Iron Ore Shipments into Ashtabula

[pcolachap]

Where are these pellets from Silver Bay being unloaded and transshipped? Is it from the Pinney docks to the east or is it up in the Minnesota slip where the PM boats used to lay up or else where.. the old A&B or Union ore docks? Thanks, Mike

[toledoboatphotographer]

Is it possible that the ship loader at Cleveland is broken down where they can't load ore until it is repaired?

[guest]

Why in the world would they ship ore into the opposite side of the state to supply a steel mill that has a direct train route from toledo?

Only CSX has access to the ore docks in Toledo. So if Norfolk Southern wanted the business they would have to find another port to use, or give CSX a large share of the revenue to use the TORCO docks.

Looks like we need to start tracking ships out of Ashtabula to see where they wind up.

having actually loaded pellets in ashtabula earlier this month, and unloading them in cleveland, i can tell you that for whatever reason, the mesabi miner is unloading in ashtabula, and the dorothy ann and several grand river boats are bringing those same pellets to cleveland, bypassing CBT. i cant give you a reason why, but i can say with firsthand experience that this is what is happening

[Guest]

Why in the world would they ship ore into the opposite side of the state to supply a steel mill that has a direct train route from toledo?

Only CSX has access to the ore docks in Toledo. So if Norfolk Southern wanted the business they would have to find another port to use, or give CSX a large share of the revenue to use the TORCO docks.

Looks like we need to start tracking ships out of Ashtabula to see where they wind up.

[garbear]

the ore being brought into ashtabula is being reloaded on to smaller vessels and broughy to mittal in cleveland.

Why not just unload at the Cleveland Bulk Terminal and transship the pellets from there? Thought that is what the dock is for.

[guest]

the ore being brought into ashtabula is being reloaded on to smaller vessels and broughy to mittal in cleveland.

[Greenshirt]

Is it possible the taconite pellets are being shipped to AK Steel's Middletown Steel Plant? With the recent shutdown of Magnetation, which supplied Middletown, there has to be pellets coming to that plant from somewhere else. I was expecting the pellets to be moved thru the Torco Dock in Toledo, but maybe they are going to Ashtabula instead. All the steel mills that in the past would ship their pellets into Ashtabula have all been closed and torn down.

Why in the world would they ship ore into the opposite side of the state to supply a steel mill that has a direct train route from toledo?

There's a good chance the Ashtabula dock is providing room for the steel shipments from conneaut to Quebec city. The dock frontage that they were using to store that ore being loaded by front end loaders wasn't very large and also shared dock space adjacent to where the ships would offload into the hopper.

[Guest]

Is it possible the taconite pellets are being shipped to AK Steel's Middletown Steel Plant? With the recent shutdown of Magnetation, which supplied Middletown, there has to be pellets coming to that plant from somewhere else. I was expecting the pellets to be moved thru the Torco Dock in Toledo, but maybe they are going to Ashtabula instead. All the steel mills that in the past would ship their pellets into Ashtabula have all been closed and torn down.

[garbear]

The Mesabi Miner departed Silver Bay late this afternoon once again showing an Ashtabula destination.
I've got a question. After seeing no ore moved from Lake Superior/Lake Michigan all season to Ashtabula, why now 4 straight trips from Silver Bay, and, what would be the final destination be for the ore? Thanks.

[garbear]

Mesabi Miner, according to AIS, is once again headed for Ashtabula after once again loading pellets in Silver Bay. This will be her 3rd straight trip on this run. Most ore from Lake Superior I've seen go to Ashtabula in at least 2-3 years.

[garbear]

The Mesabi Miner departed Silver Bay late this afternoon/early evening and is once again showing an Ashtabula destination on AIS.

[garbear]

I've been off-line a week or so but see Herbert C. Jackson is above Port Huron (14:45 Thursday), down-bound with cargo for Ashtabula.

She loaded stone in Calcite. I've seen on AIS this season several boats from the upper lakes go into Ashtabula, but they've all had stone. Mesabi Miner was the first I've seen with pellets from either Escanaba or Lake Superior.

[Bookworm]

I've been off-line a week or so but see Herbert C. Jackson is above Port Huron (14:45 Thursday), down-bound with cargo for Ashtabula.

[garbear]

I see the Mesabi Miner is down bound Lake Superior from Northshore Mining in Silver Bay with pellets showing an AIS destination of Ashtabula. I've probably missed others, but that's the first boat this season I've seen with pellets from Lake Superior for Ashtabula.

[Guest]

Looking at AIS this evening I see the CSL Welland is upbound in the Welland showing an Ashtabula destination. Don't know what her cargo is.

Shipments of titanium slag are occasionally unloaded in Ashtabula. They come from a steel plant in Sorel, Quebec.

[garbear]

Looking at AIS this evening I see the CSL Welland is upbound in the Welland showing an Ashtabula destination. Don't know what her cargo is.

[Denny]

Not sure either garbear if there has been any ore shipments into Ashtabula this year by anyone? As you mentioned in your post that sometimes CSL lakers would deliver ore there, I don't know if there has been anyone from CSL into Ashtabula yet or not? I will have to look that up on my records and post it sometime next week as it will take me a while to find that out. Sorry I couldn't be more help.

[garbear]

I think I posted basically this same question roughly 2 years ago.
Does Ashtabula receive iron ore shipments anymore? I know 2 years ago they were and I also think last year, but I haven't seen anything go in there from the upper Lakes this year. I know I've seen in the past some of the CSL straight deckers and self-unloaders come from the Seaway with ore, but I don't recall seeing anything come from that direction this year either. I just have AIS to rely on to watch the Lakes, so maybe I missed something this year.