| BNSF 9079 and BNSF 6037 lead a coal train which has just arrived at Midwest Energy Resources Company (MERC), Superior, WI, as seen from the Vista Star during Vista Fleet's Grand Sightseeing Tour of the Duluth & Superior Harbor at Duluth, MN on 25 Jun. '16. Above the train is the conveyor which feeds the traveling shiploader, on the right is one of the loader's huge legs. The coal is delivered by 123-car BNSF unit trains, 14,000 tons at a time. UP also brings coal, their trains are likely similar in size and capacity. The coal is unloaded from the train via a rotary dumping machine and conveyed to a massive storage pile (out of frame to right). Underground augers convey the coal from that pile to the shiploader. Some regional customers bring in trucks to pick up their coal. This information comes from the facilities website, http://www.midwestenergy.com/, which includes some interesting videos as well. I was fortunate enough to receive a tour of this impressive facility with a well-known group of like-minded railroad history enthusiasts. Additional information about the harbor cruise can be found at http://www.vistafleet.com/. |