An honestly fabulous video ensemble showing not only the operations in great detail, but it’s also stunning from an artistic standpoint. Beautiful work! Thank you so very much for tackling this aspect of both railroad and shipping.
The Burns Harbor! Great ship. Did you know she's blue underneath all that rust? Back in 2021, during her first trip under the Duluth lift bridge in years, her captain got a little excited and let off a master salute followed by two captains salutes and another master. For a boatnerd like me, it was heavenly music.
Wow, I had no idea. I love those salutes. I forget which boat has that awesome deep sound. Now, if they'd tune up the bridge's horn just a bit to match.
Love this video George. It's always neat to see how these docks work. Dock 6 in Duluth seems to be busier than Two Harbors or the BNSF in Allouez. Most Minntac production goes through Two Harbors but I think if the steel industry got really soft again everything on the CN would probably go through Duluth. It's happened before. From 1963 to 1966, the Two Harbors docks were completely shut down. The day they shut down in 1963 was known as "Black Friday" in Two Harbors. After post war record tonnage throughout the 50s, natural ore was drying up and mines were closing a record pace. The taconite amendment really saved the Missabe, allowing taconite plants to start production and be free of state taxes for 25 years. The 80s were quite lean on the Missabe too but both ports stayed open. The Missabe started its SD-M rebuild program in 1979 and was halted after only three diesels were rebuilt. It was started again in 1988 and ran through 91 or 92. It's nice to see many vestiges of the Missabe still in operation like Dock 6. Dock 5 in Allouez handles production from Keewatin and Hibbing Taconite and seems to stay pretty busy. The whole Allouez Taconite Facility is three times the size of CN in Duluth but still goes through one dock like Duluth. The GN docks still stand just like Missabe Dock 5 in Duluth. My guess is it's cheaper to leave them standing than tear them down. I don't know if you've noticed but the BN left a diesel crane on the docks in Allouez when they tore out the approaches. When the state of WI widened Hwy 2/53 through Superior, it required the approaches be torn out. Dock 1 was still operating from the conveyer system so the state paid for the crane to stay on the dock for maintenance work, mainly with the chutes. Dock 1 quit operations in 1988 and the crane has been stranded there ever since. Just recently CN has used Dock 1 in Two Harbors for car storage, placing a couple strings of TTX flatcars on top of the dock. I'm just rambling at this point but though you might find it interesting. Just some things to look for on your next trip to the Ports. Cheers.
Thank you so much for this video! My husband and I watch the Duluth/Superior live cams from SC and find it fascinating learning how these marvelous ships are loaded and unloaded 😍
👉 Ok oldman, you really knocked it out with this great video !! such a treat catching another 1 of your videos after a hard day !! thanks for taking us along 🚂
Fantastic video, George it was cool watching the mechanics on the train cars. Thank you for taking us all on your trips. Safe travels. God bless. Dallas Georgia.
Another great vlog George, keep up the good work and remember "Anytime is Train Time" That's what I would have the grade school children repeat after my Safety presentations regarding Railway Safety. From the Ole Retired CP Rail Bull in Southwestern Ontario,Canada. P.S. Be safe out there George.
This was fascinating. Your video shows so much detail. I recently started to watch these beautiful ships come into Duluth and am learning so much. Thank you for a great video!!!❤
Great video! I never figured out how they emptied the cars, always assumed it would be automated now. I always found it interesting that they have load the ship in a specific order so it doesn’t become unstable at the dock. Thank you for sharing!
I remember seeing footage You had got of this operation before, really nice footage and cool to see iron ore hoppers dump the Taconite pellets. I remember seeing vintage steam on the Duluth Massabe & Iron Range RR,enjoyed the drone footage also!🛤🚂
Awesome shots. Love to see the drone footage of tracks going to the dock. I imagine there is a small rail yard where they drop loaded and pick up empties.
You have a great channel. Yes, it is August so the Badger State can get warm - but, it’ll break soon. Your trek up to Duluth is a good one. That’s a beautiful town, location overlooking Giche Goumie bankrupts the language. Go to the Lake Superior Rail Museum if you have a couple of hours. The entire depot is rebuilt and is really special. Be safe.
If you ever visit the Depot Museum portion you'll notice everything is made from yellow brick. All of that came from the brick yards in Chaska and/or Shakopee.
Did I miss the ride from Point to Duluth? Btw, I lived & work in Duluth-Superior for 30 years. Beautiful area for about 3-4 months a year. Winters are brutal though!
A great video of this process George. Thanks for sharing! I know it's dangerous, and probably illegal, but that Ore Dock #5 is giving me a wicked explore itch...:)
Hi George, Wow what a great video. The system of unloading the cars is just amazing. While one unloads the car and the other closes the doors on the cars using those small ride on vehicle. Those vehicles are cleverly designed. Thanks
Great video! You were lucky to catch this, especially during the "golden hour," which was a nice bonus. I'm guessing conveyors 1-20 are on the other side of the dock. Thanks!
I was in there on the Burns in 1990 back when it was still DM&IR. Funny, because there's a sign on one of the belt rigs that reads the James R. Barker being loaded in about 3 hours or something. I really have a hard time believing that considering it takes these 1000 footers like 48 hours to load lately 😅😅
Great footage. Would also be great to see the train backing onto the dock and the workings of that directly. Maybe next time, try and focus on that? If you get lucky enough to catch it that is. Regardless, I loved the video.
There is a crane that runs on tracks that they use to remove hatches. Then they stack them on the adjacent hatch. They only open every other one based upon the dock spacing. You can see the crane near the first hatch.
I find it fascinating that the basic process of charging the dock and dumping it into waiting ships has been going on for over 100 years. The horizontal conveyors are new since the 1960s I think, but dumping the Jennie’s hasn’t changed.
How do you manage to add audio to your drone footage? This was a awesome video.... We just got back from doing the Loop around Lake Superior. Took my drone with us... still a "newbie", so a bit reluctant to fly in busy areas... your video definitely inspired me to go exploring for unique perspectives like this! THANK YOU!
I use a separate camera and record audio from where I am standing. Depending on what accidentally gets captured I sometimes edit out cars going past or people talking etc.
That's some fast dumping! Used to take us all night to dump 100 corn cars into the grain elevator I used to work at. I guess if our pit was the size of a barge it could have gone faster. Not to mention having to send it up a couple hundred feet to drop it back down and distribute it into bins. I remember riding some coal cars back in the 90s with some friends one trip and it started pulling into a power plant. We all bailed off that thing as soon as we could fearing we'd get stuck on their property and/or we would be dropped down into some coal pit. Of course after eating $#!T the train stopped about a minute later. Good times.
@@Jumpingoffthecliff Haha, for sure. I knew it was coming by the way the frame pack I tossed bounced and the definition of the gravel going by. My little legs did good for a moment, but then it all caught up to me.
we recently did taconite takeout at taco bell. we were prepared at the house with real sour cream, lettuce, etc. while the taco shell was full size, each was cracked at the bottom one inch, causing 100% failure to open.
Numbering system: looked at old photos of the docks when originally built. It serviced ships on both sides so I will guess left side starts with 11, 12, 13... and right side starts with 21, 22, 23... etc. Someone said 1 to 20 are on the other dock and that sounds logical too.
Thought I’d share this link of canal park during one of those wild storms, can you believe the ships STILL make their way through and under the bridge when it’s like this? Duluth Harbor Cam’s RUclips channel has some awesome livecams, and watching this one during storms is always a treat. ruclips.net/video/UoY0e1HD8YE/видео.htmlsi=bX2UFboMHquKIxdH
![Felix "Unfair" | [Stray Kids : SKZ-PLAYER]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/Oswujxm2Ag0/mqdefault.jpg)
An honestly fabulous video ensemble showing not only the operations in great detail, but it’s also stunning from an artistic standpoint. Beautiful work! Thank you so very much for tackling this aspect of both railroad and shipping.
AGREED!!!!! Wonderful!! It was great to see the process! Thank you!
Great video George, Duluth birth place of Bob Dylan, he grew up in the Iron Range in Hibbing .. He sang about a miner in North Country Blues
That was one of the more incredible videos, I have watched on RUclips George! You have outdone your self, very professional!
The Burns Harbor! Great ship. Did you know she's blue underneath all that rust? Back in 2021, during her first trip under the Duluth lift bridge in years, her captain got a little excited and let off a master salute followed by two captains salutes and another master. For a boatnerd like me, it was heavenly music.
Wow, I had no idea. I love those salutes. I forget which boat has that awesome deep sound. Now, if they'd tune up the bridge's horn just a bit to match.
@@Jumpingoffthecliff I love the James Barkers horn(s), it's so different, and strangely melodic
@@jdhinckley1954 yes, that's the one! It is fantastic.
Actually, it's not 'rust' as we generally think of it but rather it's oxydized iron dust that is sticking to the hull like dirt on a car.
Very interesting! I was hoping to see the draft # after loading. Thanks George!
Love this video George. It's always neat to see how these docks work. Dock 6 in Duluth seems to be busier than Two Harbors or the BNSF in Allouez. Most Minntac production goes through Two Harbors but I think if the steel industry got really soft again everything on the CN would probably go through Duluth. It's happened before. From 1963 to 1966, the Two Harbors docks were completely shut down. The day they shut down in 1963 was known as "Black Friday" in Two Harbors. After post war record tonnage throughout the 50s, natural ore was drying up and mines were closing a record pace. The taconite amendment really saved the Missabe, allowing taconite plants to start production and be free of state taxes for 25 years. The 80s were quite lean on the Missabe too but both ports stayed open. The Missabe started its SD-M rebuild program in 1979 and was halted after only three diesels were rebuilt. It was started again in 1988 and ran through 91 or 92. It's nice to see many vestiges of the Missabe still in operation like Dock 6. Dock 5 in Allouez handles production from Keewatin and Hibbing Taconite and seems to stay pretty busy. The whole Allouez Taconite Facility is three times the size of CN in Duluth but still goes through one dock like Duluth. The GN docks still stand just like Missabe Dock 5 in Duluth. My guess is it's cheaper to leave them standing than tear them down. I don't know if you've noticed but the BN left a diesel crane on the docks in Allouez when they tore out the approaches. When the state of WI widened Hwy 2/53 through Superior, it required the approaches be torn out. Dock 1 was still operating from the conveyer system so the state paid for the crane to stay on the dock for maintenance work, mainly with the chutes. Dock 1 quit operations in 1988 and the crane has been stranded there ever since. Just recently CN has used Dock 1 in Two Harbors for car storage, placing a couple strings of TTX flatcars on top of the dock. I'm just rambling at this point but though you might find it interesting. Just some things to look for on your next trip to the Ports. Cheers.
Oh thanks for that info! I've wondered about the history of some of these orphaned docks.
George, you totally outdid the boatnerds with this one. Another new perspective for me around CN6.
Great video. Very interesting to see the loading process. Thanks
Great Great Great work George!!! Truly amazing. I think you got an Oscar on this one!!!!
Great video George. I think the first 20 conveyors are on the old dock to the left.
Probably the most interesting train video I've ever seen. Thumbs up!
Thank you so much for this video! My husband and I watch the Duluth/Superior live cams from SC and find it fascinating learning how these marvelous ships are loaded and unloaded 😍
A first class done video! Thanks for sharing it.
Now that’s some cool drone footage!
👉 Ok oldman, you really knocked it out with this great video !! such a treat catching another 1 of your videos after a hard day !! thanks for taking us along 🚂
That was an amazing video George! Thank you for showing a Florida boy something he would never see here!
Fantastic video, George it was cool watching the mechanics on the train cars. Thank you for taking us all on your trips. Safe travels. God bless. Dallas Georgia.
I worked with cargo ships for about 10 years and spent hours watching them, but never from these awesome angles. Great video man.
Another great video. I've watched this process from water level, but this is way better! Thanks for all the detail.
EXCELLENT video job, to say the least, George.
What a great video, George!!! God bless and hope you keep them coming 👍👏🙏
wow, its so cool seeing those ships get loaded. Your drone shots are always perfect.
Nicely done! I know you’ve talked about doing this video for a few years. Thanks for completing it!
Thanks George, love the video. Been a minnesota boy my whole life and never saw loading up close..... keep up the good work
What an amazing video!George you produce some of the best video's on RUclips.Thank you for all your great work!!!!Keep them coming!!!!
Another great vlog George, keep up the good work and remember "Anytime is Train Time" That's what I would have the grade school children repeat after my Safety presentations regarding Railway Safety. From the Ole Retired CP Rail Bull in Southwestern Ontario,Canada. P.S. Be safe out there George.
This was fascinating. Your video shows so much detail. I recently started to watch these beautiful ships come into Duluth and am learning so much. Thank you for a great video!!!❤
Those Jennies look brand new!!! Great video!
They are, delivered last month!
@@davenitsch6094 Really??!!
@@danlowe8684 yes, we saw trains carry them north on the C.N. on the Steel Highways WI. rail cams, last month and early August.
So much detail that I had to view the video twice.
Great video! I never figured out how they emptied the cars, always assumed it would be automated now. I always found it interesting that they have load the ship in a specific order so it doesn’t become unstable at the dock. Thank you for sharing!
I remember seeing footage You had got of this operation before, really nice footage and cool to see iron ore hoppers dump the Taconite pellets. I remember seeing vintage steam on the Duluth Massabe & Iron Range RR,enjoyed the drone footage also!🛤🚂
At first I thought this was Burns Harbor Indiana, and was thinking....wow...that reminds me of Minnesota just a little bit from Duluth.
We take for granted just how we get everyday items. Awesome footage
Awesome shots. Love to see the drone footage of tracks going to the dock. I imagine there is a small rail yard where they drop loaded and pick up empties.
Yes, up the hill in Proctor is where the yard is located.
Stunning video. Pictures equal 1k words...
Eloquent!
Nice video and aerial views George ❤🏴
You have a great channel. Yes, it is August so the Badger State can get warm - but, it’ll break soon. Your trek up to Duluth is a good one. That’s a beautiful town, location overlooking Giche Goumie bankrupts the language. Go to the Lake Superior Rail Museum if you have a couple of hours. The entire depot is rebuilt and is really special. Be safe.
If you ever visit the Depot Museum portion you'll notice everything is made from yellow brick. All of that came from the brick yards in Chaska and/or Shakopee.
@@mountainmanwannabe9495 I’m going to go back next Summer, good Lord willing. Very nice area.
Did I miss the ride from Point to Duluth? Btw, I lived & work in Duluth-Superior for 30 years. Beautiful area for about 3-4 months a year. Winters are brutal though!
That previous video continued on to Pokegema. It was mostly after dark;)
@@Jumpingoffthecliff Oh that’s right! Sorry about that. Love seeing my old stomping grounds.
Another fantastic Video George. Thanks so much from the Hot Missouri Ozarks.
Drones are amazing! I just got my first one and am doing baby steps with it.
A great video of this process George. Thanks for sharing!
I know it's dangerous, and probably illegal, but that Ore Dock #5 is giving me a wicked explore itch...:)
@@jdhinckley1954 I feel that itch! I think they watch it pretty closely.
@@Jumpingoffthecliff Yeah, I bet they do.
Can guarantee they do. Delivered to both rail yards and shipping ports and all the ones I've been to, security was no joke.
Hi George, Wow what a great video. The system of unloading the cars is just amazing. While one unloads the car and the other closes the doors on the cars using those small ride on vehicle. Those vehicles are cleverly designed. Thanks
It’s pretty interesting, but it takes longer than I thought to load one of those thousand footers. I think it’s a fifteen plus hour process!
Good stuff George!!
Great video! You were lucky to catch this, especially during the "golden hour," which was a nice bonus. I'm guessing conveyors 1-20 are on the other side of the dock. Thanks!
Neat prospective. Thank you
@@davegoodridge8352 you're welcome!
Nice camera work as usual, especially with the drone on this one.
Great video. Very interesting to see.
Amazing footage! We enjoyed watching
Great video! I'm glad I found your channel! 😁
I was in there on the Burns in 1990 back when it was still DM&IR. Funny, because there's a sign on one of the belt rigs that reads the James R. Barker being loaded in about 3 hours or something. I really have a hard time believing that considering it takes these 1000 footers like 48 hours to load lately 😅😅
Man - you may have the coolest model railroad setup I have ever seen. Is that HO gauge?
I especially love the flying insect Zwwweeppp at 11:13.
@@swainscheps insect?
Thanks for doing this video, I’ll be following from now on. Your Newest Subscriber. ✔️ PS, I enjoy all the commenters too ✔️
Wow, just wow!
Great video. What a system they have in place to move this cargo.
WOW! That ore dock is still standing strong and functional after 106 years of usage! They don't build things like that these days!!!
Love your videos keep up the great work man
7:20 That's just pretty damn cool.
Great footage. Would also be great to see the train backing onto the dock and the workings of that directly. Maybe next time, try and focus on that? If you get lucky enough to catch it that is.
Regardless, I loved the video.
I'll definitely do that next time. It had already dropped half of the train off when I had arrived.
Pretty darn great video! Awesome
Thank you! As 1st MATE my dad was responsible for loading and unloading the ship. Great memories are stirring thank you much!
As always welcome.thanks.
Excellent video, from a perspective never imagined not that long ago. Forgive my ignorance, but how are the hatch covers moved?
There is a crane that runs on tracks that they use to remove hatches. Then they stack them on the adjacent hatch. They only open every other one based upon the dock spacing. You can see the crane near the first hatch.
Interesting 🎥 ✔️
this is so awesome
That waz really interesting. Thankyou.
I find it fascinating that the basic process of charging the dock and dumping it into waiting ships has been going on for over 100 years. The horizontal conveyors are new since the 1960s I think, but dumping the Jennie’s hasn’t changed.
Amazing, insane how modern society works. Great video
How do you manage to add audio to your drone footage? This was a awesome video.... We just got back from doing the Loop around Lake Superior. Took my drone with us... still a "newbie", so a bit reluctant to fly in busy areas... your video definitely inspired me to go exploring for unique perspectives like this! THANK YOU!
I use a separate camera and record audio from where I am standing. Depending on what accidentally gets captured I sometimes edit out cars going past or people talking etc.
@@Jumpingoffthecliff Great solution! I will remember that when audio would add to the video....
You should take a trip to a mill and watch them unload. Much more interesting watching the stacker/reclaimer in operation.
Very interesting
nice! way cool :)
That's some fast dumping! Used to take us all night to dump 100 corn cars into the grain elevator I used to work at. I guess if our pit was the size of a barge it could have gone faster. Not to mention having to send it up a couple hundred feet to drop it back down and distribute it into bins. I remember riding some coal cars back in the 90s with some friends one trip and it started pulling into a power plant. We all bailed off that thing as soon as we could fearing we'd get stuck on their property and/or we would be dropped down into some coal pit. Of course after eating $#!T the train stopped about a minute later. Good times.
Nothing like a face plant dismount!
@@Jumpingoffthecliff Haha, for sure. I knew it was coming by the way the frame pack I tossed bounced and the definition of the gravel going by. My little legs did good for a moment, but then it all caught up to me.
The numbering could be the other side of the loader, from the Burns Harbor, is 1-20, and the Burns Harbor side is 21-40.
we recently did taconite takeout at taco bell. we were prepared at the house with real sour cream, lettuce, etc. while the taco shell was full size, each was cracked at the bottom one inch, causing 100% failure to open.
Haha.
Photography is superb - what cameras do you use on your drone and for train hopping?
And stay safe out there
We will be in Britt Friday morning for the memorial service, leaving Indiana in the morning,
Probably a sister ship of the emerald Fitzgerald
are conveyers 1 through 20 on the left side of the dock?
I don't think there are any on that side, but I'm not sure.
@@Jumpingoffthecliff was just a though. Did that dock used to have big hopper funnels?
Seems like you're the only trainhopper left on RUclips! 😭
How is it possible to get that close with a drone? I am amazed that you did not get swarmed by the Department of Homeland Security. LOL
I only have one (1) Question, where is ALL the Dust ? 🤔👍
Those taconite pellets are less dusty than actual iron ore.
@@Jumpingoffthecliff Taconite is just the raw ore containing the low grade iron, these are actual iron pellets.
have you ever been on a CN train that actually made it back into Canada or to the border ?
No, I've always avoided actually crossing the border. I've ridden in Canada and the US, but have never crossed on a train.
Gold medal solo division
hey George when were the old docks last used ?????
@@moosiem60 I think I read somewhere new here that it was back in the 1970s or early 1980s.
Numbering system: looked at old photos of the docks when originally built. It serviced ships on both sides so I will guess left side starts with 11, 12, 13... and right side starts with 21, 22, 23... etc. Someone said 1 to 20 are on the other dock and that sounds logical too.
So when selecting their source, they aren’t limited. They can choose either-ore. 😂
Is that the old DMIR dock?
@@waltgay6967 yes, Dock 6.
What is that brown chute and how does it work?
I'm not sure which chute? There is a conveyor system used to load from the pile of ore too. It comes up through what looks like a chute.
@@Jumpingoffthecliff
Yes that chute. Don’t understand how it dumps from the conveyor.
@@Skippers58 I have another video that shows how that side works. I think it was at the end of a hopping to Duluth video from a couple of years ago.
👍✌️🙏🙏
what drone do you use?
Dji mini 4 pro.
How’s a person get in touch with you ???
My email is in the video description, george@jumpingoffthecliff.com
78,000 tons of cargo... Think about that for a second.. 156 MILLION pounds of taconite..
Crazy!
Have you ever been thrown in jail for riding the rails? Or do they show mercy?
I got a ticket one time, but the case was dismissed. In reality, nobody cares too much. They generally are helpful.
Thought I’d share this link of canal park during one of those wild storms, can you believe the ships STILL make their way through and under the bridge when it’s like this? Duluth Harbor Cam’s RUclips channel has some awesome livecams, and watching this one during storms is always a treat.
ruclips.net/video/UoY0e1HD8YE/видео.htmlsi=bX2UFboMHquKIxdH
@@Coxxy_Ray_of_Sunshineee Superior certainly presents challenges!
Love the aerial view.
You can tell they load lots of iron ore by all the red!