Train #10, the miners accommodation, is the first train out today. It will be pulled by loco #15. This train will take empty hoppers and miners to the mines around Robertsdale. The roundhouse was built by Jane.
Looking over the line of hoppers at engine #15 as it gets ready to leave the turntable.
Engine #15 gets water. Note the truck on cinder blocks in the lumber shed.
The crew cuts the train so they don't block Meadow street while freight and passengers are loaded.
Train #10 leaves the station. We can see that locomotive #18 is being readied for a days work. It will take the loaded hoppers and misc. freight north to Mount Union. But we'll stick with the miners train for now.
At the south end of the Orbisonia yard.
Crossing the bridge at Pogue.
Another shot of the bridge at Pogue.
At the Saltillo water tank.
The Saltillo station.
Arriving at Robertsdale.
Pulling forward so the combine and coach are at the station.
Hoppers, lots of hoppers. That's the "company store" in the background. Yes, there really was one.
Pushing empty hoppers to mine #5.
The water tank was right next to mine #5. The crew will leave the combine and coach here while they work mine #1 and #5.
Working mine #1.
Pulling loaded hoppers from mine #5.
Assembling the train for the journey north.
Approaching the station.
Each hopper must be weighed.
Loading passengers and freight.
We got this shot of the train on the Pogue bridge. Small country roads made it impossible for us to keep up beyond this point.
Here we catch freight train #7 as it rumbles past the Orbisonia station. Big engine #18 is on point today.
Looking through the concrete bridge at the freight heading north.
The line has to cross the Augwick creek before entering Mount Union. Here we see the train take the big curve and start across the bridge.
The bridge is reinforced with old rail.
Past the boney pile and into Mount Union.
At the turntable. You can see the timber transfer. It's used to move timber from EBT narrow gauge cars to PRR standard gauge cars. Also, they've figured a way to use it to lift standard gauge cars up and put narrow gauge trucks on them. This saves a lot of time when compared to manually transferring the load.
Crossing over to the escape track, with the brick plant in the background.
The cleaning plant boss keeps an eye on things. He always has that dog with him. Some guys aren't sure which they dislike more, him, or that dog.
Spotting a hoppers at the coke ovens.
Working the transfer track.
It's a big plant. Those are standard gauge cars with cleaned and sized coal loads in the foreground.
Pulling empty hoppers from the cleaning plant.
Past the station and just about to assemble the train for the south bound trip.
Heading up the Augwick valley with empty hoppers.
Back to Orbisonia. That's the end of our journey. Hope you enjoyed it.
The track crew is finishing up the new coal storage track which was part of the furnace expansion.
Here we see where the furnace extension cut into the existing layout.
This is the new furnace yard.
Looking down Meadow street, across the furnace yard tracks and the main line to the station in Orbisonia.
One side of the furnace. This shows the employee parking lot, a bit of the stock house, one of the cast houses, and the (blast) engine house.
One of the cast houses. This one is cold right now. The furnace is being re-lined with refractory brick. You can also see the downcomer which goes to the air filter, and the (blast) engine house.
Here you can see both cast houses and furnaces. When they add stock to the hot furnace on the right, you can see the glow from the inferno below.
Here we see some of the finished pig iron ready to be shipped out.
The other end of the furnace with the office.
The coke ovens
Another overview. What an odd engine shed.
Charlie Wootten came with his M-4 model. The M-4 worked as the furnace shifter. Here's some shots of it with a cut of cars from the stock house.
Who left those car cards on the layout?
A final shot of the M-4 working the stock house. As you can see, the stock house has gotten a roof since the pictures taken earlier.
