Pennsylvania's Steel Route: Taking Ore Down the Bessemer

Follow the Bessemer & Lake Erie railroad and learn how iron ore makes it way from northeastern Minnesota to steel mills near Pittsburgh, from a vision that started with Andrew Carnegie a century and a half ago, to today's operation owned by the Canadian National railway. Watch in 4K!
SPECIAL THANKS to those who contributed photos and video clips for this video:
KZbin djstrains - Detailed drone video of the Greenville shops and roundhouse here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/n33MiYx5ZrGqbJo
Austin MacDougall flickr: www.flickr.com/photos/ajm9339/
Jim Stanton flickr: www.flickr.com/photos/teeveejim/
Jacob Rink rrpa: sjrailroader31.rrpicturearchives.net/
This is Day 2 of our fall trip to western Pennsylvania, Day 1 we visited the Buffalo & Pittsburgh railroad: kzbin.info/www/bejne/oYTciqB3bNqfn9E
Filmed October 19, 2019 - Copyright 2020 - Central Penn Rail Productions
Facebook: CentralPennRailProductions
As always, I try to do my best research with what is available on the web, but if any information seems incorrect, please let me know in the comments and I'll pin the post.
Thanks for watching!

[@CentralPennRailProductions]

Big thanks to djstrains for letting me include a few seconds of his Greenville drone footage in this video (12:30-12:36). See his full video here to learn more: kzbin.info/www/bejne/n33MiYx5ZrGqbJo DJ is an engineer for CSX and makes many railroad videos covering topics from modeling, to life on the railroad, and general railfan locations with detailed information, subscribe to him if you haven't already!

[@bhproductions1061]

I catch these BLE trains in Butler Pennsylvania and saw a CN SD70M-2 power move yesterday

[@spaceflight1019]

Once upon a time, both the B&LE and Union Railroad were owned by U.S. Steel, since both roads service the remaining facilities east of Pittsburgh. Union is apparently owned by a company named Transtar, as they've been running "help wanted" ads in the Pittsburgh newspaper. Thanks to the continued deterioration of the steel industry both roads are mere shadows of what they once were.

[@jwtish7825]

I like the voice-over! Very professional sounding.

[@CentralPennRailProductions]

Thanks, I appreciate it. Still new to it and learning every time.

[@JawTooth]

Awesome video! I like how you put the maps in the video. That is one of my favorite things. I can't wait for it to get warm again so we can travel to film trains.

[@CentralPennRailProductions]

Yeah I hear you, I've only been out a few days this year. I had to cancel my upcoming New Mexico trip because of the virus going around, but been trying to find time to keep making videos and release them once I have enough finished. New camera on the way too soon, maybe, Amazon is slow right now to get out things that aren't necessity. And thanks for watching!

[@JawTooth]

@@CentralPennRailProductions Lets hope this virus dies down. I hope it doesn't affect the opening of the tourist railroads.

[@heatherallan2695]

i am so thrilled about this video however i am also sad as many trains have ceased operations due to blockades here

[@CentralPennRailProductions]

Yeah, it's a tough scenario. Thanks for watching!

[@Trains21]

I'd devoured this video the day that you published it but didn't realize I hadn't given my thoughts (not that you wanted them).. So here I am back to enjoy it yet again and I realize my faux p aux.. Very nicely done.. The visuals were outstanding (but then again, yours always are).. I appreciate that you showed the "other" direction when shooting the BLE coming south out of the yard.. So many videos I've watched and they always point north-ONLY!! I wish I'd known that you were taking submissions for this video, i have shots from 2004 when all of the BLE locomotives still congregated there (in Greenville).. Oh well, maybe next one.. Anyhoots, I really enjoyed the chase and learned a few things along the way.. And like all, I've watched it multiple times.. I hope that you'll do more videos like these.. It's a lot of work, I know, but I think that the result is worth it.. Good stuff.

[@CentralPennRailProductions]

Thanks AC! I always appreciate your comments. And yeah, a little more work went into this video than I am willing to admit, but that's what happens when you try a different workflow and have to get use to a strategy of how the whole story fits together. Those old shots of BLE sound interesting, nothing but orange back then!

[@charlesshivoder2887]

Hello from Lebanon. Wow!! After following your videos for a while now, most from right near my home, I finally hear your voice. I like the narrative format....you sound fine!! The Bessemer has always been an interesting operation. Orange is my favorite color, so I’ve always loved to watch their locomotives in action. Thanks as always for your fine videography, selection of locations, and content. I always enjoy seeing your work. Many thanks. CAS

[@CentralPennRailProductions]

Hi Charles, thanks again for watching. Been busy lately but hope to get more videos out in the next few weeks. Narration is challenging but fun, opens up a whole new way to make videos. Thanks again for watching, and maybe just maybe next time I will see the orange Bessemer locomotives.

[@BessemerLakeErie902]

13:12. I also fell waist deep in that exact spot when I was chasing U702 a couple weeks later lol.

[@BessemerLakeErie902]

+John Stephenson Yes, they do.

[@BessemerLakeErie902]

+John Stephenson At least twice a day

[@GfwTrains]

This is a great video. I especially lived to see those IC engines on the CN. Thanks for sharing. Thumbs up.

[@CentralPennRailProductions]

Yeah it's pretty cool to see IC SD70s. They are among the last of their kind. Thanks for watching!

[@christopherplaugher]

“Legacy of the Illinois Central lives on” that should be a slogan for the B&LE

[@CentralPennRailProductions]

Haha, that's a good one! It certainly is odd how they assigned so many of them there.

[@bhproductions1061]

Yeah I just saw a BLE and IC locomotives haul a local train yesterday

[@bhproductions1061]

Sadly they aren’t here anymore

[@spaceflight1019]

A few years ago, the Arthur Andersen ore carrier got ice bound while delivering taconite to Conneaut. After getting unstuck, the train carrying the taconite to Braddock derailed in Butler county.

[@bhproductions1061]

That’s crazy I Railfan in Butler Pa I must have just missed it!

[@zachariassiefker9249]

Nice catches! I like the classic EMD power, the ex Illinois Central EMD SD70's, the vintage signals and signal cantilevers, the sounds of the grade crossing mechanical bells, and the beautiful fall scenery in the background! Really nice!

[@CentralPennRailProductions]

Thanks Zach, it really is such an awesome piece of railroad! I regret taking so long to get out to see it.

[@zachariassiefker9249]

@@CentralPennRailProductions You're welcome!

[@FrogandFlangeVideo]

Nice to see the CN power. This a super polished production. I love your use of maps, charts and diagrams. The track layout diagrams are especially cool.

[@bnsf7562]

Nicely done, Eric. I tried to chase the B&LE about five years ago, but nothing ever ran. Perhaps a second attempt is needed.

[@CentralPennRailProductions]

Thanks Jake, definitely hit or miss, though seemingly more predictable today.

[@denault3985]

Great video, great narration, great locations...and oh yes congratulations on you're upcoming nuptials! Btw, there goes the new video equipment budget, you'll be spending on more important matters. :-)

[@CentralPennRailProductions]

Haha, we'll see. Been saving up money for both! ;-) Thanks as always!

[@GTRailFanProductions]

Awesome video! You're in my alleyway as I live next to the Bessemer & Lake Erie RR (down the street from your Cranesville PA Shot) and I railfan it a lot. The oldest hopper I've seen have is the mid 1960s making them almost 60 years old.

[@CentralPennRailProductions]

I've noticed, every time I search BLE your videos come up, haha. I wasn't certain so I didn't mention it in the video, but I believe most of them are ex-Rock Island, correct? I couldn't find build dates so I wasn't sure how many batches they had that pre-dated the 1970s. Anyway, thanks for watching and commenting!

[@GTRailFanProductions]

@@CentralPennRailProductions Oh that's cool. I'm not sure what they're heritage is, before the Bessemer, the range I've seen is like 1963-late 70s. The late 60s-late70s old hoppers were more common to see. If you saw one earlier than the late 60s it was kind of cool. Sad they've been replaced by the new cars but hey, they look sharp behind 3 BLEs or ICs so I ain't complaining.

[@wurlitzer1538]

Central Penn Rail Productions I know at least some of them are. Maybe all of them. They were originally still painted in the bankrupt blue of the RI

[@bobgallo2178]

@@GTRailFanProductions After 40 yrs., a railcar is not to be used in interchange traffic. Nice to see that CN invested in new rolling stock. Is a shame that some of the cars have flat spots on the wheels already. Great post, a big thank you.

[@spaceflight1019]

When I was a kid, the Bessemer cars had their brakes on the outside of the wheels instead of on the inside like everyone else.

[@AlexEAE]

Very nice film - I enjoyed watching and listen to your narration. Thank you

[@darrelgibbs4898]

I forgot about you you always bring great video

[@stephenarata2704]

Excellent video - footage, narration, and graphics alike! I never knew that the DM&IR and Bessemer worked together as part of the same system (along with the ships) to transport taconite pellets from Minnesota to PA steel mills. Thanks for the education!

[@spaceflight1019]

The story of the Edmund Fitzgerald is part of the story here. Fitzgerald was headed to Zug Island and the Arthur Andersen was en route to Conneaut with a load of taconite.

[@tbob8212]

Nice. I live in Duluth, MN. CN ex-DM&IR still uses the short (26ft I think) ore jennies to the Duluth ore dock. Taconite pellets are awesome ammo for wrist-rockets n sling-shots. Had lots of fun as a kid. An ex-coworker told me when he was a kid, him and his friends would have wrist-rocket battles with taconite pellets, lmao!

[@CentralPennRailProductions]

That's an interesting story, lol. Thanks for sharing that!

[@jonasasplund1423]

Awesome video! I used to work at the Minntac mine where most of those pellets probably originated. I wondered how those pellets move from the boats in Conneaut to the steel mill. Minntac had it own in pit to plant railroad back in the day before the pit got too deep.

[@BessemerLakeErie902]

Nice chase! I enjoyed watching!

[@CentralPennRailProductions]

Thanks!

[@bigjohnrailproductions8370]

Going down "ore" up. Good video.

[@xray606]

Very well done. God job on the graphics.

[@CentralPennRailProductions]

Thanks for watching and commenting, I appreciate it!

[@tommybritton9273]

Well done my friend, loved the fall colors 👍👍

[@CentralPennRailProductions]

Thanks!

[@scottiebartz2534]

This is a great video and I love freight trains

[@owenthetrainman7219]

Beautiful shots and camera work

[@drc930]

Nice work! Interesting operation.

[@tomrockwell6630]

Great video. Thanks.

[@MrCameronsterling]

long live the IC

[@Nicola636128]

Great video!

[@CentralPennRailProductions]

Thank you!

[@Gracebeliever077]

This is a superb video!

[@Locos-del-oeste]

Super video my friend !!!

[@CentralPennRailProductions]

Thank you!

[@ROTE]

Awesome!

[@alangibson3293]

Great footage and commentary, thanks.

[@CentralPennRailProductions]

Thank you

[@austinhillard6705]

I live in Albion and that line crosses my driveway, I haven't seen an orange engine in a long while

[@SantaFe19484]

Awesome video!

[@JeepSec]

I love watching your videos! This one is particularly great as I grew up along the Bessemer, and the B&P is a local for me now as well. How do you know when and where trains are coming/going? I love railfanning but usually it seems like just luck for me whether I see anything or not.

[@CentralPennRailProductions]

A lot of it is information passed down graciously by locals who manage facebook groups. It's a widely covered operation that typically runs in the two patterns described at the beginning of the video, so there's a lot of intel out there for it. Other areas are much harder to research.

[@chrisperry1151]

Great video, but a signal drop on the awesome classic search light signals would have been a home run!

[@CentralPennRailProductions]

Oh I agree, something I will definitely have to try for next time. Thanks for watching!

[@NorthernMetro]

Great quality content ! And at 14:15 you chose the right vantage point.

[@JoeyBPhotography]

Great chase! Good thing you didn't slip waste-deep as well! That would make for an uncomfortable rest of the chase. Thanks for sharing!

[@CentralPennRailProductions]

Anything can happen on a chase, never a moment that's not exciting, haha. And thank you for watching!

[@steelcityrailfan4808]

What did the chaser do? Go home or keep on going?

[@tonygold4389]

Great video, thanks to all who shot. I will be watching for the South end of Bessemer sub. You will get a super shot of bridge over Allegheny River.

[@CentralPennRailProductions]

I've passed that bridge many times but never shot a train there. I can't wait to go back, hopefully sometime this spring.

[@12RCARR]

My grandpa use to work at the docks In conneaut he was there for 37 years retired now

[@lnproductions3227]

Very nice video there!

[@DuMontTV]

Excellent!! 👍👍👍👍👍👍👍

[@CentralPennRailProductions]

Thanks!

[@AndyRailfan]

Great video as always!

[@CentralPennRailProductions]

Thanks!

[@punitpanchal90]

Nice

[@BandRacer8778]

Come down here to Saxonburg sometime. Theres a real nice spot to catch some passing

[@freebrickproductions]

Great video and catch! Those hoppers look similar to the ones on the NERR, IMHO.

[@CentralPennRailProductions]

Thanks!

[@guy_called_Odin]

Would love to see B&LE 643 broken in on this line.

[@CentralPennRailProductions]

Absolutely, talk about a beast of a steam locomotive.

[@taslimchaudhry1431]

Great Video ,🙂🙂🇮🇳

[@ljones121]

So the sd70s are gone, sd70m-2 are pulling the ore trains now and NS is doing preliminary site work for the new bridge over Conneaut creek 😊

[@ThatLVCguy]

Very well done. Good overdub and wonderful editing. Have you ever did any train watching at Lebanon Valley College? They just got their upgraded walking bridge done and it is awesome. The walking bridge spans the railroad tracks and gives a great view of the passing trains. I think I saw they are even having a KZbin meetup the end of July this year. I saw it on a video on the ResslerMania channel.

[@CentralPennRailProductions]

Thank you! And no, I haven't been by there in quite some time, that's good to know though!

[@BandRacer8778]

If you want a good spot south of butler, check out SX North and SX South in Saxonburg.

[@BessemerLakeErie902]

What camera did you film this with? The video quality is very clear!

[@crosstiespike]

You guys are the best, I can't watch your videos just one time. Love those ore cars at 15:16. Would love to model a BLE ore train but no way can afford it in G scale.

[@beeble2003]

That would be pretty amazing in G scale. This train would be about 200ft long!

[@NS_5350]

The Brewer Road grade crossing in Saxonburg, PA is a good spot to film

[@CentralPennRailProductions]

Yes, I want to go to Saxonburg next time by the signals. It's a grade there too so it should make a great video!

[@NS_5350]

@@CentralPennRailProductions Yeah! They'll have the dynamics on there!

[@oneeyedhacker715]

99.9k subs gg on that

[@JAMESMANHUNT9]

I've been to the Illinois central roundhouse where cn rebuilds their locos

[@ditchlightproductions3770]

Awesome work! I’m planning a trip out there within the next few weeks, do they run south daily?

[@SebisRandomTech]

Probably a little late for this but generally they run south every morning.

[@rexjamison2170]

now----thats class a1 video

[@StationRailfan]

Amazing video Central Penn. May I ask, what camera do you use?

[@CentralPennRailProductions]

This was with a Sony AX100. And thanks!

[@iamdarb]

Nice quality production. What type of setup are you using for video?

[@CentralPennRailProductions]

So right now just a Velbon DV7000 tripod with a Sony AX100 camcorder (4K here). I use a Rode Stereo Videomic X for the train sound and also to record my voice.

[@jackstephenson5238]

Do you know what time the BLE leaves Conneaut and how regularly they run on Saturdays? I want to catch them but, I can only do it on a weekend.

[@DelmarvaRailProductions]

First one! Awesome video!!

[@CentralPennRailProductions]

Thanks, Andrew!

[@DelmarvaRailProductions]

Your welcome!

[@galaxyrailfanning7860]

Nice video! How often do theses trains run?

[@SebisRandomTech]

More or less once a day.

[@micheleedwards4225]

can you tell me how many jennies this train was pulling thank you

[@FilmCrateMedia]

What's rail traffic like on this line typically? I have friends in Grove City and have been wanting to go visit again. Maybe do some railfanning while I'm at it.

[@CentralPennRailProductions]

Aside from the empty and loaded ore train, there's the local out of Greenville to Girard (rare) and the more common local south to Butler. So possibly 3 trains a day.

[@WarbonnetProductions]

What kind of camera do you use?

[@VArailfan89]

Interesting to see aggregate style 3 bay hoppers instead of the coal style 3 bays on this train...one question though, why do they say "BLE" when they were bought out by CN? Loved this video, hope to see more like it!

[@CentralPennRailProductions]

There's a legal technicality with Canadian Railroads operating in the United States, I believe everything is reported through their subsidiaries, therefore, BLE still exists on paper as an American company, hence the reason why CN used "Bessemer & Lake Erie" when purchasing the CSX line in upstate New York (obviously it has very, very little to do with the actual Bessemer & Lake Erie). So the railroads still keep reporting marks for their subsidiaries. Someone may have a better way to explain this, but that's the best I can come up with.

[@VArailfan89]

@@CentralPennRailProductions Ah OK, makes sense! I'd love to see something on that line but I've heard not much runs, do you know about how many trains a day run on that line?

[@beeble2003]

They don't use the coal-style hoppers because iron ore is much heavier than coal. A coal hopper would probably be less than half-full of ore when it hit its load limit. Same reason that cement hoppers are shorter than grain hoppers and grain hoppers are shorter than plastics hoppers; and corn syrup tanks are shorter than oil tanks, which are shorter than LPG tanks.

[@bhproductions1061]

@@beeble2003 these new hoppers are filled 3/4 the way

[@SebisRandomTech]

@@VArailfan89 1 or 2 at most.

[@EdEddnEddyonline1]

Does that line pass through Grove City, PA?

[@SebisRandomTech]

Yes.

[@Kmaster2007]

She was the beautiful daughter of the B&LE and she weighed over 1,000 tons!

[@luannogueira8318]

NS SD70M-2#2681

[@luannogueira8318]

B&LE#901

[@dirkbaeuerle2952]

Cool shot of taconite pellets. Can u Mail me a pellet?

[@CaptainDon-ug9kx]

All those beautiful signal bridges and not one shot of the aspects changing??? All shots were from the red over red opposing side. "You can hear those dynamic brakes roar", well mostly you hear the horns. A walk up the tracks a couple hundred yards would have got the dynamics without the horns (and would have got some shots of changing aspects).

[@thesuneversets]

Just doesn’t look right without those orange locos

[@peteacher52]

North American loco drivers are a horn and bell-happy bunch . . . not so much as, Get out of my way here I come but, Look at mine; mine's bigger than yours. If I lived nearby I'd be pissed off by the noise pollution as I'm perfectly able to perceive the approach of such behemoths by their engine roar and seismic assault alone without horns adding to the sonic barrage.

[@luannogueira8318]

DMIR#403