LTV Mining Railroad: F-Units, Alcos, and Baldwins in Minnesota’s Arrowhead (1991-2004)

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In this video, C. Vision Productions takes you to Minnesota's Iron Range to view operations on the LTV Mining Railroad, and later the Cliffs Erie Railroad, between the years of 1991 and 2004. Videographer Dan Hadley was granted special permission to tour the property in September of 1991, allowing him access to many locations on LTV land that were rarely seen by the general public. We'll explore the expansive mine area around Hoyt Lakes, visit the railroad's operations center, take a trackside tour of LTV's mainline, and then ride along with the crew of F9A 4211 on a road run to Taconite Harbor on Lake Superior. The motive power featured in this program can be categorized as rare and unusual. The stars of the show are LTV's fleet of EMD F9A and F9B diesels. In addition to the F-units, many other EMD, Alco, and Baldwin locomotives are seen in service, including models RS-11, C420, C424, S-12, GP20, GP38, and GP38-3. Following the end of regular operations in 2001, the future looked dismal. Not all was lost, however, as the railroad was revived several times during the Cliffs Erie era between 2002 and 2008, giving fans a few more opportunities to document this historic operation. On September 21st and 22nd of 2002, a special excursion train was operated over the former LTV mainline. We'll see the train as it does battle with the steep 2% grade at milepost 66. We then return in October of 2004, as Cliffs Erie moved leftover pellets, chips, and fines to the ore dock at Taconite Harbor.
If you enjoy this video, feel free to check out the links below for more C. Vision content:
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Rails Through the North Country: LS&I, WC, E&LS, Michigan Limestone Operations (2003)
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Duluth, Missabe and Iron Range Railway, The Last Days - FULL VIDEO (2004)
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Mexico’s Ferrocarril del Pacífico (FCP) - National Railways of Mexico, Part 3
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Green Bay & Western Alco Finale - Farewell to the GB&W
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Minnesota Commercial Railway - 70 Year Old Locomotives Smoking Like Chimneys!
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22 мар 2024

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Комментарии : 71

@skorfhage8819 2 месяца назад

I toured the entire operations around 1980-81 as part of a school group tour. I remember it was an all day event. We saw the entire process from the actual scooping of the ore, the Alcos hauling the ore, the entire taconite process to the final product leaving behind the F units. It was an amazing operation in the eyes of a railfan middle school kid.

@CVisionProductions1 2 месяца назад

Wow! Talk about an awesome field trip… That would have been absolutely fascinating to see. Great memories, for sure. Thank you for taking the time to share that story with us.

@anb7408 2 месяца назад

The Griswold stop-sign crossing signals were an added bonus on this railroad. Sadly, all gone now.

@CVisionProductions1 2 месяца назад

Those Griswolds added a certain charm to the line. We absolutely loved them. Just another piece of history that we’ve lost, along with the LTV itself. Thank you for mentioning those classic crossing signals. They are sorely missed today.

@kelvintorrence5994 2 месяца назад

I love old alcos,f units Baldwin's great videp

@CVisionProductions1 2 месяца назад

So do we! Thank you very much.

@mjrodriguez8670 2 месяца назад

The Baldwin and ALCo diesels, plus the F-units, made this industrial shortline unique!

@CVisionProductions1 2 месяца назад

They truly did, M.J. - If only this railroad could have survived. As you may know, it was built in the mid-1950s and shut down in 2001. Most of LTV’s equipment was original from Erie Mining days. Definitely a unique operation in the wilds of northeastern Minnesota. As always, thank you for watching and commenting.

@_WisconsinTrains 2 месяца назад

this railroad was awesome, sad to see it go!

@CVisionProductions1 2 месяца назад

We agree 100%. It succumbed to the volatility of the steel industry. Many good jobs were lost, while us railfans lost a great railroad. Thank you for watching and commenting.

@kensbackshop6399 2 месяца назад

Super awesome train video thanks for sharing

@CVisionProductions1 2 месяца назад

Thank you, Ken! And you’re very welcome. We’re happy to share this video with you.

@joelpoland5536 2 месяца назад

Some more excellent coverage, guys! I really liked the high-tech high visibility rear end markers 😁 We used to use magnetic red flashing lights at night on NCRC before they bought FRED's. The ingenuity of their unloading system in Taconite Harbor is intriguing, too.

@CVisionProductions1 2 месяца назад

Thank you so much, Joel! The LTV really did have an interesting way of doing things. Efficiency was their specialty. Sadly, efficiency alone couldn’t save them. As always, we appreciate you taking the time to watch and comment.

@colinmulder6806 2 месяца назад

Ah yes. A video lookback on visits to a railroad few have ever received permission to visit, steeping onto the grounds of the LTV railroad in Northern Minnesota. With a collection of Baldwins, Alco's, & of course the ever popular EMD F-UNITS, nowhere else could you find a diverse powerhouse of engines hauling freight with the exception of the railroads of Mexico. Only the folks of C VISION PRODUCTIONS & of course famed videographer Dan Hadley can provide fans this kind of coverage. It not really just runbys of trains, it's more of an informative, educational study of the mining industry operations on how it utilizes railroads as it's major transport of delivering it's "BREAD & BUTTER" to market.

@CVisionProductions1 2 месяца назад

Thank you very much for the nice comment, Colin. The LTV was an operation like none other. We’re grateful that Mr. Hadley made the effort to document the railroad, as well as the mine operations. And we agree with your assessment of LTV regarding their motive power diversity. Mexico had them beat, but it was pretty incredible to find F-units, Alcos, and Baldwins all working side by side into the 1990s. As always, we appreciate you taking the time to watch and comment.

@colinmulder6806 2 месяца назад

@@CVisionProductions1 My pleasure as always.

@HongPong Месяц назад

great video & reminded me of exploring the abandoned town in Taconite Harbor long ago

@CVisionProductions1 Месяц назад

Thank you so much! And yes, Taconite Harbor is absolutely worth exploring, as is the rest of the railroad. Unfortunately, access is a problem in many places. We appreciate you watching the video.

@scale_model_apprentice 2 месяца назад

This would make an interesting model railroad. Although with only one service, it'd be more of a diorama that just happens to run a train through it. Neat video, thanks C Vision Productions

@CVisionProductions1 2 месяца назад

Thank you very much! And we agree with you on that. The LTV would be great to model. The mainline would be fairly easy, but the mine area and ore dock would take some high level modeling skills! We appreciate the comment.

@ianmarcRoxU 2 месяца назад

I remember crossing this line on a dirt road leading to Dyers Lake fishing with my dad, 31:28. In July of 2012, I hiked from this crossing, 42:45, downgrade to Caribou Creek. The rusted, decrepit track, still extant, had largely succumbed to ever-encroaching vegetation and small saplings sprouting between ties. North of the above-cited crossing, there was some kind of construction/development taking place in 2012--wasn't immediately clear back in 2012 what was underway there, haven't been back in that area for many a long year. Thank you for this superb archival video--very well produced and edited.

@CVisionProductions1 2 месяца назад

You’re very welcome. Thank you for the kind words. We also appreciate hearing your stories relating to this railroad. As a matter of fact, one of our camera crews went back to explore the Cramer Tunnel in July of 2012. Aside from a few weeds and some rusted rails, the right-of-way appeared to be in decent condition. Things may have changed since then. Anyway, thanks again.

@ctg6734 Месяц назад

What a neat piece of railroading history! And seeing those Griswold signals really take me back. I was honestly surprised to see any on a quiet rural road. I would have expected simple crossbucks. Sad that they've all but disappeared now. I am fortunate to have found a pair I bought from an antiques dealer.

@CVisionProductions1 Месяц назад

You are definitely lucky to have acquired a pair of Griswolds. They are some of the neatest crossing signals that were ever used. Regarding the County Road 1 crossing at MP 66, we’re guessing that the angle of the road versus the tracks had a lot to do with their decision to install active warning devices. That, and County Road 1 is actually one of the busier roads that the railroad crosses (but that’s not saying much!). Thank you for watching and commenting.

@ctg6734 Месяц назад

@@CVisionProductions1 Welcome! I quite enjoyed the video. And yeah, I never expected that I'd find any rotating banner signals, so I settled on buying a standard pole signal off ebay from a seller located five hours away from me, only to stumble across the Griswolds by accident a year later, and half hour away.

@brjr2009 Месяц назад

Gotta love that Baldwin burble. Reminds me as a kid around the E&LS near Escanaba,mi.

@CVisionProductions1 Месяц назад

The sound of a Baldwin is like nothing else. Very dissimilar to EMD, GE, and Alco. Seeing them in person must have been a real treat. Thanks for watching.

@nssrrailfan6443 2 месяца назад

4211's still at our museum!

@CVisionProductions1 2 месяца назад

Yes! It was a very worthy candidate for preservation. We’re glad that the locomotive has found a good home at LSRM. They take great care of their equipment. Thank you for watching and commenting.

@unionpacificomaha 2 месяца назад

Absolutely wonderful video!

@CVisionProductions1 2 месяца назад

That means a lot to us! Thank you for taking the time to watch the video. It is very much appreciated, as are your nice comments.

@GEVOlutionCPKC 2 месяца назад

Like 1️⃣🚂🏁✨👏🏼my friend

@CVisionProductions1 2 месяца назад

Excellent! You are fast on the trigger. Thank you very much for watching.

@jefferypardue7509 Месяц назад

RU-vid inserts ads into the video. I enjoy watching the video about mid 20th century rail equipment in use at a mine. My favorite happens to be the EMD F9s and my second is the alco locomotives like the C-420.

@CVisionProductions1 Месяц назад

Thank you, Jeffery! LTV sure did use some classic equipment. We appreciate you watching the video.

@user-gk8gg1zt7l 2 месяца назад

Excellent shot. Like .

@CVisionProductions1 2 месяца назад

Thank you!!! We’re happy to hear that you enjoyed the video.

@Nicola636128 2 месяца назад

Very fascinating and interesting!

@CVisionProductions1 2 месяца назад

Thank you very much! LTV truly was a fascinating operation. There was so much activity, especially in the area around the mines. As always, we appreciate your comments.

@billgroder9184 2 месяца назад

Excellent!

@CVisionProductions1 2 месяца назад

Thank you, Bill! We appreciate your comment.

@ebnertra0004 2 месяца назад

It's weird seeing all these places along the line that I recognize, but with all the vegetation cut way back. I only wish I could've seen it when it was running

@CVisionProductions1 2 месяца назад

Nature really has started to reclaim the line. It was sad to see the Griswolds go. We can’t help but wonder what the future holds for this route… Thank you for watching and commenting.

@RailPreserver2K 2 месяца назад

Ik the f units were saved when the railroad closed but what about the alcos, baldwins and b units? I know a lot of the units were sold to other railroads and some of the b units were scrapped (shell and frames were scrapped but i think guts were saved for other museum units that were needing parts.)

@CVisionProductions1 2 месяца назад

You may know more than we do on the subject. It appears that many of the Alcos and Baldwins ended up out east. Today, most are in deadlines, scrapped, or are being used for parts. Baldwin 7243 was saved, and now resides in Duluth. C424 7230 appears to have been saved as well, but its current status is unknown. The last known location of the unit was the Age of Steam Roundhouse Museum in Sugarcreek, Ohio. Thank you for the comment.

@AlexThePatriot 2 месяца назад

Does mining railroads still operate there? Any of the old locomotives sent to muesums?

@LJRailfan-Gamer_07. 2 месяца назад

Well the mining line has been ripped up and turned into a bike trail, but some remnants do remain. 4211 is at the Lake Superior Railway Museum in Minnesota. It’s likely the only EMCO locomotive in preservation.

@ebnertra0004 2 месяца назад

They tore it up? It was still there a few months ago

@CVisionProductions1 2 месяца назад

Other railroads still operate in the area, but the LTV’s operations have ceased. Cliffs Erie, the successor to LTV, operated very infrequently until 2008. F9A units 4210, 4211, and 4214 were saved. As was F9B 4222. Baldwin 7243 now resides in Duluth, Minnesota, while C424 7230 ended up in a museum in Sugarcreek, Ohio. Most of the other Alcos and Baldwins weren’t so lucky. The newer EMD geeps found homes on other railroads. Thank you for watching the video.

@drummachine434 2 месяца назад

Whats the state of the track now? Out of service or rail trail?

@ebnertra0004 2 месяца назад

As of last fall it's just sitting there out of service

@CVisionProductions1 2 месяца назад

Not a trail… yet. We’ll see what the future holds. We’re hoping the final chapter hasn’t been written for this historic line, but chances are it has seen its last train. Thank you for watching.

@DL541 2 месяца назад

ALCo's make the best noise.

@CVisionProductions1 2 месяца назад

They do sound great! Those old Alcos really were mighty locomotives. It’s too bad that Alco itself didn’t survive. Thank you for watching the video.

@deannakinsey2888 2 месяца назад

are there any more videos from mexico?

@CVisionProductions1 2 месяца назад

Hi there. Yes, we have more Mexico footage in our archives. It’s just a matter of getting it produced. Thank you for asking. We hope you enjoy this video.

@deannakinsey2888 2 месяца назад

cool@@CVisionProductions1

@nikerailfanningttm9046 2 месяца назад

I still find it ridiculous that they scrapped all of the damn B-Units while preserving three of the original 5 A’s. Erie Mining was the only original owner of the F9’s to retain them for more than 50 years, truly remarkable for first gen EMD’s.

@CVisionProductions1 2 месяца назад

It really is unfortunate that more of the B-units weren’t saved. However, there is good news. One of the F9B units survived. Locomotive 4222 resides at LSRM in Duluth. We suppose one is better than none. Thank you for the comment.

@MinnesotaRailProductions 2 месяца назад

Great video! Is this railroad still a thing or did CN take it over or something else.

@CVisionProductions1 2 месяца назад

Thank you!!! LTV Mining ceased regular operations in 2001. Cliffs Erie, the successor to LTV, continued very limited operations until 2008. Today, the railroad is mothballed. The CN did not get this property. We appreciate the comment.

@BradleyRock 2 месяца назад

What happened to this railroad?

@CVisionProductions1 2 месяца назад

It now sits in silence. The tracks are still in place, but it appears that the end has come for this historic piece of railroad. Thank you for asking.

@BradleyRock 2 месяца назад

Ah, I didn’t know but what happened to the locomotives?

@CVisionProductions1 2 месяца назад

Some were scrapped, while others were saved. Quite a few of the newer locomotives found new homes and are still operating today. F9A units 4210, 4211, and 4214 survived. F9B 4222 escaped the torch as well. The rest of the F-units are gone, as far as we know. A few of the Alcos and Baldwins are still in existence, but most (if not all) are out of service. The GP20s and GP38s are still running on other railroads.

@haroldreardon8070 2 месяца назад

Sure doesn't look like rock in those four CNW cars to me.

@ih1440 2 месяца назад

Rod, not rock. Rod to use as media in the rod mills for grinding the rock into a powder.

@CVisionProductions1 2 месяца назад

Correct, not rock. The narrator correctly said “rod”. The other commenter explained it a little further. Thank you.

@GEAC4400FERROMEX 22 дня назад

Este vídeo, pudo estar muy bueno en lo que me faltó de ver, pero lo saturaron tanto de publicidad los primeros 10 minutos que me molestó tanta publicidad que deje de verlo.

@CVisionProductions1 22 дня назад

Thank you for the report. That’s all automatic on RU-vid’s end. When mid-rolls are turned on, it chooses the ad placement, as well as how many of the ads actually play. Newer, or more popular videos, seem to have more frequent ads compared to older videos. As for you ending the program early, we really don’t blame you. Those disruptions can ruin the experience. Hopefully you’ll have a more positive experience next time if you decide to return to our channel. We appreciate your honesty.