Steel mill track layout

A

acyunczyk

Virtual railroader
Hello,

I'm working on my route, which will include a proto-freelanced version of Bethlehem Steel, set in 1944. I can't find much information regarding the track layout of steel mills of the era. Does anyone have any clues? Scenery will not be built in this area until the mill is done, but it will be similar to the prototype Bethlehem area.
 
You would have to look on historical imagery sites, or Google Earth historical images, as the steel mills really didn't exactly document all their trackcharts, as they just laid track to get the particular job(s) done. Sethmcs was doing Johnstown Pa USS plant, but I don't think he has a release date.
 
Try Historic Aerials

www.historicaerials.com

Using the viewer, you can load in topographic maps and aerial photos of the area of interest and go as far as to overly one image over the other and even compare images. Very useful and very sad too in some ways to see what's gone now.
 
Thank you for the information. One lasting question: Servicing facilities for the mill steam locomotives: Where would they typically be located? On some dead-end siding going to an old building? The interchange yard? I have heard about modern facilities using contractors for fuel and sand, but I can't imagine this happened in 1944, with wartime rationing of oil. And what did '11" Mill' mean?
 
Being that the track curves and turnouts were very, very tight, and train lengths were usually just a few railcars, they usually ran a choice few small USS Company switchers like SW's, NW's, small wheelbase steam loco's, or even pneumatic locos
 
Last edited:
If you are looking for maps of the track at Bethlehem Steel, I would see if you might be able to find a copy of "Bethlehem Steel Railroading" by Nevin Sterling Yeakel (The Railroad Press of Hanover, PA ISBN 978-1-9314-7727-2). I had seen it the other day looking for another book and checked it to find I does have some track maps and lists the names. It has been a while since I looked at it, and thank you for getting it back on my reading list.
 
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