The Journal Volume 5, Number 2

The newest issue of the SMMSIG newsletter The Journal is out. Received mine in the mail a couple days ago. This is another great issue by the SIG. The mini-mill on the front cover is built by members of the SIG. The 1/87 scale model measures out 2 feet by 16 feet. Also in this issue is an article on kitbashing a Bethlehem Steel heavy duty flat car, Part 2 of building a Funaro & Camerlengo Slag car, and many more.

If you are not a member of the SMMSIG you are missing out. I do suggest joining the SIG.

Take Care, Stay Safe, Happy Modeling and God Bless.

Open Hearth

This open hearth furnace was done by Eric Craig. This is one of 6 furnaces for his open hearth he is working on which is pictured at the bottom.

Franklin, Forge, and Gear 93 Ton ingot mold

Franklin, Forge, and Gear built an ingot transport car in HO scale. Look for the build and more information of the build in a future issue of The Mill. If anyone has information on these types of cars used to haul these types of molds please contact me at don_csx@hotmail.com.

Picture from Grace's Guide about Brightside Foundry and Engineering Co.

Picture from Getty Images

The following pictures are from Franklin, Forge, and Gear. The mold was built from 2 electric conduit couplings, the carrier for the mold was scratch built and the carrier buggies were built from 2 Athearn heavy duty flats that were shortened down.

Rail Safety

Group, with spring here and summer close I wanted to remind everyone about rail safety. If you don't have to be around railroad tracks don't be. If you do have to be around them for any reason, please be alert, of the surrounding area. Rail equipment maybe huge but most, is really quiet and you will not hear it unit it is too late. Don't ride 4 wheelers or any other type of recreational vehicles around railroad tracks. Do not take pictures while on tracks, live or abandon without permission. Don't try to beat trains at crossings. Whats more important? 5 mins of your time for the train to pass, or your life if you don't make it and the train hits you? This goes for ether walking across at a crossing or in a vehicle. Not all crossing is protected with warning devices so look both ways before crossing a railroad track at the ones that are not. It will not take much extra time from your busy day to do this, plus with a lot of people now and days with there music up loud and most can't hear the horn of a locomotive. Just be safe out there this year around trains and the tracks.

Take Care, Stay Safe, Happy Modeling, and God Bless.

Articles

If anyone is interested in doing an article for The Mill Newsletter feel free to contact me here or by email at don_csx@hotmail.com The article can be about models or the real thing but has the steel mill related or able the industries that service the steel industry.

Take Care, Stay Safe, Happy Modeling and God Bless

Steel MIll Modelers SIG

If you have not checked out the Steel Mill Modelers SIG (SMMSIG), I suggest giving them a look. The SMMSIG issue a quarterly newsletter called The Journal, that has many great articles on the steel industry and the modeling of it. They also host an annual steel mill meet for the members and they also have many other benefits to joining the SMMSIG. Membership starts out at $35 per year and goes from there. Check out their website for more information on member benefits and membership dues. I do recommend joining.   

Steel Mill Modelers SIG

Take care, Stay Safe, Happy Modeling & God Bless.

Visited Sloss Furnace's April 4.  I upload the pictures of the visit to Flickr there are only 437 pictures. I recommend if anyone is in this Birmingham, AL area to stop by and look the site over. Below are few pictures but follow the link to the rest of the pictures. Enjoy.

https://www.flickr.com/gp/11501531@N03/6a0p7Q