can anyone tell what Iron Ore was hauled in the 1890's. Also what type of locomotives? Also what would be good models for these. i am interested in Michigan Iron Ore but appreciate Minnesota iron ore railroad information from 1890's
thanks
"Mess with the best, die like the rest" -U.S. Marine Corp
MINRail (Minessota Rail Transportaion Corp.) - "If they got rid of the weeds what would hold the rails down?"
And yes I am 17.
http://www.michiganrailroads.com/RRHX/Timeline/1900s/TimeLine1900.htm
now check this out, the main player
http://www.gniop.com/
Search engines are your friend.
The real railroad history
http://dssa.habitant.org/
Michigan iron ore tended to be harder rock requiring more work to make useable. One of the reasons the Mesabi iron range in Minnesota took so long to be discovered and opened to mining (compared to the Vermillion range up around Ely MN) was that people looking for the ore had all worked in the upper peninsula of Michigan, so expected "good" iron ore to be hard rock like in the U.P. "Hmmm....there must be good iron ore here somewhere, if we could just get past all this red dirt!" Turns out the red dirt was in fact high-grade iron ore, which could be scooped up and put directly into ore cars without needing to go through a crusher or beneficiator.
Look for info on Duluth South Shore and Atlantic. In the 90s they used 2-6-0 and 2-8-0 locos, I believe the ore cars were of wood construction. Also look for Lake Superior & Ishpeming, this line was started to compete with the DSS&A around 1900.
The Tichy wood ore cars would be appropriate.
Dave H. Painted side goes up. My website : wnbranch.com
The Milwaukee Road and C&NW both served iron mines in the U.P., eventually creating a joint operation similar to the NP-Soo joint operation in Minnesota's Cuyuna Range. The Soo also served the U.P., and was the only railroad to haul ore in both Minnesota and Michigan.
IIRC the very nice Tichy wood cars are based on an early Milwaukee Road prototype. The steel rectangular sided MDC/Roundhouse ore cars (now made by Athearn) are also Milwaukee Road cars. (I think the outside braced MDC cars were based on C&NW cars, but I'm not 100% sure.)
Michigan ore cars are / were a little narrower and taller than the cars used in Minnesota.