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I just recently visited the Sloss blast furnaces in Birmingham, AL, and was so fascinated by it that I'm changing my n scale layout to include some iron mining / steelworking industry. What was especially interesting was the close proximity of all the components needed to make steel in this area of the country.  Each blast furnace here in Birmingham (late 19th to early 20th century) owned its own coal mines, iron mines, and limestone quaries, most of which were less than 20 miles apart!  They had some old maps at the furnaces that showed a neat "industrial loop railroad" with numerous trestles and cuts that connected the dozens of mines and iron mills together.  And all of this was located withen the current greater city limits of Birmingham! In fact, you can still find traces of some of the iron mines and coke furnaces in the woods right beside the suburbs and highways.  As for the Sloss furnaces, they  are the only  20th century furnaces still in existence in North America and have been preserved as they operated in the early to mid 20th century as a historical landmark, as well as a concert venue under the the old iron casting shed with one of the massive blast furnaces behind the stage.  It is an awesome sight , at least for those of us who enjoy such things. (My wife was less than thrilled to walk around the place with me for 3 hours and promptly headed for the air conditioned gift shop)   
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