coe_mining

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Coe Mining Co. - S Gauge Herald March 1966

First, I believe a little education on iron ore would be of assistance to us in planning and building this pike.
When the ore veins do not run too deep, iron ore is mined in open pits to lessen costs. Much of the material removed is merely sand with quantities of ore mixed in it. This is called lean ore. This type of ore must be beneficiated or separated into iron ore concentrates. The poor grades of ore must be hauled to a smelter or plant that beneficiates the ore. Some ore is high grade and can be used as it comes from the mine. This type is sent to a marshaling yard located near ore loading docks where experienced dispatchers sort the cars according to chemical analysis to make up boat cargos. Once loaded into ore boats, the ore is carried via the Great Lakes to the steel furnaces.
Perhaps you have often wondered why a small ore can can carry 75 tons. It is due to its ruggedness and the fact that iron ore is

extremely heavy when compared to coal. These diminuitive little cars also haul the ore from unloading facilities to the various steel mills and furnaces; thus you will see them on a number of railroads. The Coe Hill Mining Co., from the modelers point of view, is a switching operation. Ore cars are spotted at different points throughout the open pit mine, where they wait to be loaded by
one of the steam shovels working on various levels. Switcher locos then push the loaded cars to the top of the pit where they are left on stub tracks until there is a full train of cars to move to Havelock yards. At Havelock, trains are made up to transfer the ore either to a smelter or to the ore dock.
If this is used as a part of a larger railroad, a smelter can be located some distance away as well as the ore unloading dock with its big ore boat tied up alongside.
All switches are #4 unless otherwise marked. All curves are 24" radius

(minimum) except those marked differently. The Lionel Corporation makes a large crane or shovel which could be utilized in the open pit mine. Rex locos would be at home here as well as a 2-8-0 or diesel switcher. The different steel companies surely will accomodate you with plans for one of their lake steamers.
So I leave you to visualize this setting as belching smoke from hard working steamers and ore dust color the atmosphere. Steep grades are tackled by 0-6-0 switchers shoving heavily loaded ore cars back and forth through the switch backs. Out on the main a busy dispatcher threads long ore trains into sidings to let superior trains through and out on a long unloading pier, the streaked little hopper cars dump their contents into the waiting hold of a gigantic lake freighter. A vivid picture of one of America's vital industries served by the essential railroad ...its main artery.

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