what kind of motive power would be best for a small iron ore railroad? since the trains are fairly heavy and new motive power is too exspensive what would they roster?
I know the Iron ore railroad up in upper Mich uses old BN loco they have about 70 of them they bought them off the. Railroad before the santa fe merged with the Bn they also use a couple of Wisconsin central locos. It’s on the movie rails though the north country which is a very good movie to watch
6-motor power to be sure. DM&IR was virtually all SD9’s at one point, and now has mostly rebuilt SD’s of various types. LS&I has ex-BN U30C’s and C30-7’s, which replaced an Alco-dominated roster of RSD12’s and RSD15’s, among others.
ok thanks guys.
The Cartier bought 12 AC4400CW back in 2001 and the QNS&L also has some Dash 9s.
http://www.trainweb.org/rosters/QNSL.html
There is a iron ore railroad in Silver Bay along lake Superior called the NorthShore Mining company. Its about 70 miles in all and they mostly have SD40-3’s and a couple SDM’s. They also have a couple swicthers around. Both are NW2’s
The DMIR uses SD40-3’s (SD45T-2’s) SD38-2’s, SD38’s and some rebuilt SD9 and SD18’s, called SDM’s.
Railfan619, the railroad you are speaking of is the Lake Superior and Ispheming, and it uses former Burlington Northern C30-7’s.
The WC used SD45’s, C&NW used SD38-2’s among other things, As James said, Northshore Mining uses SD40-3’s (not tunnel motors)
The LTV Steel Company ran F9’s, S-12’s and RS11’s until their death in 2001.
The UP also ran SD50 and 60’s.
Any more questions just ask me.
As you can see, most iron ore RR’s run either rebuilt, or older power.
And before that the CNW used C-628’s . The famous 6700s !!!
Randy
Wait a minute! Doesn’t or didn’t Erie Mining have a fleet of F9’s they use? If using steam lots of small drivers - 2-8-0, 2-10-0, 0-10-0 and articulateds. Steam lasted a long time to help thaw iron ore in the winter at the docks.
What’s an SD40-3?
An SD40-3 in DM&IR terms are rebuilt SD45T-2’s and a couple rebuilt SD45-2’s.
Also, C&NW never used SD38-2’s in ore service. All of C&NW’s 10 SD38-2’s were assigned to Proviso Yard hump duty and transfer service in the Chicago area. In Michigan ore service C&NW (diesel era) used F units at first. The next notable group used were the Baby Trainmasters (Fairbanks Morse H16-66’s) followed by the Alcos, C628’s in ore a general frieght service and the remaining 4 axle Alcos in general freight service. After the retirement of the Alcos, C&NW assigned mostly EMD 6 axle loco to ore service (SD40-2’s, SD50’s and SD60’s). GP7’s and SD18’s would frequently switch the ore yard in Escanaba and turn up in general freight service with the SD’s.
On all-rail ore trains from the DM&IR (trains to Geneva Steel in Geneva, Utah and winter trains to the Gary Works mostly) C&NW would use SD’s and later the C40-8’s, C42-8’s. I never heard of any AC4400’s or C44-9W’s being used in ore service during C&NW days with the exception of a few C44-9W’s being tested in Michigan ore service for a short time during 1994.
LTV Steel is the same thing as Erie.
I coulda sworn the C&NW used SD38-2’s…ahhhhhhhh well
In later years CNW used C40-8’s, C41 and C42-8’s for Iron Ore.
Thanks for helping me COBORN35 out on that one I had a little bit of a brain frezee when I was writing on this topic earlier.
You definitly need to find a copy of MICHIGAN ORE LINES, distributed by PENTREX. The best showing of 1st generation ALCO’S in my opinion. LONG LIVE THE ALCO!![bow]
Lake Superior & Ishpeming RR in Marquette, MI uses ex-BN U-23C’s and U-30C’s
Sure you don’t mean ex-BN U30C’s and C30-7’s?
Sorry, forgot about the C30’s… LS & I does own (or at least did own at one time) a U-23C as well… I won’t swear that particular unit was ex-BN… http://www.RRPictureArchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=128275
While LS&I was generally known as an Alco operator in the 1980’s with 8 RSD12’s and 6 RSD15’s, it also had 5 U23C’s (2300-2304) and 2 U25C’s (2500-2501) which were purchased new by LS&I.
The Pilbara ore haulers in Australia have always used 6-motor power.