Prototype Section

Heavy-Duty Coil Cars

Drawing and photo of heavy-duty coil cars at USS Fairfield Works, Birmingham, Alabama. [Photo by John G. Teichmoeller, November 1999]

Foundry at Birmingham, AL

A foundry near downtown Birmingham, Alabama. [July 30, 1996] I thought some of my fellow modelers in the Railroad Industry SIG (RRISIG) would like the scrap metal processing area and the piping. I can count at least four items that look like they came directly from the Walthers catalog, I'll let you guess what they are. [Give up? Here are the ANSWERS ...]

USS Fairfield Works - Blast Furnace #8

Blast furnace #8, the last structure of its type remaining at US Steel Corporation's Fairfield Works, Birmingham, AL. [July 28, 1996] Note the long charging conveyor which is used in lieu of a skip hoist. The local townsfolk proudly claim that this is "the largest blast furnace in North America."

USS Fairfield Works - Bottle Car Prep Facility

This structure photographed at US Steel Fairfield Works, Birmingham, AL [July 28, 1996] appears to be a maintenance building for hot metal cars. The continuous caster building looms in the background. Sure wish I could've gotten in on the other side of the fence...!

USS Fairfield Works - Basic Oxygen Process Building

More sights outside the fence at U S Steel Fairfield Works, Birmingham, AL [July 28, 1996]. Aside from its asymetry, the huge red structure in the background strongly resembles the Walthers Electric Furnace building. Note the inactive bottle car in the lower right corner.