, and glad you enjoyed it!
All kept in good working condition thanks to Dylan Lee!
O.o 900 is still in action, it was made just before i was born. had seen it a few times with the soo line on hwy 55 since i was little i thought it was an sd-70 for some reason it's look is the only reason i remember it because it was the first time i got to talk to the caboose crew it was leading out by my grandparents house on lake sarah while it was in the siding, had no idea it was a t3 version- SD40T-3
If you're ever in the area, the port tour boat is well worth your time and money.
I'll have to try that out! I'm hoping to be back up there this weekend to drone the ships laid up. Thanks for the comment!
2:56 that guitar riff reminds me so much of Battle Arena Toshinden from the PS1 in the 90s. Did you write that? Is it available anywhere?
Glad you liked it, and the music! The song is actually from NoCopyrightSounds on TH-cam; they have WONDERFUL tracks. Here is the link, and more info is in my video description! th-cam.com/video/ymHZIhsDuH0/w-d-xo.html
It is such a challenge to find, and use good music for a video on TH-cam. I appreciate the feedback.
A very interesting video .Thank you . 🇬🇧
Awesome video! Thanks for the very informative video showing how that is all done.
Glad it was helpful, and that you enjoyed it. It is such a neat, and interesting operation!
Also. Taconite cars are specialized. There are a limited number. Needed to run from Duluth to the Range and back. Not that far, compared to distance from Hibbing to Gary.
You always have great stuff.
Thank you very much for the kind words! I am always trying to find new things to film, and trying new shooting styles.
Wonderful!
Great footage, but I have to agree about the music a little bit too much. I’m subscribed and love your content . Don’t listen to haters , most haven’t done anything with themselves and only criticize people who get stuff done. Are the hopper cars 28’? It’s incredibly enjoyable watching the taconite drain .
Thank you 🙂
This was more informational then my whole school experience
I've always seen that structure when going through Duluth to the north shore and wondered how it worked. Now I know.
Excellent video my friend! Love so much this drone footage
Thanks a lot; this was fun to make, edit, and produce! I want to do more of these, but to make what next is the question... I have a video of CPKC replacing an entire mainline switch, and that's in process.
It will be so cool to watch ;) Waiting for the new stuff patiently :)@@SD457500
Incredible! Liked and subscribed.
I have a question. When the empty cars are being pulled downhill, do all three engines need to be running, or to save fuel, can only one engine handle it?
Cool video! I’ve always wanted to see this!
Glad you enjoyed it! Definitely something one doesn't always see happening.
Shouldve painted the ship bright green and called it the Wasabi miner
Nicely done film. 👍🏻
Thx. Enjoyed.
great video, so informative.
Pretty amazing video. I've seen the south end of the process, unloading at the mills in Gary,In and Cleveland, OH. Used to see the taconite trains rolling along on the EJ&E, now CN. Depending on the harshness of winter
Its insane that all this infrastructure was built over a century ago
It truly is; the engineering is amazing, and more so that it is nearly 100 years old!
@@SD457500 Built in 1918, and this is 2024... So how is it 'nearly' 100 years old? You yanks and MATHS, not a great combination...
intereseting. the loud music between narration was a bit irritating, not at same VU as narration. Would have been neat to see the loading in action as well for a "complete" picture as it were. great work
My fave ship!!!
The Mesabi Miner is neat, classy, and a huge vessel! Glad you enjoyed it, and thank you for watching.
Thanks
Hope you enjoyed it, and thanks for watching!
👍💪 Nice video
Thanks for watching, and glad you enjoyed it!
@@SD457500 👍🙏❤️. Thank you for sharing
When was the second dock disabled? Where does the taconite come from that is loaded in Superior?
I believe the other dock went out of service in the mid to late 1980s. Taconite in Superior comes off of the BNSF Railway, and originates on the Iron Range in MN. Thanks for watching!
@@SD457500 I worked in Ashland, Wi., in the early 80s after the docks closed. Crack on my boss was that it was his job to stare out the window and watch for the ships to return because he was useless at any other task. At any rate, I'd see the coal ships come to the power plant.
Couldn't get through the music..
Yeah, that shit is annoying
Why is the music so loud. Would turn it down 3-4dB next time.
Very nice video. Very good at explaining it. gute Arbeit ( German for good job) :)
Many thanks, and great to hear that you enjoyed it. Nice German thrown in there too!
I didn’t see the taconite go from the cars to the ship. How did i miss that?
It's around the minute mark; when the booms are down, the belts are feeding it with loads.
The ore cars all empty really well, as they've had 100 years to get the process so well tuned, and it shows.
Couldn't help but notice the lack of tagging on those rail cars.
Interesting.
Those cars are in captive service, and really never in any sort of area that taggers could get to them. What makes it even more impressive is that those ore cars as from the 1940s/50s, and in original paint! Thanks for watching!
Four wheelers which are very rare in north America and somewhat rarer in Britain and Europe nowadays too.
@@charlesburgoyne-probyn6044 You mean the cars? These are four axle, i.e. 8 wheels. Look at 2:12, for example. They look very short, because taconite is very heavy.
Four wheelers are not the standard here in Europe but you still see one on nearly every mixed train from DB Cargo between freight yards. But stil I would say without proof that 4 and 6 wheelers are more common. 6 for heavy loads like steel. There are also weird cars like 5 wheelers for car transport where essentially two cars are combined into one with a hard connection and one set of wheels in the middle and proper two sets on each end. @@charlesburgoyne-probyn6044
He says ore ship, I hear horse shit😅😂 might be my English ears😅
Edit: excellent mini documentary! Really well done. The only negative is that i want a 45 minute version😅
Glad you enjoyed it!! I plan to make a more of these, but much longer in length!
Please revise your narration to use vernacular that is a little more accurate: GREAT LAKES SAILORS and those people who worked there…either on the docks…..or on the railroad…..or people anywhere in the TWIN PORTS of DULUTH MN & SUPERIOR WI…..or in the Great Lakes area-at large-never referred to these vessels as ORE SHIPS…..they are always called ORE-BOATS….thank you for recording this history…..most people never get to see this up close because…..the work-areas are hazardous and the companies are sensitive to liability lawsuits from tourists and visitors who might be accidentally injured…..
I don't see covers on the rail cars. How is the taconite kept dry from rain and snow?
Good question! For taconite, covering it doesn't really need to happen. The can also store it outside for months if needed, and the end product will still be ok to use at the steel mill. Thanks for watching!
No need it just a mixture of iron ore and bentonite clay that is baked
Would love to see 3 class 37s pulling that lot!
Where does the train get the ore, do they have their own mine? Love the video
Glad you enjoyed it! The trains are loaded at a few different mines on the Iron Range such as Minntac in Iron Mountain, MN. Once they get loaded, trains bring it down, and over to the ships for loading. Thanks for watching!
One of the largest iron mines in the world is in minnesota
@@williamkiheri8940 Sorry mate, not even close. They're all outside of USA. The best grade at +65% also.
@SD457500 minntac is impressive! Some of highest quality iron ore in the world comes from there. I worked on furnaces up there. The rotary kilns along with the rest of the operation is very impressive!
@bradmiller8361 That would be such a cool experience, and so cool to see!
Is there any change you’d be able to dig up as much information about the history of streator illinois coal mines. I’ve been researching it’s mines for years now and I would love to see someone make a video about it.
I think you're totally right
Cool video
The question is not how they're loading the vessel, but how they're get it out of there.
That's a video I'm hoping to make this spring! Thanks for watching.
I guess the other bridge ain't in use anymore? :c
And I believe that is 60,000 long tons (2240#/ton).
That appears to be correct. Capacity Per Wiki:
Iron ore: 59,000 long tons (60,000 t)
Coal: 63,300 long tons (64,300 t)
Thanks for watching, and the comment!
There is some evidence that the fine fibers in taconite can have adverse health effects. It is suspected that it can cause conditions similar to those caused by asbestos, particularly asbestosis and mesothelioma. So I hope the workers and residents are safe.
From Scotland(maybe silly question)how does the taconite get delivered during winter when the lake freezes, awesome and informative video, truly captured the huge scale of this operation 🏴🇬🇧…
The lake boats run nonstop all summer. Taconite that is not needed immediately is stockpiled at the mills for use in the winter.
These ships pass through the Zoo Locks on the Michigan/Canadian border, and the locks close from Mid January to late March for maintenance. So, basically, the ships are offline only 10 weeks a year.
Soo Locks. I hate auto complete lol
The ships have massive skis on them. As the lakes start to freeze, the ships are brought into drydocks. Once the lakes are totally frozen over, the ships are released from the drydocks, and use the skis to glide across the ice. Propulsion is from twin rubber belts (under the ship) like snowmobiles have, except they have tungsten studs imbedded in the rubber tracks. The rubber tracks are hydraulically controlled and kept in contact with the ice, with only enough pressure to maintain contact with the top 3" of ice. The ice chunks created as the ships are driven is picked up by a tender ship and a barge. The freshly made ice chunks are then bagged on the barges, and transported to different ice houses for sale to the consumer. The guy you see on the cart unlatching the railcars also lowers the belt drives on the ships.
@@coloradostrong8285glad you cleared that up for me…
I've seen Ore trains like This in Duluth when i first stayed at the hotel back in 2021 and it's called the best western when i first saw this ore train CN from the Hotel Room window and the hotel window inside thing did not work so had some pretty good shots for it
What type of locomotive is #900? (4:13)
SD40T-2 (Tunnel Motor)
I hear the ore cars from gladestone got sent of from MN
Are you talking about the all rail trains which ran in the early 2000s? If so, those were mainly former CNW cars, and I think those are all long gone. Thanks for watching!
@@SD457500 I was born in the UP and my dad work for the CN and he run some ore cars
How do they unload it from the ship?
That large boom on the ship is how it unloads. Once it gets to its end destination, it'll swing over, and use belts inside the ship to unload the cargo. Thanks for the comment, and watching!
What is that big brown chute?
Leading down to the boat? That is another way to load the ship if the belts don't work. Thanks for watching!
what are those small cars called that seem to be opening or closing the doors, how do they work
Those are called “TRAPPING MACHINES” because they operate the (trap)-doors under each car….btw….the reason the ore-cars are so short is because they were designed to fit neatly over each “pocket” in the dock….to prevent spillover when they are dumping ore…..one ore-car per pocket dumped at a time…..and if memory serves….each dock pocket will hold (4) ore-cars to be completely full…..
It's all about having a safe space a safe zone in a home
Yes, but my baby dolphin jumped out of the 55 gallon fish tank and now he's nowhere to be found.
how does unloading the ship work?
That big boom that is swung off to the side. There is a conveyer in the bottom of the hold that carries the ore to a vertical belt and onto the unloading boom.
Just wondering why loading on a ship and then unloading it is more efficient than taking the already loaded train to the final destination?
distance to destination and 1 of those ships can haul a lot more ore than that train can and its far cheaper to move it by ship then by train due to both volume and reduced amount of labor needed
Great video and narration but the soundtrack is very distracting and unpleasant - especially the heavily percussive noise. The sound of the rolling stock is much more interesting but there is nothing wrong with silence. I wanted to switch to closed captioning so that I could turn off the audio but it was disabled for some reason. Please reconsider the need for a soundtrack.
This was the original Port Automation, but to be fair it's mostly gravity doing all the work not machines
You forgot to mention number of cars in the train or amount of ore in each car. Important details. Good luck.