Pittsburgh Steel Mills

[Utley26]

Sorry for another Pittsburgh question, I'm thinking about modeling that area and I'm weighing some options.

What railroads were the main suppliers of coal and iron ore to the Pittsburgh steel mills in the 1940's?  Was there one RR that was predominant? 

Thanks

[cefinkjr]

P&LE brought iron ore from Ashtabula, OH (via NYC from Ashtabula to Youngstown), B&O brought iron ore from Cleveland, PRR brought iron ore from Cleveland, and B&LE brought iron ore from Conneaut, OH.  All of this ore was from the Missabe area via lake ore boats.

All of these railroads delivered coal from various mines tapping the Pittsburgh Seam...8 to 12 feet of the best metallurgical (as opposed to steam) coal in the world.  The larger steel companies also operated fleets of tow boats bringing coal down the Monongahela River from company-owned mines in southern Pennsylvania and northern West Virginia.

And don't forget to supply your model steel mills with lots of limestone (flux to capture and float impurities off the molten steel).  All of the railroads brought limestone from various loading points in Ohio, West Virginia, and probably Maryland and Virginia.  I don't recall ever seeing limestone moved by barge but it wouldn't surprise me if some came up the Ohio that way.