Tunnelmotors and Ore Trains: The Bessemer and Lake Erie Railroad

Although Canadian National purchased the Bessemer & Lake Erie 9 years ago, little has changed on the BLE. Trains still operate with matching sets of orange Bessemer engines, and most of the original infrastructure is still in place. Although train traffic is much less than what it was 2-3 decades ago, one can still count on the sight of watching a loaded ore train clawing up the hill out of Conneaut.
In this video, we'll follow a southbound Bessemer & Lake Erie loaded ore train from Conneaut to Branchton. Before chasing the southbound, we'll also see the northbound empty ore train with the same set of power later used on the southbound. Next, we'll watch as three EMD motors take 82 loaded ore cars out of Lake Erie and up the hill in notch 8. At Albion, trouble develops as the second engine suffers mechanical issues and is shut down. The first 20 cars would be dropped here so that the train could make the hill. Back on the move, we'll catch them on the main at a few places at track speed.

[@NS_5350]

This is the best BLE video I have seen! Great job! Sure is sad that most of the tunnelmotors are off the property, with 905 being the only one on the BLE as of now.

[@avand18]

Wow, CN really continues to run the crap out of BLE's original equipment. I live within earshot of North Bessemer yard and the Hulton Rd crossing, and these engines and their horns sound worse and worse every time they go past. Good for them, though! As far as I know, all of the southbound ore is gobbled up by the blast furnaces at US Steel's Edgar Thomson plant. I've also had the pleasure of unloading those very cars and working on the furnaces there.

[@CentralPennRailProductions]

Epic, to say the least. Sounds like those units have very little muffling insulation. I also forgot those units had working strobes.

[@BessemerLakeErie902]

+Central Penn Rail Productions Not anymore lol!

[@sp8553]

Iron ore is denser than coal which is what hoppers of this type were built to haul. As a result it takes a lower volume of ore to reach the weight limit for the car. Most of the times I've seen ore cars in open hoppers like that they've only been loaded halfway.

[@Spee_Der]

Thank you for great video. NO Music. Just the trains and everything related to it.... Just beautiful many thanks....

[@AliceInChains243]

For some reason I can only watch up to 4:18 in this video, but until I can view the rest all I've got to say is DAMN! The tunnelmotors are great, add the strobes to 'em and brings to mind one of my favorite fallen flags: SP.

[@TrainTrackTrav]

Fantastic. Classic EMD roar, great horns and gyra lights! Awesome video.

[@jaysonthetrainmasterprofil221]

Metra trains have that gyra lights too

[@TrainTrackTrav]

@@jaysonthetrainmasterprofil221 Oh yes, I've seen the Metra ones in person. They are very cool indeed!

[@kleetus92]

I'm sorry but nothing beats the sound of EMD power. Nothing. Period.

[@thenekom]

kleetus92 Nothing to be sorry about stating a fact. Tunnel motors are awesome, just a SLIGHT hair below the awesomeness of 70/80/90MACs.

[@kleetus92]

thenekom lol... we'll call it a draw. One thing that really blows my mind is how quiet the IC SD70's are. You can hardly hear them coming. Sd70ace, sound 'normal' I don't get it.

[@garybarrness2638]

Abba

[@WideWorldofTrains]

Cool video

[@Maine_Railfan]

Those units beat a GE any day.

[@steelcityrailfan4808]

Yep. The B&LE was actually going to buy AC4400CW’s but they bought those tunnel motors instead. I’m glad they did

[@bhproductions1061]

Wow that would be interesting to say the least

[@MainlineProductions1]

Had to crank up the volume, those units sound amazing

[@bobgallo2178]

Cool chase, thanks for sharing, rare footage, all orange & black.

[@MilwaukeeSDman]

why do they fill the cars only partially?

[@NS_5350]

Because the ore is too heavy to completely fill them.

[@williamh.jarvis6795]

Each rail car has a weight limit, despite what the car's volume would appear to carry. Why are ore jennie so small in size? (This would sound exactly like some of the bosses I have once worked for in the past: "Look at all of.that wasted space! Just fill it up and don't ask me any more questions!")

[@shawndurfee9419]

Can I get a copywrite on this video? By the way if you don't live around here these tunnelmotors and the strobes are all gone. Now we have these junk ic sd70s that are virtually silent. Good catch!! There is only 1 tunnelmotor left on the BLE. Number 905 which is in this video😀

[@steelcityrailfan4808]

Now we got some louder power than the SD70’s. We have the SD70M-2’s. But I really liked the horns on SD70’s

[@liveinrenonv14]

Donc, maintenant, parler français , le B & LE ?

[@win1079]

Great sights and sounds,,,,,tunnel motors rule !!!!!!!!

[@BNSFTIM55]

they are not even active on hall road i hardly hearthem coming

[@Tiredoldchannel]

How many units are still in B&LE paint?

[@RailroadStreet]

This website has a list- blearchive.weebly.com/current-motive-power.html

[@bhproductions1061]

Only 3 original Bessemer locomotives today with 868, 905, and 862 in DMIR paint

[@kingtiger59]

Great video excellent locations.

[@jamescooley4293]

Blessed with tunnel motors+geese!!

[@kxsteve]

Great sound , great video. Thanks

[@tonyway85]

Does the B&LE still leave connieaut going south at 10AM?

[@nstrains123]

tonyway85 10-2

[@ironhorsethrottlemaster5202]

Wow that is so awesome that it has ditch lights and oscillating light dopeness I miss those oscillating lights they're one of the coolest things about locomotives back in the day like Rio Grande and Southern Pacific they both had those oscillating lights so did Kansas City Southern those are the coolest looking headlights of all time even the SP daylight as an oscillating like I wish trains today had to have them cool railroad thank you for the video awesome thank you for letting me hear the locomotives I'm here to watch trains not listen to music

[@Passengervehicles]

Fantastic vid

[@PennRailVideos]

Nice work dude!

[@StanleyStallion87]

Those were the days...... good shots!

[@papilot312]

Gotta love it! Thanks for sharing!

[@Reevesinator]

Dig it

[@alco251b9]

Does cn use these tunnel motors on old Duluth missable and iron range lines now?

[@steelcityrailfan4808]

Yes. I believe there is a few

[@trainsofwisconsin]

Yes but the leader in this video 901 is now a hill shover in Fond Du Lac, Wi for Byron hill

[@er1073]

I was on one of the crews that took out some of Albion Yard back in 72 I think?

[@steelcityrailfan4808]

Do you mean you were there to tear up some of the tracks?

[@er1073]

@@steelcityrailfan4808 we not only "tore" up tracks but we made new panels by hand it is where you really find out how to gandy dancer. What I liked the most was the final product all of that tonnage because of somebody like me really liking to see the results.

[@steelcityrailfan4808]

Wow. Nice