General Discussion

 Does anyone know when the planned US Steel Dimensional train that will run from Nanticoke, ON to it's Hamilton, ON operations will operate?  Apparently it is to consist of two bottle cars and 2 ex Stelco SW 900 yard engines along with several loaded grain hoppers as idlers.  Rail America (SORR) will build the train and make the move along the Hagersville Sub and CN"s Dundas Sub.

This operation sounds a lot like the bottle train operated for Interlake Steel since at least the mid-1960's and still in operation serving Mittal Steel's Riverdale facility.  I would assume that this will probably be a regular operation.

 This is definitely a one time move.  US Steel in Nanticoke, Ontario is currently shutdown due to a labor dispute, while US Steel's plant in Hamilton, Ontario has just resumed to full production.  Of course when the Lake Erie Work's in Nanticoke resumes production, we could see a similar move back that way.

I am totally amazed that the idler cars are loaded grain hoppers.  Why in havens name would they do that?  The temperature around those cars is terrific so you would not want a car loaded with grain next to one. Empty gondolas or hoppers are used as idler cars to spread the weight of the train not loaded cars.  Wonder what "GENIUS" came up with this brght idea.

The bottle cars will be empty.  And they probably weigh close to 350,000 lbs empty.  Idlers are needed to spread the weight over several bridges, etc.  A Rail America Trainman told me that last year when they did a similar move, they used loaded scarp gondolas for idlers but this time apparently there are none readily available, hence the use of loaded grain hoppers. 

 After recently talking with a Rail America (SORR) employee, apparently this special move has already been completed.  The train consisted of two Rail America road units, followed  2 former Stelco SW switchers dead in tow.  Loaded grain cars were used as idlers which  separated each of the 2 empty bottle cars. ( 2 Stelco engines + 5 loaded grain + empty bottle + 5 loaded grain + empty bottle + 5 loaded grain).

The train traveled from US Steel's Lake Erie Works in Nanticoke, Ontario to  US Steel's Hamilton Works in Hamilton, Ontario.  The empty bottle cars and Stelco locomotives will be put in service at Hamilton Works as the plant is apparently quite busy right now.

Last year when they did a similar move, there were several pictures posted on RP.net documenting this move.  I am little shocked that no one from that site posted any pictures of this recent move, when considering it was done in daylight.

5 loaded grain for spacers. Strange.

About two weeks ago I had to marshal 2 320,000 lbs generators. The DimNotice stated spacing the loads out by 1 car < 268,000 lbs. Since most loads are at least 268k, I put empties in as spacers (CYA).

The reason for the special marshaling was for bridges. The combined weight of the cars together, both sitting on/moving over a bridge at the same time, might be too much for some bridges to support.

 Since the trip would have to use the CN mainline (Dundas Sub) to reach Hamilton Works, CN stated they wanted 5 loads in between each bottle car.  Since Rail America (SORR) was putting the train together, I was told the only loads readily available were loaded grain cars.  Loaded scrap gondola's were not yet available at US Steel, because at that time they were just preparing to resume production again.

 Took a month, but I finally found a picture on the Internet documenting this special move.

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=296600&nseq=8

 US Steel locomotives dead in tow a next to the road power and the bottle cars are farther back in the train separated by idlers (empty grain cars).