There is a shortline just south of Waynesburg PA that does not interchange with any other railroad, called the Cumberland Mine Railroad. There is a locomotive on each end of the train, it goes from the mine to the river where it unloads onto barges and then goes back to the mine. I've thought about modeling it.
Hi DJ, As far as I know, this place is still referred to as MOL-DOK. You are correct, the industrial park is called Buncher Industrial Park. Also I believe the facility is used more for rail to barge, barge to rail. You are correct, no rotary, the dump building can dump two hoppers at a time. The unloading of barges is handled by a Manitowoc crane and that is the purpose of the loader at timestamp 4:30. The facility use to operate 24/7/365, but I don't know if that is still true. In the Conrail era, Conrail use to drop the hoppers in a two track yard along main #1 and the red shifter shown at timestamp 5:40 use to shove cuts of cars down to the unloader building. I've heard the switcher is classified as a SW900M. I guess now, NS shoves the loads down to the unloader building and the SW900M shoves the empties to the two track yard alongside main #1. At timestamp 7:00, it's my understanding the loaded hoppers are shoved in from the track that curves off to the left toward the mains. The track that curves off to the right is where the empties are shoved to the two track yard. I believe these loaded coal trains come out of Brownsville, but don't quote me on that? The Buildings with the covered hoppers I believe are owned by Almatis and is a crushing and screening facility for refractory aggregates.What I don't know is if the product arrives via truck and is shipped via rail or vise versa? Another awesome video DJ, thanks for uploading it. I can't remember, but did you ever video the River Rail facility in Colona? It use to be owned by the P&LE as a River Rail facility, but I think it's privately owned now? Cheers, Rich S.
Mol-Dok also gets coal from the RBMN. All coal comes from East of here and is shoved into the docks by Norfolk Southern. Mol-Dok handles all unloading (the barge to rail loader has been out of service for 30 years). They own the SW900M, GE 25 tonner (used to shove empties past the SW900 once all three yard tracks are occupied) and the little yellow speeder (used for MOW work). All NS coal comes in and goes out as unit trains, but RBMN cars often come in and out on the NS Leetsdale local (C38?) When NS picks up empty trains, they send power from either Conway or Shire Oaks to the East end of Mol-Dok's three track yard along the main line. A RUclips search of Mol-Dok will show a lot of my videos of their operations if you want a more in depth look at them
Looks like that interesting building is an aggregate grinding outfit for aluminum or glass products. Covered hoppers guessing to keep water out. Company is Almatis.
Conway is to the left in the video. The Dashields Lock and Dam on the Ohio River is just to the right. I used to fish at the end of the corrugated wall to the right.
Hey DJ... Been watching since early last year. Really enjoy all that you share with us, and looking forward to digging deeper into both your educational and informative railfan videos and also your layout/hobbyist videos. Thanks for all your efforts... and for keepin' it real!
@@djstrains After about a year of slow gathering of a couple of local engines, rolling stock, plastics and tools, I'm about to begin building my first switching layout. I plan to model a few modern era, local industries here in Niagara County, Western New York. The area is covered by CSX with a small short line running out of the Lockport, NY. ruclips.net/video/wRNXEBZXIx8/видео.html&si=EnSIkaIECMiOmarE
Great footage DJ. Over the river is bold! I’m stretching my drone wings now, and building confidence, but I am not there yet. You captured so many good ideas and details. Thanks for another awesome video 😊
Great video DJ,man where to begin!!🤔 If I was an N scaler and had say a 12'x 14' room I would do an island style layout, using 4 full 4x8 sheets of plywood and foamboard length wise ( the 8 ft going across the room like so < > ) one side would be where those coal barges were loaded,then on the opposite side ( where the intermodal cars were) I model that yard and where the tracks enter on that little bridge,in the middle ( there would be two access openings on each end which I would disguise as warehouses) I would model those warehouses and that plastic pellet company with the cover hoppers ( noticed the bulk trailer in the parking lot to the left of the unloader)and the track including the two diamonds would be modeled as well,this could be modeled in ho but the modeler would have to make confermises as everything won't fit.. again love the industrial area especially the two warehouses that looked like one corner was cut off so the tracks can curve around them.👍
Great video. There is something about these unit trains that is appealing. MTL recently released a runner pack of Wheeling and Lake Erie hoppers and, after watching your videos, I had to pick one up!
These are some great angle shots. If you view on a large screen you can see some of these buildings as a layout. Even though I have a lot of detailed buildings built . This gives me more detail ideas I can add that I miseed....Good work!
DJ, thanks for reinvigorating my modeling, You are my new superhero. Great video as always. I was super impressed with the plastic pellet industry (i took multiple screen shots to model with), another cool thing not mentioned are the circus truck and trailer at the one warehouse, would be a cool scene for the non railroaders who enjoy seeing the layout.
Funny. I was looking to do some mods to my yet to be fully built track plan, and was "flying" though this area a few weeks back on Google Maps. That double diamond sure did catch my attention.
DJ The same prototype that does coal in the east does corn and soybeans along the inland waterways of the Mississippi, Illinois and Missouri rivers. Farm to silo- silo to train- train to barge to port silos.
Leetsdale Industrial Park is a near textbook perfect industries template as it encompasses so many diverse companies and their needs for the rail business. Railfanning Leetsdale, there were easily 3 to 4 different types of trains originating from this area alone with dedicated switching operations between NS and the private enterprises
I hate it when I see or hear people saying that something doesn’t look realistic on a layout because it looks to cluttered. Too many people try to model nice streamlined countryside layouts, places like this just shows how cluttered and messy real yards look like with almost every square inch utilised, my first large layout I started was an old station fish yard in the northeast of Scotland, it had 14 sidings with just 1 leed shared north/south bound line branching into the yard, I had more fun modelling something more cluttered than just doing a boring loop track with a silly small threw station, let’s face it almost all journeys are from point A to point B and the most exciting part is what happens at each end. When I get back into the layout as it’s been several years since having a couple kids then I’m going straight back into doing a works layout and will probably never do a loop around room layout ever. Thanks for the video it just sort of proved my thought process in what made me like model railways in the first place, an actual yard and station and what goes on there rather than a boring circle track 😂
its amazing you metiond we dont model more, as i am curently building a river coal loading layout. i to want a fully funcotional coal river loading operation set in the 1904-1929 erie railroad with my O scale MTH Permier triplex as the centerpiece!
This complex (Industrial park?) is crazy interesting. Pretty sure this place alone could be a great layout! Coal/Barge traffic. The trailer truck stuff going on at 5:03 ... Then the "Plastic Pellet" place... Near the "plastic pellet" place 7:58 you got some heavy earth movers. ..there is a lot of 'industry' here, but actually only 2 (maybe 3?) rail service?!?! Definitely something to remember when modelling -- If you have a rail serviced industry, you probably have a lot of industry 'in the neighborhood' that are NOT reserved.
Dear DJ, cool vid, even though the turnouts are spaced out much more, the set up of these tracks make me think of Tim Warris CNJ Bronx Terminal. Humbly think this real life track plan allows for a lot of sensible compression, loads of scenic vignettes, and tons of switching fun. Cheerio
Watching from Queensland, Australia. Great video. Keep it going . How is it worked . Definitely great to model , so much industry . Can you video the interchange yard if that what's it called. So much railway and industry in a small space . Loved the Ariel view . Dave from Rainbow beach , Queensland , Australia.
Just from being able to see what I can see watching this video on my phone, that looks like an SW8. There have been some single stack EMD SW's that I thought were SW8's but other people have told me they were an SW9 variant (I still don't know if that was factual). I believe that SW is all EMD and not originally a BLW or some other make that's been repowered by EMD. Besides the hood being EMD, the cab is EMD (with the rear battery box step up) and it even has the classic EMD side step gussets up to the frame sides. Maybe that locomotive was obtained by trading in a VO or something?
My coal operation is going to be...ahem...somewhat reduced in scope from prototypes of this kind. You could go broke on turnouts.... But it does give me all kinds of ideas! More fabulous content!
You said it yourself someone in the comments would have the info I've worked that local and the uniit trains both in and out they are exclusively car to barge now they dump unit coal , limestone and anthracite trains to barge. anthracite comes off the rbmn the company is called moldok we put the unit trains away in there in two separate pieces coming from the left of the screen as we can't bring six axels in from the right spotting multiple tracks when Shoving the rear halfe in handbrakes are required for the grade towards the shed it is a bottom off load facility only most of the tracks have signs telling you where to stop if you have road power with more than four axels the facility with covered hoppers receives loads and empties and ships loads and empties and is some kind of miling compound they can only be serviced with four axel locomotives due to the curves and a wooden trestle into shields yard along the ns main unit trains of empty hoppers are built off the ns main at shields and shove back across said trestle for the last cut of cars wich is always near the milling complex the barge facility typically goes idle when it's cold because the cars are hard to unload if anyone has any questions lmk and Ile do my best to help answer!
Beighley’s got it down. I remember they had a habit of not pushing empties far enough across the bridge for awhile. Right before I left NS a crew shoved off the end of Track while spotting cars I think it was early 2021 haha The local job out of Conway was the last job to have a Brakeman on the Pittsburgh Division (now keystone). They abolished it while I was there
Very cool! Thanks for the video.
I love trackage like this. If I had the room if model this in a flash. Thanks again for videos like this.
There is a shortline just south of Waynesburg PA that does not interchange with any other railroad, called the Cumberland Mine Railroad. There is a locomotive on each end of the train, it goes from the mine to the river where it unloads onto barges and then goes back to the mine. I've thought about modeling it.
The gentlemen that helps maintain the rails on that mine line has his own RUclips channel. Check it out. Great content like you’ve never seen.
@@shabo857 what is it
ccrx 6700thats railroading
Hi DJ, As far as I know, this place is still referred to as MOL-DOK. You are correct, the industrial park is called Buncher Industrial Park. Also I believe the facility is used more for rail to barge, barge to rail. You are correct, no rotary, the dump building can dump two hoppers at a time. The unloading of barges is handled by a Manitowoc crane and that is the purpose of the loader at timestamp 4:30. The facility use to operate 24/7/365, but I don't know if that is still true. In the Conrail era, Conrail use to drop the hoppers in a two track yard along main #1 and the red shifter shown at timestamp 5:40 use to shove cuts of cars down to the unloader building. I've heard the switcher is classified as a SW900M. I guess now, NS shoves the loads down to the unloader building and the SW900M shoves the empties to the two track yard alongside main #1. At timestamp 7:00, it's my understanding the loaded hoppers are shoved in from the track that curves off to the left toward the mains. The track that curves off to the right is where the empties are shoved to the two track yard. I believe these loaded coal trains come out of Brownsville, but don't quote me on that? The Buildings with the covered hoppers I believe are owned by Almatis and is a crushing and screening facility for refractory aggregates.What I don't know is if the product arrives via truck and is shipped via rail or vise versa? Another awesome video DJ, thanks for uploading it. I can't remember, but did you ever video the River Rail facility in Colona? It use to be owned by the P&LE as a River Rail facility, but I think it's privately owned now? Cheers, Rich S.
Great info, my friend.
Mol-Dok also gets coal from the RBMN. All coal comes from East of here and is shoved into the docks by Norfolk Southern. Mol-Dok handles all unloading (the barge to rail loader has been out of service for 30 years). They own the SW900M, GE 25 tonner (used to shove empties past the SW900 once all three yard tracks are occupied) and the little yellow speeder (used for MOW work). All NS coal comes in and goes out as unit trains, but RBMN cars often come in and out on the NS Leetsdale local (C38?) When NS picks up empty trains, they send power from either Conway or Shire Oaks to the East end of Mol-Dok's three track yard along the main line. A RUclips search of Mol-Dok will show a lot of my videos of their operations if you want a more in depth look at them
sweet!
They no longer unload barges. All rail to barge
Coal barges are a great addition to a layout.
Here in my town of PA we have some fracking sand train depots which would look good too.
DJ, this is one of the neatest videos that you have ever done. Thanks for sharing!
Wow, thanks!
Awesome layout ideas. Thanks for sharing these fantastic drone shots.
hello dj its is randy and i like your video is cool dj thanks friends randy
Nice Video
Another great video and you are correct, that is insane industrial trackage!
Thanks for sharing this video and your insights about the unique modeling opportunities
Thanks for sharing DJ, I'm gonna try and make a shelf diorama of this. This is gonna be cool, thanks again.
Go for it!
DJ,
Excellent video. Thanks for sharing.
Rich
Glad you enjoyed it
Looks like that interesting building is an aggregate grinding outfit for aluminum or glass products. Covered hoppers guessing to keep water out. Company is Almatis.
Thanks! any info helps us learn!
DJ, thanks so much for this video of more industrial trackage. I love this stuff, and your drone overview is very informative. Cheers from Wisconsin!
Glad it was helpful! I'm scouting new places too.
Great video DJ lots of n scale ideas 🚂🚅🚞
More to come!
Conway is to the left in the video. The Dashields Lock and Dam on the Ohio River is just to the right. I used to fish at the end of the corrugated wall to the right.
Wow never thought of moving coal like this. Awesome for sharing brother!!!
Love drone feed video
More to come!
Hey DJ... Been watching since early last year. Really enjoy all that you share with us, and looking forward to digging deeper into both your educational and informative railfan videos and also your layout/hobbyist videos. Thanks for all your efforts... and for keepin' it real!
This is my most comprehensive video: ruclips.net/video/B0n_b5zNMYk/видео.html
@@djstrains Yes I've seen it... really great video again. Nice to hear your story.
@@djstrains After about a year of slow gathering of a couple of local engines, rolling stock, plastics and tools, I'm about to begin building my first switching layout. I plan to model a few modern era, local industries here in Niagara County, Western New York. The area is covered by CSX with a small short line running out of the Lockport, NY. ruclips.net/video/wRNXEBZXIx8/видео.html&si=EnSIkaIECMiOmarE
Very nice video. Great modelling ideas.
Glad you like them!
Great footage DJ. Over the river is bold! I’m stretching my drone wings now, and building confidence, but I am not there yet. You captured so many good ideas and details. Thanks for another awesome video 😊
I get sweaty palms, lol.
Beautiful video I was wondering how the coal was unloaded from the hoppers and loaded on the barge
Nice, I might do a module for my river utilizing that style facility.
You should!
Great video DJ,man where to begin!!🤔 If I was an N scaler and had say a 12'x 14' room I would do an island style layout, using 4 full 4x8 sheets of plywood and foamboard length wise ( the 8 ft going across the room like so < > ) one side would be where those coal barges were loaded,then on the opposite side ( where the intermodal cars were) I model that yard and where the tracks enter on that little bridge,in the middle ( there would be two access openings on each end which I would disguise as warehouses) I would model those warehouses and that plastic pellet company with the cover hoppers ( noticed the bulk trailer in the parking lot to the left of the unloader)and the track including the two diamonds would be modeled as well,this could be modeled in ho but the modeler would have to make confermises as everything won't fit.. again love the industrial area especially the two warehouses that looked like one corner was cut off so the tracks can curve around them.👍
Great video. There is something about these unit trains that is appealing. MTL recently released a runner pack of Wheeling and Lake Erie hoppers and, after watching your videos, I had to pick one up!
Now you got me wanting one lol
These are some great angle shots. If you view on a large screen you can see some of these buildings as a layout. Even though I have a lot of detailed buildings built . This gives me more detail ideas I can add that I miseed....Good work!
Thank you very much!
@@djstrains we waiting on the show today... I am off and need model railroad entertainment. ..lol
3:56 Yes, I have seen said train in action and it is huge. I don't know how they even fit that big of a train into these sidings.
DJ, thanks for reinvigorating my modeling, You are my new superhero. Great video as always. I was super impressed with the plastic pellet industry (i took multiple screen shots to model with), another cool thing not mentioned are the circus truck and trailer at the one warehouse, would be a cool scene for the non railroaders who enjoy seeing the layout.
ha, I need to look at that again, lol.
Funny. I was looking to do some mods to my yet to be fully built track plan, and was "flying" though this area a few weeks back on Google Maps. That double diamond sure did catch my attention.
That two diamond, three point turn just goes to prove the saying correct........There IS a prototype for everything.
right! I laughed so hard when I was filming this for that reason.
Thank you for doing this because it's something I want to model!
Go for it!
4:21 WB Mason paper distributor.
7:53 That's Almantis, aluminium manufacturer.
Great video
Thanks!
Sweet video and ideas for a layout! (Dave).
Glad you enjoyed it
Great ideas, maybe for the next layout.…
DJ if you ever get the chance go to Vincennes IN. there's a weird wye diamond setup there like the one you seen in Leetsdale, but it's on a main line.
DJ The same prototype that does coal in the east does corn and soybeans along the inland waterways of the Mississippi, Illinois and Missouri rivers. Farm to silo- silo to train- train to barge to port silos.
Great video!
Glad you enjoyed it
Nice drone footage! Mol-Dok is quite interesting to see in person when they're operating
Sadly, I only see it from across the river as I do 50 mph, lol.
Hi ya DJ. The drone shows are always very fascinating and interesting. And great modeling guides. Thanks. See ya next time.
Glad you enjoyed it
Leetsdale Industrial Park is a near textbook perfect industries template as it encompasses so many diverse companies and their needs for the rail business. Railfanning Leetsdale, there were easily 3 to 4 different types of trains originating from this area alone with dedicated switching operations between NS and the private enterprises
Lol, I’m in a van, passing it as I read this
I hate it when I see or hear people saying that something doesn’t look realistic on a layout because it looks to cluttered. Too many people try to model nice streamlined countryside layouts, places like this just shows how cluttered and messy real yards look like with almost every square inch utilised, my first large layout I started was an old station fish yard in the northeast of Scotland, it had 14 sidings with just 1 leed shared north/south bound line branching into the yard, I had more fun modelling something more cluttered than just doing a boring loop track with a silly small threw station, let’s face it almost all journeys are from point A to point B and the most exciting part is what happens at each end.
When I get back into the layout as it’s been several years since having a couple kids then I’m going straight back into doing a works layout and will probably never do a loop around room layout ever. Thanks for the video it just sort of proved my thought process in what made me like model railways in the first place, an actual yard and station and what goes on there rather than a boring circle track 😂
The Atlas trackbook author has been vindicated, lol
🚂🇨🇦🇺🇲🙋👍
HA!
its amazing you metiond we dont model more, as i am curently building a river coal loading layout. i to want a fully funcotional coal river loading operation set in the 1904-1929 erie railroad with my O scale MTH Permier triplex as the centerpiece!
Sweet
Great vid..
This complex (Industrial park?) is crazy interesting. Pretty sure this place alone could be a great layout! Coal/Barge traffic. The trailer truck stuff going on at 5:03 ... Then the "Plastic Pellet" place... Near the "plastic pellet" place 7:58 you got some heavy earth movers. ..there is a lot of 'industry' here, but actually only 2 (maybe 3?) rail service?!?! Definitely something to remember when modelling -- If you have a rail serviced industry, you probably have a lot of industry 'in the neighborhood' that are NOT reserved.
Exactly
Interesting how PLAIN that building is.
Dear DJ, cool vid, even though the turnouts are spaced out much more, the set up of these tracks make me think of Tim Warris CNJ Bronx Terminal. Humbly think this real life track plan allows for a lot of sensible compression, loads of scenic vignettes, and tons of switching fun. Cheerio
You are right!
Watching from Queensland, Australia. Great video. Keep it going . How is it worked . Definitely great to model , so much industry . Can you video the interchange yard if that what's it called. So much railway and industry in a small space . Loved the Ariel view . Dave from Rainbow beach , Queensland , Australia.
I'm waiting on better weather. been cold and snowy lately.
ANOTHER GOOD VIDEO ON THIS SUBJECT THANK YOU DJ VERY GOOD AND CONCISE GOOD JOB INDEED 👏 👍 JIM KAMMERER OF PHILADELPHIA PA 👌 😀 👍 👏
Thank you kindly
Do you still model HO or have you completely transitioned to N ?
I have been N since 1999. My friends do HO though.
Just from being able to see what I can see watching this video on my phone, that looks like an SW8. There have been some single stack EMD SW's that I thought were SW8's but other people have told me they were an SW9 variant (I still don't know if that was factual).
I believe that SW is all EMD and not originally a BLW or some other make that's been repowered by EMD. Besides the hood being EMD, the cab is EMD (with the rear battery box step up) and it even has the classic EMD side step gussets up to the frame sides.
Maybe that locomotive was obtained by trading in a VO or something?
7:48 "Maybe plastic pellets"
I don't think so -- plastics aren't normally carried in 40ft hoppers or hoppers with trough hatches.
Just a guess
DJ AWESOME GOOD VIDEO THANK YOU FOR SHARING THIS WITH ME JIM KAMMERER OF PHILADELPHIA PA NORFOLK SOUTHERN RULES MY RAILS
Glad you enjoyed it
I have a box of Atlas diamonds that I didn't know what to do with. Problem now solved :)
YES!!!
About who the industries may be..Does that city have a web site that you can do a property search and find out what is there/
I use google maps.
My coal operation is going to be...ahem...somewhat reduced in scope from prototypes of this kind. You could go broke on turnouts....
But it does give me all kinds of ideas! More fabulous content!
the industry at 8 minutes with the red trackmobile is not plastic pellets, cars are more dry chemical type facility.
You said it yourself someone in the comments would have the info I've worked that local and the uniit trains both in and out they are exclusively car to barge now they dump unit coal , limestone and anthracite trains to barge. anthracite comes off the rbmn the company is called moldok we put the unit trains away in there in two separate pieces coming from the left of the screen as we can't bring six axels in from the right spotting multiple tracks when Shoving the rear halfe in handbrakes are required for the grade towards the shed it is a bottom off load facility only most of the tracks have signs telling you where to stop if you have road power with more than four axels the facility with covered hoppers receives loads and empties and ships loads and empties and is some kind of miling compound they can only be serviced with four axel locomotives due to the curves and a wooden trestle into shields yard along the ns main unit trains of empty hoppers are built off the ns main at shields and shove back across said trestle for the last cut of cars wich is always near the milling complex the barge facility typically goes idle when it's cold because the cars are hard to unload if anyone has any questions lmk and Ile do my best to help answer!
Beighley’s got it down. I remember they had a habit of not pushing empties far enough across the bridge for awhile. Right before I left NS a crew shoved off the end of Track while spotting cars I think it was early 2021 haha
The local job out of Conway was the last job to have a Brakeman on the Pittsburgh Division (now keystone). They abolished it while I was there
@@Stoker58 I think we might know each other🤣
Looking forward to your thoughts on East Palestine.
Trains derail every day, they just don’t always make the news. I have been involved in a few myself but never that extent luckily
cumberland mine railroad
Tern left to go Right what the
this made me laugh!
Great video! 👍👍