Steel Mill Trains inside Indiana Harbor and Gary Works

On January 8th, 2023, I visited two steel mills in Northwest Indiana. First I stopped by the Cleveland Cliffs Indiana Harbor plant (former Inland Steel). Right away there was a SW1001 dropping off some torpedo cars at the small yard west of the Indiana Harbor Canal. Soon after, a slug set with a SW1500 picked up the cars and brought them to another facility in the plant (I assume to be loaded).
I then moved onto Gary Works where I caught a couple Gary Railway SW1200s moving around the mill. One was paired with a slug and was loading some torpedo cars that I caught departing the loader. Another interesting piece of a equipment I spotted was some sort of cart that unloaded iron ore next to one of the main blast furnaces. If anyone has any info on it, I'd be curious to know!
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[@SamLovesTrains]

Quick correction: The mill at the beginning of video is actually former LTV/ISG, not Inland.

[@billscott356]

And before that, Youngtown Sheet and Tube. Today the former Inland (where I worked) and YST are a combined facility.

[@z00h]

another correction, it's harbour not harbor.

[@danielthoman7324]

@@z00h I'm from that area. It's Indiana harbor.

[@z00h]

@@danielthoman7324 so it's a "harbour" with a spelling mistake, got it.

[@ThisIS_Insane]

@@z00h Only if you're from Great Britain, or Australia...

[@midwestrails8317]

Killer stuff! The shot of the bottles from above is my favorite.

[@SamLovesTrains]

Thanks!

[@doinitforthestreets]

I've always wanted to see the inside of this plant, thanks for posting this!

[@josephcrowshaw950]

Fascinating! The drone view gives a better idea of how sprawling this mill is.

[@SamLovesTrains]

Thanks! Drones really let you capture scenes that you’d otherwise never see.

[@arnomrnym6329]

cool footage. 👍🏾😎 Thx. It's a pity that much of the railroad infrastructure has been dismantled, but you can still see how it was in the golden days.

[@Bob.W.]

Great shots of those loaded torpedo cars

[@jiml9692]

I use to work there years ago. Believe it or not but that train is remote controled. One man operation. Great video.

[@ThisIS_Insane]

There was the switchman, and I saw the safety vest of another man sitting in the cab of that engine.

[@jiml9692]

If you look on the side of the engine it says remote controlled. And i worked there back in the mid 90s.

[@ThisIS_Insane]

@@jiml9692 It was a bit hard to see those huge letters on the side. Nevertheless, I know what can be seen in that Cab.

[@remylopez4821]

Fascinating video I can only imagine what that area was like during world war two production years, but I found amazing other than that locomotives and other vehicles driving about you never saw anybody walking from building to building or working outdoors on anything I would love to visit a place like that too bad it’s off-limits for nerds like me

[@ingo_8628]

No stupid music, just the enviromental sound, i like it.

[@LibertyRailfan]

Very cool video, always great from the bird's eye view, scenes you wouldn't have been able to get otherwise..

[@onenickthomas]

Amazing!

[@captainhuggyface6731]

i dont know why, but i have found a great fondness for this locomotive and its harbour, thanks for the video

[@RailFanRob]

Wow love this industrial footage. Awesome video man thanks for sharing!!!

[@SimpleMechanic931]

I love these videos because, having been born after the heyday of steel making, I’ve really only ever seen steel mills once they’ve been bankrupted and closed. So it’s very nice to see a real blast furnaces being charged by working skip cars and all the little details of a functioning mill, though the first one in this video doesn’t look to different from what I’m used to haha

[@AlbertaBoundRailfanning]

Very nice coverage! Those are quite the fascinsting operations and facilities there! Love the drone work for areas like this, nicely done!

[@Steve-k4f5z]

I hauled steel out of all of them. Huge

[@tomp8871]

Once you put that drone up, I have one thing to say. WOW, look at this place....hUUUGe

[@kleetus92]

6:45 I like how the gates go up when the train comes through!

[@davehughesfarm7983]

Nice

[@jessewalker9241]

Worked in the Gary Works locomotive shop for years on the locomotives until they gave it to Gary Railway that repairs them now

[@MarkInLA]

Mind boggling how humans know how to construct all this in order to make steel, including all the railroad involvement it takes.

[@swradios]

Facinating! Beautiful Professional drone work also. 1950's Industry on Parade! I grew up about 1 hour east, South Bend, In. Thanks again, great work!!

[@sunglassesron9464]

This site looks a shadow of it's former self.

[@jordanalexander615]

I thought his was a model railway several times lol

[@b43xoit]

I wonder how many Mob killings involved molten metal or a container that had held some.

[@guerrillarailfan3716]

Fantastic video! What did you use to record the audio?

[@harold1098]

Awesome drone footage! Very interesting.

[@MikeInPlano]

What was that powered hopper carrying - at 13:21?

[@okeverett8498]

Thought this was a model for the first 30 seconds

[@pauldoty506]

Is the soundtrack from where you were standing or is it stock sound track?

[@SamLovesTrains]

Yes. The sound was recorded from where I was flying and synced up with the videos

[@BennyCFD]

WOW..........What an expansive complex. Must be one of the worse place to work in that heat, acrid air and filth.

[@vault20]

How did you get the sound while flying a drone this is an awesome video

[@SamLovesTrains]

Thank you! The audio is recorded from my video camera on the ground.

[@vault20]

@@SamLovesTrains ahh ok that makes sense now why that coal train sounded so close by I was thinking you have some alien microphone technology on that drone for such clear sound lol

[@Denhalen79]

The thumbnail looks like it's a model version of a train and surroundings. I guess it has to do with the angle of the shot

[@philbob99]

Excellent video! At 5:10, train passes a still functioning, I assume, tower. Anybody know the name? Drone work A+. Superb. The incredible variety of facilities, and the raw industrial landscape is a wonder to behold. And a big thanks for using real sounds of the mills, trains, etc. It's rare that background music is pleasing on such videos.

[@joshnugent2426]

It’s called hick tower

[@yugotime1598]

I thought that was a fake background in the opening shot.

[@heybeerdan1820]

Exceptional video, Sam! Drone work is perfect. Plenty of inspiration here for modelers, I'd say. Well done.

[@SamLovesTrains]

Thank you! I’d love to model a mill like this some day.

[@hoosierhobbies]

This is without a doubt the best steel mill video that I have ever seen!

[@SamLovesTrains]

Thank you! I’m glad you enjoyed!

[@LeoStarrenburg]

Same here, and a first for the loaded torpedo cars 👍

[@MervynPartin]

Absolutely 👍

[@vietnammodeling]

For a moment I thought this was an amazingly well built model railroad.

[@ModelingSteelinHO]

Thank you Sam for filming these "off limits" industrial places. It immensely helps with modeling. Got the gears turning.

[@justinmarcotte5272]

How were you able to fly inside the plant? I would have assumed it would be off limits? Keep in mind, I don’t know drone laws. Also, the audio, is that stock or recorded by the drone?

[@franzbrunner499]

as you mention modeling: where can i get torpedo (8-axle) / slug cars shown here in HO? internet shows Märklin (Krupp), but 18-axle! thanks for helping

[@ModelingSteelinHO]

@@franzbrunner499 Franz. Look up "State Tool & Die" in USA . This company makes a version of eight axle torpedo cars in HO. Great kit that can be easily super detailed .

[@brucybabyy7355]

Oh man the size and scope of it is mind-boggling fantastic filming love those bottle cars at the end

[@andrewpalm2103]

Wow, just wow! Great footage. It's nice to see end-cab switchers still working hard. In the 60's I worked four summers at US Steel Gary Sheet and Tin, so this brings back some memories. I travelled past the Gary Works many times by auto and the CSS&SB, but had no idea how extensive they were. And in the 50's my family would occassinally drive through Hammond, first on US20 and later on the new Toll Road. I remember trying to hold my breath as the smell was so bad. I can even vaguely remember PRR sharknose diesels parked on yard tracks near US20, too.

[@SamLovesTrains]

I’m glad the video brought back good memories. It’s great to see the industry still going *somewhat* strong in Gary, despite mills closing down all the time this day and age.

[@ThisIS_Insane]

@@SamLovesTrains When they pulled out, Gary lost over 160,000 residents. Now there's barely 70,000 living there. USS built that town and the mill to supply jobs, but then just said, "Hey, we changed our plans, you're all on your own."

[@JohnBath-f8p]

Memories of Sheffield 45 years ago. River Don Works. Plus secondments to my native South Wales. Drove molten iron trains as part of my duties.

[@Ben-tw7lf]

Geez, this is the most realistic layout I've ever seen. Moving water and everything!

[@stevenreay7833]

I worked on sites such as this on Teesside and Sheffield in the 80's in England. Much much smaller, and that includes the trains but processes all look so familiar. Superb photography, the sound is especially good. I'm so glad I found this and I'm looking forward to watching your other work. Many thanks

[@jessewalker9241]

Worked a decade field and shop repair on the US Steel locomotive and rail cranes fleet on that and the other bop shop and furnace high lines until it was handed over to Gary Railway. It was great working in the locomotive shop that was built in 1906 and being part of that history.

[@abloogywoogywoo]

They used to have high lines in Port Talbot Steelworks many years ago too, much of it is still visible in spite of landscaping caused by new road development.

[@mattberg916]

The furnaces at USS Gary are 4,6,8 and 14. The ore shuttle gets loaded by the ore bridge (clamshell on the overhead) and dumps into bins below the highline. The area below the highline is called the stock house and runs the full length of the furnace row, it's all bins for coke, limestone, ore and sinter, shakers and conveyors. The materials are loaded by conveyor into the skip tubs that climb the skip incline to the charge deck of the furnace. I worked for the EJ&E for a bit and then was back at USS as a carpenter building scaffold. I've literally been inside, on top of and underneath those blast furnaces and every nook and cranny in between. Not to mention just about every other place in the mill from the dunes out on the far east end of the property to the basements of the coil houses on the far west. Fascinating place to be, kinda crappy to work in. You've made some excellent video!

[@Nethanel773]

This vast iron and steelworks complex makes this place look so otherworldly. I like you filmed this. Thanks for putting this up.

[@Nethanel773]

13:10 - 14:30 brings to mind scenes from the movie, Koyaanisqatsi. Actually, a few of the zoom, pan, and flyover shots bring that movie to mind.

[@eugenenewton1909]

These are great…. You wanted to follow that switcher through the barn at 4:28. You thought about it

[@SamLovesTrains]

Haha! Maybe if I’m feeling brave some day. Would be game over if it went down anywhere inside that plant.

[@FireandFrostHVAC]

This is one of the most highly detailed model railroads that I have ever seen in my life… 😂😂😂

[@BossSpringsteen69]

Never had any inspirations to model a steel mill until after watching this video.

[@SamLovesTrains]

Makes me want to as well!

[@Harveycartoonlvr11]

OH, YEAH! Without a doubt, that is the Cleveland Cliffs Steel Plant in East Chicago, when I saw it crossing the Indiana Harbor Canal, I KNEW it was right off the bat! I do miss Inland Steel/Acerlor Mittal because AT LEAST they'd let you photograph Trains in their primarily UNUSED PARKING LOT at C.P. 502, and now you can't because security will only chase you away now. Love that NS Intermodal Crossing the Canal by "HICK" Tower.

[@strobx1]

There's the Ped Bridge that the State of Indiana owns that you can video from

[@marvwatkins7029]

Heavy industry is not a traditional thing of beauty, especially rust belt industry, much of which is abandoned but too expensive too raize. But this all has its own unique beauty, especially when seen as a vast landscape and in particular, in the winter.

[@marvwatkins7029]

Evidently the property owners and railroad has no problem with overhead drones, especially in these days of "heightened security".

[@terry7340]

Fresh from college I worked at Inland Steel in 1966/7 until the draft board caught up with me. A huge blizzard shut everything down that winter. I think they even banked the blast furnaces.

[@KeoniPhoenix]

Lots and lots of Money moving around. I have to tell people that if you don't hear the train go through town, you don't hear money moving and without money moving you don't have a local economy.

[@shopshop144]

Such a fabulous giant waste land. It must have been something to witness at it's peak. A sad testament to this country's present industrial status.

[@marvwatkins7029]

Amazing volume on those speakers (assuming that it's not dubbed in).

[@gp3829]

I really enjoyed your video. It reminded me of the former Steelworks at Redcar in Cleveland, North Yorkshire, UK - which is now unfortunately closed. Similar Switchers and Bottle-cars (Torpedo cars) semi-decrepit Buildings, redundant gear. It had same fascinating Industrial Archeology about it as well as its setting - being surrounded by other Industries. The river Tees here was known as 'Steel River' with all the Iron-ore that was mined in the nearby Cleveland Hills. Thanks for posting.

[@DavidWilson-hh2gn]

I used to be involved with the Lackenby - Workington steel trains when I was on the Signalling,the steel was used for manufacturing railway track at Workington.

[@gp3829]

@@DavidWilson-hh2gn Love Teesside. Miss it like anything.

[@AndreiTupolev]

What a fantastic view! It's obviously much reduced in extent, but it still gives the impression of an entire industrial city

[@88detour]

It looks as if US steel is mostly vacant. All I see are mostly abandoned warehouses and railroad tracks. If only the City could buy most of the land. The City of Gary could use that lakefront area for development.

[@88detour]

@@eileendonald8628 No doubt it's very toxic. It will take several years for the City to deem it safe. It wouldn't hurt to get the ball rolling.

[@Travis-kw3mo]

Such a cool looking old industrial site. Probably polluted as hell though

[@Travis-kw3mo]

Jesus that place is huge. How many acres does it cover

[@Starsnu1]

WOW, what a great view of those steel mills in Gary, IN. I've driven by them many times and rode by them at least 10 times on The Lakeshore Limited. I would love to see more of this. Great Work

[@critical_always]

Fantastic camera work. I am a total random, not even into trains or modelling but this was a pleasure to watch. Watching on a 65" screen and listening on quality studio speakers. The sound is very good too.

[@unpasaro]

WOW !!! what a fantastic video, excellent filming. I live in a small country and it is hard for me to assimilate seeing industries of such size, impressive , congratulations

[@SamLovesTrains]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@farmerdave7965]

As a former steel mill hot end worker, I approve of this video.

[@victormioduszewski4729]

Great video....Just the size and scope of these plants is amazing....To think of all the products that are made with steel from these plants and are in yesterday's and todays households.....

[@johnlatham7092]

Excellent video ! Couple of questions 1) Did you need permission to fly drone over the mill ? 2) Where did you get the sounds from ? (obviously drone can't capture sounds) I didn't realise until halfway through that you must had added sounds afterwards ... really novel way of presenting the video ... most folks (like me) simply add a music soundtrack to match the visuals. Once again extremely well produced video mate. Cheers from Australia !

[@SamLovesTrains]

Thank you! The mills don’t own the airspace so they can’t legally stop you from flying. The only problem is if the drone goes down. The sounds are from my video camera that was recording from the ground. Then I matched the sounds with the drone video in post.

[@johnlatham7092]

@@SamLovesTrains I hear what you're saying about airspace but most of the area around Sydney is rated NoFlyZone so your drone is automatically locked out from flying in those airspaces. It's great that you have no restrictions because it is quiet safe to fly in the areas you were in. Also thanks for sharing the tip on gathering background noise from the ground to match the air shots. I'm actually watching a lot of your other videos now that I am a subscriber. Keep putting in the effort with your transition shots as well. They are very professional.

[@B1221C]

And here is where the Terminator was born.

[@MervynPartin]

That was excellent. Great drone filming-steady and clear. I've always found steel making fascinating, with so much going on throughout the plants. In the past, I was lucky enough to visit a couple of now closed steel mills- a school visit to Guest Keen Iron & Steel in Cardiff, Wales and also when unloading a cargo of Canadian iron ore to Bethlehem Steel in Sparrows Point, Baltimore MD. The railroad operations were extensive, handling coal, coke, iron ore, molten iron, slag and of course the finished product-steel. Your video brought back memories.

[@POLARTTYRTM]

Sorry if this is a noob question, but... at 4:55, that's a GE unit. All the times I've seem Iron Ore/coal trains in the US, they were always led by EMD units, most of them didn't have a single GE unit. Why in this case it's a single GE pulling the train unit and why are EMDs used almost all times for iron ore/coal trains? I always see this in the Belen, NM cam from Raifan, I've never seem that type of train being led by a GE unit before, let alone a single one.

[@sunglassesron9464]

That looks a big site! We used to have industry like this in Britain until we got sold down the river...

[@freshpack8928]

I thought this was a train set at the beginning.

[@Steven_Williams]

This is awesome! Nice to see what's on the other side of the tracks when I railfan.

[@sanddabz5635]

This place is massive, I don't know if it's all one big place, because some of it looks abandoned. At 4:40 as the locomotive approaches the railroad trestles/bridge with missing track and rail, That would have been way cool to watch trains traverse that!..... also at 7:17 The two elevated tracks on the right that are merging, I wonder if that is used anymore? Thanks for showing us this!

[@strobx1]

CP502 and Hick Tower

[@bholberg561]

That elevated track that is severed looks like a former highline track that served some demolished blast furnaces. Saw some stoves still standing...

[@sanddabz5635]

@@bholberg561 Thanks! This place is an amazing example of industry at its peak and now in its decline, kinda sad.

[@davedespain9101]

Positively dystopian

[@ingomoba1001]

Nice Video🤩👍. Like the Steelcompany Salzgitter AG/ Niedersachsen in Westgermany.

[@williambarry8015]

Im from California where we have no manufacturing industry. I urban explored an old concrete plant by Buffington Harbor that was being demolished. The place was freakin huge. It completely blew my mind. I loved that area. It made me feel like i was in America.

[@xray606]

Very nice. I spotted the old EJE Lake Terminal unit in Gary. I could definitely watch more of that. There's been very little shown of Gary over the years.

[@SamLovesTrains]

Thanks! I plan on heading back for more soon!

[@classifiedfive4377]

Ex Ej&e 460 can be captured

[@EagleCreekRailRoad]

This is just awesome. Thanks for sharing.

[@MaxCruise73]

The large blue building @15:16 is the #1 BOP shop. BOP = Basic Oxygen Process.

[@PlanetMojo]

The best train video I've seen in a long while! Great job @SamLovesTrains! I am just getting into drones, can I ask what type of drone you are flying? I really like how smooth the image is 😊

[@SamLovesTrains]

Thank you! This was shot on a DJI Mini 3

[@thomassalerno5203]

Great videography on Cliffs CP 103 fabulous posts ….subscribed to you you tube channel Bottle Cars flats …nice very nice

[@coolruehle]

WOW! This is THE BEST! Give me many ideas for ground cover, roads, etc.

[@libertyvilleguy2903]

Of all the buildings there in that vast industrial complex of NW Indiana, I wonder how many are still in use. Same for the mileage of RR track.

[@thomassalerno5203]

Incredible cool video of hot metal transport & service Excellent Impressive Videography !

[@RHJ3]

Hot metal cars from above, what a treat, fantastic! Thank You.

[@tomgiorgini9154]

nice video, I did some work at the coke ovens in buffalo in 94 used to spend hours watching the coal trains being dumped by the rotary dumper, and the quench car gathering up the coke and going thru the quencher. wish I would have took some video, I had to dig for a half hour in the morning then come back in the afternoon to backfill for about a half hour the rest of the day I would drive my tlb around and watch the action, best job I ever had

[@mikejohns3104]

I have been working as an industrial technician for almost a decade. Still cannot get a response from any application in this region. Still looking to relocate to Lake County. Any Ideas?

[@AlexNunes-z6v]

This is very cool and amazing to watch impressive & fascinating I enjoy watching it. Are they still in use today ?

[@timkis64]

as a truck driver i've delivered turnings to a few steel plants.their sprawling acreage allways amazed me.

[@stumpfarm3714]

This is the coolest model railroad I’ve ever seen.

[@jasondelaney6849]

It's a real railroad, not a model railroad

[@nigelmorse3909]

@@jasondelaney6849Sorry if I’m stating the obvious, but I’m sure 3714 was joking

[@AlexNunes-z6v]

I enjoy watching this I wonder what everything was used for like the unfinished railroad bridge above the railroad tracks that r in use by the stillmill trains

[@davebrock6618]

Loved the video,also great to see that drag of loaded coal cars heading through the site,probably on their way to West Olive Michigan

[@ThisIS_Insane]

Or the Bailly Power plant to the East, near Burns Harbor...

[@Vzw-dj9rf]

Wow, very cool to see how big, complex and interesting these plants are. Fascinating track dump machine, starting about 13:12.

[@Edyth_Hedd]

Great video! Is this one of the last big steel manufacturing plants in the U.S.?

[@DanielleMoren]

I thought our town’s steelmill looked like the soviet union, this one looks like chernobyl in comparison 😅

[@mongrelhalfbreedobern]

Routing Amtrak through the Steel mill would increase ridership

[@blauer2551]

I was delivering some stuff in that plant when the train went by and I could see the molten interior, I was thrilled like a little kid

[@plunkervillerr1529]

The most realistic layout I`ve ever seen.

[@VasjaLar]

Wow, it's all incredabale! 7:42 Let's see when this giant coolers is on!?