This is a list of PowerPoint slides of my July 6, 2006 Iron Belt presentation at the NMRA National Convention in Philadelphia, PA. I adoped this simplified format in order to make it viewable across a full range of browsers - not only Microsoft's Internet Explorer.
Each slide was captured as a JPEG image of 800x500 pixels in size to enable faster downloading. Also, some photos have been made available in full size (average size=300K); these are optionally viewable by clicking on the link labeled "Large" on the corresponding slide pages.
Every page has a "Next" link for moving forward in the list, "Prev" to move backwards, and "Index" to return to this list to jump directly to a slide by clicking on its title/caption.
Introduction
Prologue
That was Then (early structure photos)
...this is NOW! (Panoramic view)
Iron Belt Quick Facts
Route Map
Three Design-Driving Questions
Givens N' Druthers
Track Plan
Construction Notes Intro Slide
Latex Coating, Before and After
A Quick, Cheap and Flexible Backdrop Solution
Dow Board as a View Blocker
Paint your own trees using Bob Ross’s “Happy Little Trees” method
Structure Clearance Dependencies Diagram
ALWAYS verify clearances before cementing
your track or terrain…
...avoid unintended consequences!
Corrective surgery, with help from Dremel
Embedded Track – Lesson Learned
Rotary Dumper details (Part 1)
Rotary Dumper details (Part 2)
Lift-Out Platform Construction
Operating Mode –vs- Photographic Mode
Virtual Tour Intro Slide
Scenery progress diagram
Riverfront Panoramic View
Yard-side Panoramic View
Raw materials processing area
Coke Processing Intro Slide
Coke oven battery, with highline ‘flood’ loader
Conveyor junction house at top of coal crusher building
An early under-construction view of repositioned incoming coal conveyor
Under-construction view of coke wharf, etc.
Under-construction view of coking coal stockpile
Blast Furnace Intro Slide
A view of the blast furnace across classification yard
Riverfront view of ore bridge and blast furnace
A view of the inland end of the ore bridge
Overall view of blast furnace dust/gas cleansing apparatus
Closeup of dust/gas cleaners
Top-down view of dust/gas cleaners
Close-up of stoves and hot blast main
End view of hot blast main
Closeup of heating exhaust and cold blast main
River-front view of stoves and skip hoist
Close-up of skip hoist and safety-caged stairway
BOP Intro Slide
Basic Oxygen Furnace (BOP) buildings – aerial view
BOP buildings – seen from ground level
Teeming area behind BOP
Rear view of BOP complex, showing baghouse
BOP charging area
Hot metal being loaded into BOP furnace vessel
Ingot stripper and soaking pit building
Non-Steel Mill Layout Areas - Intro Slide
Overall Track plan
Track plan, with rural main line area highlighted
Track plan, with coal mine trackage highlighted
Track plan, with Chandler ‘suburban’ area highlighted
East Minister – depot and KFC restaurant, looking East
East Minister – looking North along Highway 7
East Minister – close-up of grade crossing
East Minister depot – looking West, along track
Bethel Creek
Fegan’s Corner
Rural main line area – overall view (warts and all…)
In-Plant Train Operations - Intro Slide
Bottle Cars Point-to-Point - Origin
Bottle Cars Point-to-Point - Destination
Ingot buggies point-to-point - origin
Ingot buggies point-to-point - destination
Slag Pots Point-to-Point - origin
Slag Pots Point-to-Point - destination
Heavy machinery at slag dumping pit
Spotting Points Within the Mill - Intro Slide
Packaged supplies receiving warehouse
BOP bulk additives receiving facility
Scrap metal gondolas at BOP
Classification yard
Future site of locomotive servicing facility
Coal Mine to Staging Yard - Intro Slide
Coal cars arriving at Sabo Mining & Mineral Co.
Iron Belt SD38-2’s at Sabo Mining
Iron Belt SD38-2’s on runaround track, Sabo Mining
Pushing out a loaded train at Sabo
Passing through East Minister - Northbound
Arrival at staging yard
Plant switcher moving coal cars out of staging
Yard to Coke Ovens - Intro Slide
Coal cars approaching rotary dumper
Rotary dumper in action
Unloaded Bethgon drifts downhill from rotary dumper
Empty coal cars are cleared away from dock track
Coal cars await another mine run
Turnaround Local - Intro Slide
Turnaround Local cars on staging departure track
Motive power for departing Turnaround Local
Picking-up loaded hoppers from East Minister interchange
2nd stop: Fegan’s Corner – Swap out propane tank cars
Panoramic view of Star Propane Co.
3rd stop for turnaround local: Allied Printing Co.
4th stop for turnaround local: Houghschnaegel Metal Recycling
Houghschnaegel: Loads out, empties in
5th stop: R.T. Rifenbury Wholesale Produce Company
Warehouse doors spaced extra-far apart
6th Stop: Drop off tanker at Chandler bulk liquids team track
CSXT Extra 60 Northbound races thru Chandler...
...while turnaround local engines wait on the passing siding
Turnaround local heads North for return trip
Cars picked up by turnaround local arrive in staging yard
CSXT Extra 713 South thunders through East Minister...
...continuing over the Bethel Creek bridge