HO 70t Ore Car 6pk CN

Why are ore cars so short? Because the iron ore they carry is
considerably heavier than typical hopper loads like coal, so a short
car of ore fills the load capacity of its trucks. Ore cars, also called
“jennies,” were and still are a common sight in the
Iron Range region of Minnesota and nearby states, where they shuttle
between mines and Great Lakes ports. On the receiving end, jennies
travel between ore docks and steel mills in a number of states. While
they’re commonly associated with upper Midwestern ore-hauling
roads, ore cars have in fact been rostered by nearly 50 North American
railroads, and at least a dozen have owned significant numbers of
jennies.

Unlike conventional coal hoppers, the prototypes of our ore
car, originally built in the 1940s and ‘50s, used a
construction technique that would later revolutionize grain hoppers:
eliminating the center sill that normally formed the basis of a freight
car underframe, in favor of heavier side sills that supported the
weight of the car. This made room for “center
discharge” hopper doors positioned lengthwise under the car,
to dump the load neatly between the rails at ore docks.

Until World War II, ore cars generally carried
“direct shipping” ore: ore that was rich enough in
iron (60% or more) that it could be shipped direct to steel mills as a
raw material. By the end of the war, however, the richer ore deposits
began to play out. Lower-grade taconite, once considered a waste
product of mining, became the raw material of choice, and by the
mid-1960s accounted for the majority of ore shipments. Rather than
being shipped as raw ore, taconite is refined and rolled into small
pellets containing about 65% iron. Because taconite pellets are lighter
than direct shipping ore, many railroads have increased the interior
volume of their jennies by adding short extensions to the tops of the
cars.

M.T.H. Electric Trains’ HO premium rolling stock like 70-ton
center discharge ore car are true 1/87 scale models of North American
freight cars. Abundantly detailed with separate grab irons, steps and
brake wheels ensure that these models will hold up to even the most
discrminating eye. Outfitted with smooth rolling trucks and Kadee
couplers make them a favorite of operators who enjoy long consists of
colorful liveries, each available in multiple car numbers.