I am surprised that the workers on deck are not wearing a filter mask. I would not want to be breathing all that coal dusk. Great video, amazing process.
Thank you. I'm glad you enjoyed it. I thought the same thing about masks. There is a lot of coal dust floating around and no one is wearing any protection. I did a previous video on grain being unloaded and the deck workers had masks on. I was surprised it wasn't the same here.
Growing up we had a cottage on Lake Erie in Huron which is just east of Sandusky. We would fish in the Huron river and one of these loaders was located there. When a ship was being loaded, I would wander over there and just watch, I thought this was the neatest thing in the world. There was also a pair of Hulett unloaders there never got tired of watching these machines at work.
I had no idea this place existed. That looks so interesting. Thank you very much for sharing. I'm definitely going to try to make it up there at some point.
Great shot @39:31 shows the shuttle changing gauge using a narrower gauge down hill to get under the loaded coal car than a wider gauge to jump up behind said car to push it. Very cool 👍👍👍 P.S. looks like a model railroad with UBER detail :)
Nice video. The chute operate in handling the coal. It's stoker coal, he is handling the coal so it doesn't break up. He works the chute so that the coal is not drop directly on the cargo hole. He works off a pile in the cargo hole. The cargo hole is lined with teflon material so that the coal or different cargos doesn't stick in the hole. They have vibrators under the cargo hole.
Thanks for all the great information! I (and I'm sure others who read it) really appreciate it. Out of curiosity, do you know what the benefit is to keeping the coal in the larger chunks?
That's really cool. The power exerted in the process doesn't come into focus in this 90 year old operation but it sure was well designed. Thanks for a great look at it all in a well done video.
Every video is masterful. I often joke to my family I wish I could make a tiny apartment or bubble nearby some of the places you highlight to just watch all day.
@@nkyrailfan As someone who used to create before, I know how thankless it can seem or be. I don't know if people realize the level of effort you are putting forth here for the free (to us, other than we who also pay for RUclips) content. It really is a labor of love, it doesn't pay what it should.
I think NS refers to the narrow gauge “loco” as a “Barney”. They use them at Lamberts Point coal pier in Norfolk, Va., and I’m pretty sure Barney is an old N&W term. I worked in NS, actually Southern Railway-then NS, Mechanical for 41 years, and as part of the safety program during NS years, we were required to read a rule from the rule book(s) before the start of work each shift. The rule each day was mandated by upper management, and there was/is a section of rules on working in “Barney Yards”. Since we were located in the middle of NC, everyone would get pissed about reading rules about an operation that we didn’t have! When I left in 2020, all the safety meetings had been scrapped under the ruthless crush of PSR railroading! Great video here!
I'm glad you enjoyed the video. So, the Barney is the electric pusher that spots the cars before they go up the hill? Thank you for sharing. Do you know if those are the power rails between the tracks for it? I hear PSR crushed just about everything except the profits for the shareholders.
@@nkyrailfan That’s right! I don’t know about what powers it though. I was surprised by how slow of an operation this is! Really makes you appreciate these power plants with rotary dump sheds that are served by unit coal trains with rotary couplers that don’t even have to be uncoupled to dump!
@tomt9543 I'm curious if the facility has its own electric substation for the amount of current it's pulling. I can't imagine a standard power line could deliver enough juice to the site. I'm curious if they've upgraded the motors to AC instead of DC power.
Barney have been used since 1846 on the Mauch Chunk Switchback Railway ,but dont know where the term originated.Since mules were utilized prior to mechanization maybe its a term referencing them?
Thank you very much. I'm glad you enjoyed it. Unfortunately, Cedar Point is about 2.5 miles from the dock, so I had to use the worst low-light camera on my drone. If I'm back up here at night again I may go to a different spot and try to get a better view and better video quality.
@@nkyrailfan I'd recommend Battery Park Marina for that. Closer and public access, unless you have an "in" with somebody with waterfront property on First Street or the Chaussee.
I will take a good guess here, the Railyard workers have 12 hour shifts, the boat crew works until the hatches are full, and go to 4-6 hour watches while underway.
Greetings from the United States. I'm glad to hear you enjoyed the video and how the process works. I have two other videos of the facility that go into a little more detail on the process if you're interested.
You so such a great job documenting this coal pier. Along with your videos documenting that loadout facility in Illinois(?), you have the entire process down. You just need to go to the coalfields of southern West Virginia and document where the real action is. hehe
Might be worth looking at the Toledo CSX operation sometime. I remember the old unloaders in the 1960's unloading by dropping the bottom out of the cars and 'throwing' the cargo - might have been grain - but man it made a racket when it hit the bottom of the ship. I think the newer ones like this are a lot more gentle.
I'm working on a video showing the CSX coal dock and a separate one showing the iron ore receiving dock. They're both pretty fascinating (at least to me). The coal facility features a newer style loader.
Thank you very much. I really do appreciate it. I had the same thought. I need to remember to get some pictures while I'm filming. I think there were some great pictures I missed.
Sandusky dock loads coal, not coke. Also, the "overlapping sheets'" lining the cargo hold are low-friction sheets of some sort of tough plastic; they're pretty thick but wear out and have to be replaced regularly. Having them in smaller segments like that makes it easier to replace only what's worn out and not having to do the whole hold at once, which would be a dockyard job. The trains are cut at the NS staging yard on the southwest side of Sandusky; taking a full train across West Monroe Street into the dock would have people madder than they already are when they're stuck behind slow coal train on West Monroe.
Thanks for the great info! I really do appreciate it That makes sense regarding the overlapping sheets. And I figured the cars were brought over in smaller sections, rather than being split on the coal pier. I bet those drivers get pretty frustrated with the coal trains.
Very Interesting Process. Our (U.S.A.) Country is Living a Pipe Dream if they “think” that Wind and Solar are going to Replace Coal in our Lifetime. 🤪👎
You asked about the shift change/people seeming to come and go due to delays. They have this factored into the equation already, shifts sometimes overlap making it seem like more people than usual are there. Also most things are automated now, back in the 80's this place was crawling with people and a delay could be a serious problem. Ship looks a bit on the rough side but she keeps steaming. As for the dust control that is almost mutually afforded coal moves not anything else. Run into sprayers on all the time here in the powder river basin. I don't live in Ohio anymore but i have family that does, and some work at the docks and others for NS. I have run around this yard a few time. Also coke and coal transport differently. Coke is generally cremated near the facility that will be using it. Since this is low speed they probably turned off to save. You want to see what spraying saves you from take a gander at films about coal contamination along rail lines they are mostly sprayed if a train is going to go above 25mph out here we get triple digit heat and nearly 0 humidity so no matter the speed they have to. (check BNSF line) There have been many lawsuits filed here from the coal dust coming off. They even take you out and show you and it increases the chance of fire spread as it follows a fuel source. This train probably wasn't creating much dust and from what I saw that most likely why you see no masks. Since it is mostly automated they don't have a ton of people with direct exposure, also the ones who mine this stuff. I got a few of those back east and black lung was a thing till some people were replaced by machines. If you would like more information feel free to ask. I am retired now. Also simply go ask the foreman or a worker or contact someone at the NS hump yard in Bellevue and they will help you.
Thanks for the fantastic information! I (and I'm sure others) really do appreciate you taking the time to share it all. I would have loved to see this facility when it was fully staffed.
@@nkyrailfan have to take you back to the early 80's and you would need some serious connections like I had at the time. I had and still have many. I went military instead of railroading but i can still drive any rig you give me. I payed attention to my aunt's and uncles. I learned. Last engine i was in was BNSF though and that is primarily what we see here in the powder river basin along with UP. Very little foreign power here. We still get the occasional feromex, or another rental gig. I loved the Pocahontas line, even got to ride other lines however never made it west of the Mississippi till i left home. I still have my safety vests and have kept most of my gear and people are constantly trying to get me to sell. I have and original 1st edition of the lighted switch stand, the keys and lock for that. I have log books from well in the 50's some of them in perfect condition. I have my uncles contract when NW became NS, and NS absorbed Conrail. I would spend my week working and the weekends on the Toledo SUB or in the Bellevue yard. I even got paid and I have kept those check stubs. They didn't worry so much back then and now days you couldn't get near any of it. I met real hobo's and listened track-side to their tales. I go out here in Wyoming and run the Sd70mac's hauling coal but other than that I am retired. I made it a point to ride every railroad that's existed so now that they are all merged it's easy. I live in the Black Hills of Western South Dakota now after spending 25yrs in the military. We have the DM&E and the Black Hills Central 1880's trains. Its fun. My brother works for Montana Rail Link, and I have a sister that works for the Florida East Coast and Sun Trirail. I did the math i have 25 relatives that work for railroads east to west. It was my pleasure to help you with all of this but remember the best information is the stuff you ask. So go ask them. 9 out of 10 times they will give you the grand tour. Amtrak is the only one i don't care much for. Their staff is rude, ride as a passenger is uncomfortable and it's still something you pay way to much for. It is now almost as expensive as plane trip. I sent your channel's name up to my uncle yard master for NS although he doesn't go in the yard that often anymore. I told him to expect questions if he settles in on your pages. Tell him Bobby sent you. He is out of Atlanta but he knows far more ways to get you the info you might require. Till next time, keep them on the high Iron.
What a fascinating operation. Having been involved in the coal business in the UK I am interested to see the dust supression measures; here in summer in particular, I faced constant problems; the Environmental Authorites who wanted to the coal heaps to be sprayed with water to keep down dust whist the Trading Standards Authorities objected to it because it falsely increased the weight of the coal being sold. And then the EA objected to the presence of coal dust slurry in the drains. Happy days!
That had to be very fascinating to be involved in the coal trade. As for our dust suppression measures, I don't think weight has much impact on the transport. Because coal is comparatively light to other commodities, the additional water weight has a negligible impact if at all. I believe the rail cars are capable of carrying more weight than the coal+water would be able to create. As for environmental impact, we have plenty of towns that object to the open-air transport because everything near the rail lines gets dusted with coal every time a train comes through.
@bentrail I use a DJI Mavic 3 Pro. It's expensive but is the best drone I've ever flown. It has three cameras on it and is very stable, even in stronger winds. Two of the three cameras do pretty well at night too.
We do run coke cars i believe we are one of the few that can run coke cars.. The work schedule is 7am to 7pm then 7pm to 7am depending boat schedule an ground storage. 8hr shift 7 330
Thanks for the great information. Out of curiosity, what do the crews do when there's no ship to load or coal to unload onto the farm or when the shipping shuts down for winter layup?
That was coke loading not coal into that vessel. This dock does both but rarely stores the coke on the storage yard. You can differentiate the difference between the two by the large light grey colour pieces of the coke compared to the dark black dirt looking coal. I used this dock to premix my purchased coal in the three concrete silos plus I would purchase coke which was shipped to this dock to load into CSL vessels which the company I worked at used for making iron. 6:51
I believe that their loaded front to back, because it balances the ship. The bow of the ship is lighter when unloaded because all the ships machinery is aft and the bow rides high.
That's interesting. I did notice the bow was riding higher than the aft section. Although the last time I was here, the ship was moved back and forth to load the front and then back. I wonder if the newer ships have better ballast control and that's why they're able to load like this compared to an older ship which may have a stricter weight tolerance that crews must follow while loading.
@skylergordon3935 that's a good point. I did notice in the footage, even though the front was mostly loaded, the rear of the ship was still a few feet lower in the water.
I wonder 2 things. 1. Are the hatchcovers interchangeable between differing hatches into the hold or are they specific to the hatches. 2. How did you build a repore with the CSL Corp and NSCorp to be able to drone and film this operation?
I'm not sure, but I believe the hatch covers are interchangeable. I'll have to try and look closer at the next ship I film. As for the companies and crews, I'm flying off their property in public airspace, so I don't need permission to fly. The FAA treats drones just like a helicopter. So, anywhere a helicopter can fly, I'm able to as well. I do try to stay back and use my zoom rather than getting too up close and personal with the things I film.
Lol, that would be funny. I'd feel terrible though. I wish there was a way to contact the workers at these places and tell them I'm just some guy who enjoys this stuff and likes to record it. I've done that with some train crews but not any of the ship videos.
if they're spraying it down it's coal not coke coke doesn't have the dust of coal!! a ship like that it's at least a 12 hour loading job most likely 18 hour to 24 hour dock time for loading out!! and bandwagon that's new one to me i've heard it called the billy goat and rams head before!! and front to back loading ain't too much of an issue for these tubs it's more the side to side loading that could tip it off to one side and cause it to roll over and capsize!! up there i can't say but the barge docks in Portsmouth it's normally a full pull into the docks and it cut up there!! you're amazed by what the car mover can do i'll tell ya as far as any rail movement goes considering the wheel. rail contact area is about the size of a dime it;s amazing anything gets moved at all!
Thanks for the information. That makes sense about spraying it down if it's coal and not if it's coke. When I checked prior similar sized vessel loading times at the dock, the most recent ones were in the 9-12 hour range. The term bandwagon came from a worker at the facility. He told me they called it a bandwagon.
I hauled coke for a few years it’s a dirty nasty job. Coke has just as much dust as coal they both need sprayed down. The dust from coke is called breeze. It is needed to produce coke. They mix it in with the coal as it goes into the ovens to bake. Very interesting process.
@@nkyrailfan I wonder if "bandwagon" is a Sandusky-ism. Sanduskians have their unique terms for many things. For example, there are two or three underpasses by which main north-south streets go under the Norfolk Southern main line (Columbus and Tiffin avenues and I think one other ... Camp Street, maybe?). Sanduskians of a certain age call these underpasses "subways." A retired teacher used to give us he11 at the newspaper whenever we used the term in stories.
@@humanbeingmaybe2890 all the coke i've seen looks like cinders or lava rock out of a propane grill and didn't have anything resembling dust in it what i saw was more sand than dust i'd say it was most like sandblasting media than anything!!
It very well may be a "Sanduskyism." It's interesting though, the term bandwagon was mentioned by a commenter in another video on the coal dock. He said he worked there. However, the term Barney seems to mean different things to different people To some, they call the "bandwagon" a Barney. But to others the Barney is the electric pusher locomotive. It's interesting how these things develop locally/regionally.
You are correct. The ship will reposition itself when a cargo hatch is full. It uses winches on board and mooring lines to pull itself back and forth into position under the loader.
I'm not sure, but I agree, all the ships I've recorded so far look fairly battered and bruised. Most folks say the damage mainly comes from going through the locks and dams, but some does come from docks like this.
I use the DJI Mavic 3 Pro. It is by far the best drone I've ever used. It features three cameras on for a wide (1X), medium (3X) and tight (7X) point of view.
That entire area should be considered a historical landmark. That is to this day still an engineering marvel the way that whole thing operates.
I am surprised that the workers on deck are not wearing a filter mask. I would not want to be breathing all that coal dusk. Great video, amazing process.
Thank you.
I'm glad you enjoyed it.
I thought the same thing about masks.
There is a lot of coal dust floating around and no one is wearing any protection.
I did a previous video on grain being unloaded and the deck workers had masks on.
I was surprised it wasn't the same here.
Growing up we had a cottage on Lake Erie in Huron which is just east of Sandusky. We would fish in the Huron river and one of these loaders was located there. When a ship was being loaded, I would wander over there and just watch, I thought this was the neatest thing in the world. There was also a pair of Hulett unloaders there never got tired of watching these machines at work.
This video rurned out great. The bright lights they used highlighted everything perfectly! Great work.
Thank you very much!
I really appreciate it.
If only other places were lit as well.
The car dumper at the Carrie Furnaces National Historic Landmark is very similar to this one and is available to be seen during tours of the site.
I had no idea this place existed.
That looks so interesting.
Thank you very much for sharing.
I'm definitely going to try to make it up there at some point.
This is one of the very best film productions of industry in motion I've ever seen. Absolutely STELLAR work...Thank You for posting! New sub
Thank you very much.
I really do appreciate it.
I'm very glad to hear you're enjoying the videos.
Video looked great! I liked the nighttime shots, the lighting does make it very interesting.
Great shot @39:31 shows the shuttle changing gauge using a narrower gauge down hill to get under the loaded coal car than a wider gauge to jump up behind said car to push it. Very cool 👍👍👍
P.S. looks like a model railroad with UBER detail :)
I don’t know why, but this sort of thing captures my interest. Thanks for explaining things and staying on top of the action. You did great.
Thank you very much.
I really do appreciate it.
Great video, amazing shots. Dawn and dusk are special times for photography, thanks for posting.
Thank you very much.
I'm glad you enjoyed it.
That's wild. Yea the dusk timing w the plants lights on looked really cool!
Great coverage of this facility. Thanks for your efforts and fine narration.
Thank you very much.
I really do appreciate it.
I'm very glad you enjoyed the video.
The reason they start loading from the bow is to prevent damage to the rudders and propeller because the stern is the heaviest part of the ship.
Thanks for the great info.
I do appreciate it.
Nice video. The chute operate in handling the coal. It's stoker coal, he is handling the coal so it doesn't break up. He works the chute so that the coal is not drop directly on the cargo hole. He works off a pile in the cargo hole. The cargo hole is lined with teflon material so that the coal or different cargos doesn't stick in the hole. They have vibrators under the cargo hole.
Thanks for all the great information!
I (and I'm sure others who read it) really appreciate it.
Out of curiosity, do you know what the benefit is to keeping the coal in the larger chunks?
Excellent video. Perfect angles and coverage. Really good narration too.
Thank you very much.
I'm really glad you enjoyed the video.
Thank you for a wonderful video.
I believe that they are loading Coke as it is musher greyer than coal.
Denis from Australia
Greetings from the United States.
I'm very glad to hear you enjoyed the video.
I thought it was coal too.
Very cool video. Keep up the great work.
That's really cool. The power exerted in the process doesn't come into focus in this 90 year old operation but it sure was well designed. Thanks for a great look at it all in a well done video.
Every video is masterful. I often joke to my family I wish I could make a tiny apartment or bubble nearby some of the places you highlight to just watch all day.
Thank you very much.
I'm glad to hear you enjoy the videos.
@@nkyrailfan As someone who used to create before, I know how thankless it can seem or be. I don't know if people realize the level of effort you are putting forth here for the free (to us, other than we who also pay for RUclips) content. It really is a labor of love, it doesn't pay what it should.
I think NS refers to the narrow gauge “loco” as a “Barney”. They use them at Lamberts Point coal pier in Norfolk, Va., and I’m pretty sure Barney is an old N&W term. I worked in NS, actually Southern Railway-then NS, Mechanical for 41 years, and as part of the safety program during NS years, we were required to read a rule from the rule book(s) before the start of work each shift. The rule each day was mandated by upper management, and there was/is a section of rules on working in “Barney Yards”. Since we were located in the middle of NC, everyone would get pissed about reading rules about an operation that we didn’t have! When I left in 2020, all the safety meetings had been scrapped under the ruthless crush of PSR railroading! Great video here!
I'm glad you enjoyed the video.
So, the Barney is the electric pusher that spots the cars before they go up the hill?
Thank you for sharing.
Do you know if those are the power rails between the tracks for it?
I hear PSR crushed just about everything except the profits for the shareholders.
@@nkyrailfan That’s right! I don’t know about what powers it though. I was surprised by how slow of an operation this is! Really makes you appreciate these power plants with rotary dump sheds that are served by unit coal trains with rotary couplers that don’t even have to be uncoupled to dump!
@tomt9543 I'm curious if the facility has its own electric substation for the amount of current it's pulling.
I can't imagine a standard power line could deliver enough juice to the site.
I'm curious if they've upgraded the motors to AC instead of DC power.
@@nkyrailfan I’m sure they buy their power from a utility. The motors that operate the loader are AC for sure, but not sure about the Barney.
Barney have been used since 1846 on the Mauch Chunk Switchback Railway ,but dont know where the term originated.Since mules were utilized prior to mechanization maybe its a term referencing them?
Wow the night video is something else to watch! Beautiful!!! I would have liked to see a clearer shot of Cedar Point though. Thanks for the videos.
Thank you very much.
I'm glad you enjoyed it.
Unfortunately, Cedar Point is about 2.5 miles from the dock, so I had to use the worst low-light camera on my drone.
If I'm back up here at night again I may go to a different spot and try to get a better view and better video quality.
@@nkyrailfan I'd recommend Battery Park Marina for that. Closer and public access, unless you have an "in" with somebody with waterfront property on First Street or the Chaussee.
@Donleecartoons I'll definitely check it out the next time I'm in the area.
Thanks for the recommendation.
I will take a good guess here, the Railyard workers have 12 hour shifts, the boat crew works until the hatches are full, and go to 4-6 hour watches while underway.
Thanks for the info
That makes sense for the different shifts.
Fantastic video, very enjoyable. Thanks for sharing. Dave
Extremly fascinated how all this working together Greets from Germany
Greetings from the United States.
I'm glad to hear you enjoyed the video and how the process works.
I have two other videos of the facility that go into a little more detail on the process if you're interested.
You could not have done that better, amazing video!
Thank you so much.
I really do appreciate it.
Thank you for this very informative video.
Thank you very much, Sheila.
I'm glad you enjoyed it.
Hi NKY Railfan & it's is Randy and i like yours video is Cool & Thanks NKY Railfan & Friends Randy
Hey Randy!
I'm glad you like the videos.
Thanks for checking them out.
You so such a great job documenting this coal pier. Along with your videos documenting that loadout facility in Illinois(?), you have the entire process down. You just need to go to the coalfields of southern West Virginia and document where the real action is. hehe
Thank you so much, I really do appreciate it.
I plan on getting to the WVa or PA coal fields at some point and catching a train loading.
@@nkyrailfan Please do, to make the picture complete.
Fantastic video, great job.
Thank you very much.
I really do appreciate it.
Great closeup action!
Glad to hear you liked it, Paul.
Might just be your best vid yet.
Thank you very much.
I was really happy with how it turned out
Might be worth looking at the Toledo CSX operation sometime. I remember the old unloaders in the 1960's unloading by dropping the bottom out of the cars and 'throwing' the cargo - might have been grain - but man it made a racket when it hit the bottom of the ship. I think the newer ones like this are a lot more gentle.
I'm working on a video showing the CSX coal dock and a separate one showing the iron ore receiving dock.
They're both pretty fascinating (at least to me).
The coal facility features a newer style loader.
Great video, probably one of the best. Some of the views would make really great enlarged photos.
Thank you very much.
I really do appreciate it.
I had the same thought.
I need to remember to get some pictures while I'm filming.
I think there were some great pictures I missed.
Sandusky dock loads coal, not coke. Also, the "overlapping sheets'" lining the cargo hold are low-friction sheets of some sort of tough plastic; they're pretty thick but wear out and have to be replaced regularly. Having them in smaller segments like that makes it easier to replace only what's worn out and not having to do the whole hold at once, which would be a dockyard job.
The trains are cut at the NS staging yard on the southwest side of Sandusky; taking a full train across West Monroe Street into the dock would have people madder than they already are when they're stuck behind slow coal train on West Monroe.
Thanks for the great info!
I really do appreciate it
That makes sense regarding the overlapping sheets.
And I figured the cars were brought over in smaller sections, rather than being split on the coal pier.
I bet those drivers get pretty frustrated with the coal trains.
That is coke,
Big reason it’s going straight from car to boat. Ground storage adds to the deterioration of the product.
Sandusky loads coke, I've personally taken coke trains there. Originates out of Sun Coke at Haverhill, OH.
I learned something too. About the coke trains.
That literally is coke they are loading the video.
Great video!
Thank you.
I'm glad you enjoyed it.
Very Interesting Process. Our (U.S.A.) Country is Living a Pipe Dream if they “think” that Wind and Solar are going to Replace Coal in our Lifetime. 🤪👎
WOW, this facility was designed and built in the 1930s!!
You asked about the shift change/people seeming to come and go due to delays. They have this factored into the equation already, shifts sometimes overlap making it seem like more people than usual are there. Also most things are automated now, back in the 80's this place was crawling with people and a delay could be a serious problem. Ship looks a bit on the rough side but she keeps steaming. As for the dust control that is almost mutually afforded coal moves not anything else. Run into sprayers on all the time here in the powder river basin. I don't live in Ohio anymore but i have family that does, and some work at the docks and others for NS. I have run around this yard a few time. Also coke and coal transport differently. Coke is generally cremated near the facility that will be using it. Since this is low speed they probably turned off to save. You want to see what spraying saves you from take a gander at films about coal contamination along rail lines they are mostly sprayed if a train is going to go above 25mph out here we get triple digit heat and nearly 0 humidity so no matter the speed they have to. (check BNSF line) There have been many lawsuits filed here from the coal dust coming off. They even take you out and show you and it increases the chance of fire spread as it follows a fuel source. This train probably wasn't creating much dust and from what I saw that most likely why you see no masks. Since it is mostly automated they don't have a ton of people with direct exposure, also the ones who mine this stuff. I got a few of those back east and black lung was a thing till some people were replaced by machines. If you would like more information feel free to ask. I am retired now. Also simply go ask the foreman or a worker or contact someone at the NS hump yard in Bellevue and they will help you.
Thanks for the fantastic information!
I (and I'm sure others) really do appreciate you taking the time to share it all.
I would have loved to see this facility when it was fully staffed.
@@nkyrailfan have to take you back to the early 80's and you would need some serious connections like I had at the time. I had and still have many. I went military instead of railroading but i can still drive any rig you give me. I payed attention to my aunt's and uncles. I learned. Last engine i was in was BNSF though and that is primarily what we see here in the powder river basin along with UP. Very little foreign power here. We still get the occasional feromex, or another rental gig. I loved the Pocahontas line, even got to ride other lines however never made it west of the Mississippi till i left home. I still have my safety vests and have kept most of my gear and people are constantly trying to get me to sell. I have and original 1st edition of the lighted switch stand, the keys and lock for that. I have log books from well in the 50's some of them in perfect condition. I have my uncles contract when NW became NS, and NS absorbed Conrail. I would spend my week working and the weekends on the Toledo SUB or in the Bellevue yard. I even got paid and I have kept those check stubs. They didn't worry so much back then and now days you couldn't get near any of it. I met real hobo's and listened track-side to their tales. I go out here in Wyoming and run the Sd70mac's hauling coal but other than that I am retired. I made it a point to ride every railroad that's existed so now that they are all merged it's easy. I live in the Black Hills of Western South Dakota now after spending 25yrs in the military. We have the DM&E and the Black Hills Central 1880's trains. Its fun. My brother works for Montana Rail Link, and I have a sister that works for the Florida East Coast and Sun Trirail. I did the math i have 25 relatives that work for railroads east to west. It was my pleasure to help you with all of this but remember the best information is the stuff you ask. So go ask them. 9 out of 10 times they will give you the grand tour. Amtrak is the only one i don't care much for. Their staff is rude, ride as a passenger is uncomfortable and it's still something you pay way to much for. It is now almost as expensive as plane trip. I sent your channel's name up to my uncle yard master for NS although he doesn't go in the yard that often anymore. I told him to expect questions if he settles in on your pages. Tell him Bobby sent you. He is out of Atlanta but he knows far more ways to get you the info you might require. Till next time, keep them on the high Iron.
Also sorry for the spelling, I hate autocorrect and i am still recovering from a broken wrist.
@TmaxRadio1 oh wow!
That's a heckuva family railroading history.
You certainly have seen a lot in your years.
What a fascinating operation. Having been involved in the coal business in the UK I am interested to see the dust supression measures; here in summer in particular, I faced constant problems; the Environmental Authorites who wanted to the coal heaps to be sprayed with water to keep down dust whist the Trading Standards Authorities objected to it because it falsely increased the weight of the coal being sold. And then the EA objected to the presence of coal dust slurry in the drains. Happy days!
That had to be very fascinating to be involved in the coal trade.
As for our dust suppression measures, I don't think weight has much impact on the transport.
Because coal is comparatively light to other commodities, the additional water weight has a negligible impact if at all.
I believe the rail cars are capable of carrying more weight than the coal+water would be able to create.
As for environmental impact, we have plenty of towns that object to the open-air transport because everything near the rail lines gets dusted with coal every time a train comes through.
Looks great. Nice flying skills.
Thank you.
I wish I could take credit, but the drone does most of the work.
I just have to keep it from hitting anything.
@@nkyrailfan If i mite ask what drone were you using ?
@bentrail I use a DJI Mavic 3 Pro.
It's expensive but is the best drone I've ever flown.
It has three cameras on it and is very stable, even in stronger winds.
Two of the three cameras do pretty well at night too.
@@nkyrailfan thank you for the reply. I agree the DJI drones are the best. Footage looked great. Thanks for sharing !
Awesome video! Thank you!
Thank you very much.
I'm glad you enjoyed the video.
I'd love to see footage of the how they maneuver the boat to line up with the next hold opening in the line.
I'll make sure to record the process the next time I'm at the dock.
We do run coke cars i believe we are one of the few that can run coke cars.. The work schedule is 7am to 7pm then 7pm to 7am depending boat schedule an ground storage. 8hr shift 7 330
Thanks for the great information.
Out of curiosity, what do the crews do when there's no ship to load or coal to unload onto the farm or when the shipping shuts down for winter layup?
Alot of those days are maintence days when we don't have any coal to dump an winter time small layoff rest does maintence all winter on one shift
@skylergordon3935 gotcha.
Thanks for explaining it to me.
I really do appreciate it.
That was coke loading not coal into that vessel. This dock does both but rarely stores the coke on the storage yard.
You can differentiate the difference between the two by the large light grey colour pieces of the coke compared to the dark black dirt looking coal.
I used this dock to premix my purchased coal in the three concrete silos plus I would purchase coke which was shipped to this dock to load into CSL vessels which the company I worked at used for making iron. 6:51
Thanks for the great info.
I do appreciate it.
I believe that their loaded front to back, because it balances the ship. The bow of the ship is lighter when unloaded because all the ships machinery is aft and the bow rides high.
That's interesting.
I did notice the bow was riding higher than the aft section.
Although the last time I was here, the ship was moved back and forth to load the front and then back.
I wonder if the newer ships have better ballast control and that's why they're able to load like this compared to an older ship which may have a stricter weight tolerance that crews must follow while loading.
@nkyrailfan coke is very light so alot of these boats will just load straight down the boat
@skylergordon3935 that's a good point.
I did notice in the footage, even though the front was mostly loaded, the rear of the ship was still a few feet lower in the water.
I wonder 2 things. 1. Are the hatchcovers interchangeable between differing hatches into the hold or are they specific to the hatches. 2. How did you build a repore with the CSL Corp and NSCorp to be able to drone and film this operation?
I'm not sure, but I believe the hatch covers are interchangeable.
I'll have to try and look closer at the next ship I film.
As for the companies and crews, I'm flying off their property in public airspace, so I don't need permission to fly.
The FAA treats drones just like a helicopter.
So, anywhere a helicopter can fly, I'm able to as well.
I do try to stay back and use my zoom rather than getting too up close and personal with the things I film.
Is this still operational please?
Yes, this is still operational.
(I found out later that the stoppage was caused by some guy flying his drone over the loading facility) LOL just kidding but funny as heck :)
Lol, that would be funny.
I'd feel terrible though.
I wish there was a way to contact the workers at these places and tell them I'm just some guy who enjoys this stuff and likes to record it.
I've done that with some train crews but not any of the ship videos.
if they're spraying it down it's coal not coke coke doesn't have the dust of coal!! a ship like that it's at least a 12 hour loading job most likely 18 hour to 24 hour dock time for loading out!! and bandwagon that's new one to me i've heard it called the billy goat and rams head before!! and front to back loading ain't too much of an issue for these tubs it's more the side to side loading that could tip it off to one side and cause it to roll over and capsize!! up there i can't say but the barge docks in Portsmouth it's normally a full pull into the docks and it cut up there!! you're amazed by what the car mover can do i'll tell ya as far as any rail movement goes considering the wheel. rail contact area is about the size of a dime it;s amazing anything gets moved at all!
Thanks for the information.
That makes sense about spraying it down if it's coal and not if it's coke.
When I checked prior similar sized vessel loading times at the dock, the most recent ones were in the 9-12 hour range.
The term bandwagon came from a worker at the facility.
He told me they called it a bandwagon.
I hauled coke for a few years it’s a dirty nasty job. Coke has just as much dust as coal they both need sprayed down. The dust from coke is called breeze. It is needed to produce coke. They mix it in with the coal as it goes into the ovens to bake. Very interesting process.
@@nkyrailfan I wonder if "bandwagon" is a Sandusky-ism. Sanduskians have their unique terms for many things. For example, there are two or three underpasses by which main north-south streets go under the Norfolk Southern main line (Columbus and Tiffin avenues and I think one other ... Camp Street, maybe?).
Sanduskians of a certain age call these underpasses "subways." A retired teacher used to give us he11 at the newspaper whenever we used the term in stories.
@@humanbeingmaybe2890 all the coke i've seen looks like cinders or lava rock out of a propane grill and didn't have anything resembling dust in it what i saw was more sand than dust i'd say it was most like sandblasting media than anything!!
It very well may be a "Sanduskyism."
It's interesting though, the term bandwagon was mentioned by a commenter in another video on the coal dock. He said he worked there. However, the term Barney seems to mean different things to different people
To some, they call the "bandwagon" a Barney. But to others the Barney is the electric pusher locomotive.
It's interesting how these things develop locally/regionally.
I asume the ship must constantly move to keep hatches under the loader
You are correct.
The ship will reposition itself when a cargo hatch is full.
It uses winches on board and mooring lines to pull itself back and forth into position under the loader.
What CSL ship is this one ? We watched the CSL Welland lock out at the Soo Locks . Atlantic Huron saw her name
Yep, the Atlantic Huron.
Here's a little more about the ship if you're interested:
cslships.com/vessel/atlantic-huron/
How does a bow get smashed in like that? I'm always intrigued how beat up these boats look in your videos.
I'm not sure, but I agree, all the ships I've recorded so far look fairly battered and bruised.
Most folks say the damage mainly comes from going through the locks and dams, but some does come from docks like this.
That damage came when it struck another ship in port a couple years ago.
@@nkyrailfanAnd hitting annoying sailboats………. Lol
@tomt9543 😂😂😂
When they go through the locks it’s a tight fit and they get scraped
What drone do you use?
I use the DJI Mavic 3 Pro.
It is by far the best drone I've ever used.
It features three cameras on for a wide (1X), medium (3X) and tight (7X) point of view.
Must require a trememdous amount of grease to keep all those moving parts moving
Absolutely.
I'd be curious to know how much time a week is spent on maintenance.
It has to be a significant amount of time.
0258 Zoila Walk
Fascinating but environmentally unfriendly.