Do any of you guys have ore operations? I do, LS&I in UP of Michigan, and was just wanted some feed back on a few things, mabe ideas you have on things you may or maynot have done. ~Chris
Well yes and no. Where I live we've got the Duluth Missabe & Iron Range (well, now it's Canadian National but we won't talk about that ok?). Myself, I've got enough DM&IR ore cars and locomotives to choke a horse. It was my original intent to build a nice ore dock scene on my layout. I even have 2 Walthers ore docks, but they sit unassembled in their boxes in the closet. The truth is that I won't get to building the ore dock module on this layout as I originally intended. We'll be moving out of the house in the next year which means I'll have to tear the layout down. No sense now in putting in major work into something I really won't be able to salvage. I'm just going to save it for my next layout wich will be bigger, better, and it will have ore docks (I hope). HO scale model railroad layout located at the Duluth train museum. This layout has some ore operations and an ore dock: http://www.boche.net/trains/duluthfeb2003/ DSC00967-DSC00982 There's also a few pictures here: http://www.boche.net/trains/duluthaug2003/index_2.htm
My dad has ore operations on his layout. Right now I am in the process of making 36 ore cars for him painted in his railroad's scheme. I will post some pics when they are done, if you like. One Interesting thing I did for my dad is that most of his layout is 54" off the ore. His harbor is 42" off the floor. He wanted to be able to get down the the harbor to load barges, spot a grain elevator for export grain and to run limestone trains and ore trains from bulk storage like the DMIR does. In order to do this I build him a helix. Part of the exposed tack goes under the the ore dock approach. I do have a picture of this if you are interested. Don't know if this helps but this is my experience with ore operations.
Know the Los Angeles Model Railroad Society has an operating ore dock. The link to their site is: http://www.lamrs.org/ No Pix of the ore dock though.
awsome, thanks for the site info, ill check it out. If you have anyother pics , Alaska, you would like to share that would be sweet. Jason if you would be intrested in selling anything also let me know. Cajon, thats a nice layout, are the ore cars BNSF, or UP?
Here is a picture of the helix below the ore dock approach. The harbor below serves a rail barge, grain elevator, and ore bulk storage. A short local crosses over the tunnel that gives access to the harbor below. Off to the right will be an oil refinery.
just a few pics of my layout Lead to my new yard South side of town- looking down the tracks by the depot and water tower North side of town North side of town with 591 switching the industries and the morning ore train making it's way to Eagle Mills with emptys South side of town with morning ore again ex-CSX B30-7 waiting to be painted LS&I I still have to finish my down town and do a ton more details
Here is a picture of my dad's Christmas present. I took a little liberty in the model. The X-16 does not have the arrowhead. The X-19 does. The X-16 is much closer to the Walthers kit so I combined the two. My dad doesn't care so I didn't either, this time.
The ore dock area has come far since I last saw it! I think it was still in planning stages last I was there.
