The Union Railroad - Steel Industry Shortline in Pittsburgh

[Flipperpat11]

why did the trains have a caboose at the end those are old and most trains do not them anymore.

[Flipperpat11]

@Flipperpat11 oh yeah 1 time i saw a union railroad train with a yellow caboose on it now that is rare

[putneylane]

would love to be able to go sit and watch this unfold....I live in Natrona Heights, PA, and get to see quite a bit of Allegheny Technology (Allegheny Ludlum), but not the same kind of rail traffic. Nice video!

[avand18]

Just a couple more notes: The in-mill switchers are not operated by Union employees, but USS operating/transportation employees. Union maintains some track around mill properties, but not all. If USS's steelmaking interests were to close in the Mon Valley, the Union still might serve Clairton coke plant but would probably be made redundant by NS. The B&LE (now the Canadian National's Bessemer Sub) would probably also be abandoned, making for one bad-ass bike trail from Duquesne to lake Erie...

[j1964s20110]

@avand18

can you tell me why uss uses one railway for connecting the mills (the urr) and another for the inner-mill service? i live in duisburg germany where thyssen steel operates one industrial railway for all duties (connecting the mills, interchange to the class one railroad companies, running the hot metal, coke and ore trains and switching the steel and rolling mills).

[a4mallardie]

nice video

[baggerolli1]

Awesome, I like the camera angle and the combination wideangle and teleshot, hope to see this RR next year! Highball to all RR-Fans!

[xxxDeath9572xxx]

Videotrains: the power here are MP15DC's and SW1500's are remote controlled, and are also used for the strictly the mills.

[doogrisa]

i love the sound of trains going by.

[xxxDeath9572xxx]

The yard shot here is the Union's biggest yard, the Classification Yard. The union owns 16 miles of trackage and does interchange with NS, CSX, Bessemer & Lake, along with even Wheeling & Lake Erie. If you are to visit the yard today, if one is lucky enough, you can spot 2 B&LE cabooses, still in bessemer paint and logo with each other. They are quite the sight to see. Shown at the end, is the Et's slab yard further down, and where stell making products in closed hoppers are kept.

[CSXDixieLine]

i'll be arriving in pittsburgh next week for a work assignment and will be there for 3 weeks. looking forward to checking out some of this action.

[xxxDeath9572xxx]

Well Then, i can give you some excellent spots to visit the Union, besides Duquense. If you know where the Kennywood here is, just follow that road and eventually you pass over the yard and then go straight, turn right and this spot is shown. Then there is the tunnel at Dravosburgh, the back face of the ET plant at Braddock.

[CSXDixieLine]

excellent video. it has always amazed me how extensive the signaling system is on the URR. of course i guess when the usa steel industry was in its heyday things were a bit busier.

[xxxDeath9572xxx]

Yes, they quite were, during that time, the union would haul over 400,000 tons of products to the mills in they're heydey.

[xxxDeath9572xxx]

Might i also add, this was in a single year

[trainmanrick1]

Maybe a stupid ?  Why do they still use cabooses on the Union Does it have something to do with operating trains in both directions without having to call it a reverse move or does the caboose just become the front of the train?

[xxxDeath9572xxx]

The reason for using cabooses still on the union is due to the complicated backing manuevers the trains must perform to get into some of and most of the mills. The caboose stays on rear and has crew inside the caboose guiding the train back..

[trainmanrick1]

Thank you for that! I thought that may be so. I watched some video last night and could tell some well maybe not complicated but really long moves were being made in some of those mill yards. It s quite a bit different I live almost next to the UP Yard in Roseville Calif. So I was wondering why the cabooses and not ETD s like here. Thank you again.

[xxxDeath9572xxx]

Sure thing! And yea i literally Live to this railroad.. If I wanted too, i could railfan they're coke train everyday from where i am.. I have close to 40 videos of the union rr.. but Yeah, thats what it'll do to ya.. lol, if your ever in Pittsburgh, PA i HIGHLY suggest visiting this railroad

[trainmanrick1]

Thank you actually I am flying to Pittsburg on the 29th of July. I am a conductor / brakeman here in Calif but relocating to to Pittsburg My wife works for Jet Blue Airways and is transferring. I have moved along the application process with the Union Railroad far enough to get invited to Pittsburg for an interview. So we will see. I am trying to learn as much as I can about the line and so far you have more info at least stuff to view than anyone.

[xxxDeath9572xxx]

Congrautlations! Good luck my friend, and i'll send you my videos, watch them and dont be afraid to ask questions and i'll help ya out ASAP

[trainmanrick1]

I really like your video work. What s your deal are you retired railroader and enjoy railfanning now? You have pretty good savvy for what is going on in the yards and such. FYI I was interested in the way the crews in the east call for protection going into the red zone. We just say like what ever the job name is local 202 going inbetween and the hoghead repeats. I like they way these guys on the URR do it Conductor so and so going inbetween need 3 point protection. I like it !

[xxxDeath9572xxx]

Oh no... lol I am only in 9th Grade! But yea i know alot about it due to it being such an interesting railroad.. And I thank you sir, maybe we can meet each other some day when i railfan the union... ;)

[trainmanrick1]

Death 9572 what is your opinion for the future of the Union Railroad. Thinking more in the future beyond the recession that we face now. Seems that the powers that be are expecting increasing growth in the future. I hope so

[xxxDeath9572xxx]

It would seem that as of the recession right now, the Union will definatly see a bounce in activities when the recession is to end.. Even if Steadily. I can only say that with this bounce, i think it'll be time to see the Union upgrading they're fleet to the newer MP15T's for example.. The MP15DC's are old and will soon become battle wary, the SW1500's are strictly for mill uses, so i dont see those to come out.. All SW1500's are also remote controlled. We can only sit and wait as i agree myself

[NSguy07]

That's quite the grade they go down there in the end...

[MonLineProductions]

this is my best railroad

[citytohillsff]

This is interesting because most of us railfans only ever see coal drags out on the mainlines. Here you show us what takes place at its destination. Thanks for sharing!

[roslundb]

Great video! 5 Stars!

[Johnsnyder666]

dem trains are goin dahn to the Edgar Thompson works to make the best steel on the face of the earth, well next to the steel that came aht a the Homestead Works

[TexasPacific]

love the cabeese!

[thenekom]

Wow lots of great action there.

[xxxDeath9572xxx]

i kow this areea very wella nd i know taht line really well great video of the loacl switchers!

[wle200]

are those coal or coke hoppers that are moving in the background being moved for the Wheeling and Lake Erie(WE)? Awesome video!

[xxxDeath9572xxx]

Niether, they're Bessemer & Lake Erie owned Ore hoppers that the Union uses to pull they're midnight ore train with, which is later interchanged with CSX at Dexter yard across the River.

[wle200]

Ok, thanks for all of the info!

[Stephenson18]

Very nicely done... quite a yard back in the slab train..looks quite a yard...Ready to go captain sleepyhead lol

[videotrains]

Hey, if they want to talk during the video, they're going to have to deal with the consequences :)

[Sabrestrainsfan]

cool!

[ChanFram]

VERY nice...I love the cinematography

[FutureBNSFEngineer]

very cool