Boatnerd Discussion Forum

CSX Torco ore goes to AK steel. The type of rail cars carrying the ore is what we call mine cars. They are pocket cars that can be unloaded by opening the pocket under the car. Not to many coal cars that are unloaded at the CSX Presque Isle Coal Dock goes over to Torco to be loaded with ore. Torco has there own group of rail cars.

Ore from Toledo will be railed to the old ARMCo mill at Middletown, Ohio or Ashland, KY. Ashtabula will go to Pittsburg or Warren, Ohio.

Toledo is an interesting port because are no coal mines and no huge user for ore on the Maumee River watershed. The CSX trains bring “eastern” coal to Toledo from Kentucky & West Virginia. The rail cars are unloaded of their coal. The empty cars move around the CSX yard to Torco where they are loaded with ore for the return train trip to the steel mills of southern Ohio and Kentucky. It’s a nice business. Ships bring a load of ore to Toledo and can leave with a load of coal. The trains bring a load of coal to Toledo and leave with a load of ore.

Ore unloaded at CBT in Cleveland goes upriver to Mittal Steel.

It's easy to see where iron ore unloaded in Hamilton, Zug Island, Gary, Indiana Harbor, and Burns Harbor goes. I know that the ore unloaded in Conneaut and Nanticoke goes to US Steel Plants. However, where does the ore unloaded at Toledo (Torco), Cleveland Bulk Terminal (Whiskey Island), and Ashtabula go?