Busy Day at the Old Bethlehem Steel Mill

While not nearly as busy as the steel mill and its railyards used to be, it was still a busy day for rail operations around the former Bethlehem site! Starting in South Buffalo Railway's D Yard, the transfer run builds their train to interchange with the Buffalo & Pittsburgh Railroad while another crew heads over to the Port of Buffalo with gondolas full of large riprap. At the same time, a Gateway Metroport crew uses an old, modified Bethlehem EMD SW1 to push CSX coal hoppers into the rotary dumper, where the coal would be stockpiled nearby and loaded onto ships at a later date! It is a great thing to still see life at the old steel complex!
Filmed 6/6/2023
©2023 M'G:20 Productions - Matty Gunn
!!!!DO NOT USE WITHOUT PERMISSION!!!!
Train/Engine information:
SB-1 (Buffalo Creek Transfer)
Lackawanna, NY - Buffalo, NY
-SBRR GP15-3 #1529
-BPRR MP15DC #44
-BPRR SW1500 #1508 "Operation Lifesaver"
SB-2 (Metroport Local)
-BPRR SW1500 #1512
Gateway Coal Unloading Operation
-BSCX SW1 #75
Equipment used:
-Canon Vixia HF R800 (for sound)
-DJI Mavic Mini 2 Drone
-Uniden Bearcat BC125AT Handheld Scanner

[@simonjacobs9616]

Fantastic, just what I was looking for to model. Thank you for filming this.

[@jimbruneau6769]

Fantastic Drone footage! Steady as a rock! Unbelievable what you can see from up there...

[@mattygunn693]

Thanks!

[@lexpo181]

Great video Matty. This is the first time I saw a rotary dumper. Cool action to see, really sick ;)

[@mattygunn693]

Thank you! This is a pretty cool operation to see, I just wish I could get closer.

[@houseoftrainsgarcia9794]

I like train just subscribed great video

[@Jfrmr1]

Fantastic coverage. Glad to see the old Bethlehem steel plant site getting use

[@mattygunn693]

Thank you!

[@brandonreeves5979]

Man love the drone footage! Thanks for sharing. 😎👍🏻

[@mattygunn693]

Thank you very much, and thanks for watching!

[@brandonreeves5979]

@@mattygunn693 yes sir, of course.

[@garymartz7587]

Love these videos Matty!!

[@mattygunn693]

Thank you!

[@davestrains6816]

Outstanding video. Thanks for sharing. Dave

[@mattygunn693]

Thank you!

[@KCTopDawg]

You continue to do an awesome job bro!

[@mattygunn693]

Thanks a lot, I appreciate it!

[@stevenstorey1945]

Great video, Matty! Lot's of action and nice shots of the operation.

[@mattygunn693]

Thanks a lot!

[@Photoline1]

Breakin rocks in the hot sun...

[@mattygunn693]

These rocks don't get broken, they're used as is. I can only imagine how heavy they are, especially if it's granite.

[@jeffskene42]

nice footage the Buffalo Niagara area is end cab central

[@mattygunn693]

Thank you! The amount of end cabs in WNY sure does compete with the Union Railroad and Cleveland Works Railway!

[@fireman14892]

I absolutely love your videos! It is so nice to see what is going on in the yards from a high vantage point. Everyday I hope that you post a new video, thanks for all your efforts!

[@mattygunn693]

Thank you very much!

[@1940limited]

It is nice to see action at the site of the old plant. Bethlehem Steel used to manufacture railroad rail here with BSC Lackawanna embossed on the sides and the date. Some people used to think it was the name of the railroad as DL&W did use rail from Bethlehem's Lackawanna, NY plant. I didn't know so much was still going on there. I believe there still is some rail from this plant on what's left of the Lackawanna main line through the Poconos now operated by GVT. We just received the NKP ALCO PA.

[@DanielUnger-gn9ct]

It's sad that the steel mills in Bethlehem Pennsylvania closed n they made one part into a casino one part into a museum not sure what they did with the rest of the steel mills

[@IowaGrandpaTrain]

Interesting video. Thanks for sharing. Where do the big pieces of stone originate and how long is the haul to Buffalo?

[@mattygunn693]

Thanks! The riprap comes from a quarry in Barre, VT.

[@jstoli996c4s]

Looks sunny there yesterday, but I’m guessing not today from the Canadian wildfire smoke 💨

[@mattygunn693]

It was pretty bad today, I could actually smell the smoke. Fortunately it did clear up around late afternoon.

[@1940limited]

@@mattygunn693 We can smell the smoke in NE PA.

[@garysnider4305]

Great coverage of WNY railroading! Any idea on the origin of road being switched and their use age?

[@mattygunn693]

Thank you! The rock is riprap for the harbor break wall, which came from a quarry in Barre, VT.

[@chriswarner126]

Is that marble or granite they are Hualing?

[@mattygunn693]

Granite, from the Rock of Ages quarry in Barre, VT.

[@1940limited]

Is the EMD SW1 switcher a former Philadelphia, Bethlehem & New England locomotive?

[@mattygunn693]

I was told it's Bethlehem Steel (BSCX), and seeing as how I can't find any info on it online, I've been taking that guy's word.

[@1940limited]

@@mattygunn693 I don't know if any PBNE locomotives still exist. Thanks for the reply.