EJ&E Coil Unit and Ore Trains from Waukegan

(Birds-Eye View, looking south)

I don't normally do photos of just a train, but this reminder that U.S. Steel used to have a mill in Waukegan is worthy of a post. The comments remind me that a train going timecard east on a belt railway can sometimes be going west.

Kevin piper posted
In autumn 1977, EJ&E repainted bicentennial SD38-2 668 and posed it for a publicity photo with new coil cars east of Waukegan. EJ&E RY. PHOTO
Harold J. Krewer This photo was also used on decks of playing cards. Have a deck in my collection.Michael Steffen I believe Bob Gibson was responsible for this photo. The train is eastbound at Barrington, starting to climb the hill into Sutton. If you look close at the nose you'll notice a plastic green J ball on each side, the first time it was used.Michael Christensen What a shot, all new paint!

From Kevin's comment on this photo we learn that the Waukegan works also had a wire mill. Or was the whole works a wire mill?

Kevin Piper posted

USS (AS&W) DS4-4-750 20, Waukegan, IL, 3-8-79. Possibly the most interesting and obscure locomotive I ever photographed. One of only 53 built by Baldwin, it was kept indoors at Waukegan when not in use, and always maintained in immaculate condition. (Note the intact builder's plate!) Transferred to USS South Works 20 in Chicago after the wire mill in Waukegan closed. This photo was shot from the window of a passing EJ&E locomotive.

The red-colored beacon was no doubt inspired by neighboring EJ&E.

Kevin commented on his posting
As South Works 20, 5-25-86

Update:

This is one of several photos of the EJ&E posted by Sam Carlson
Two empty ore trains arrive in Waukegan behind 5 units. There were also 2 cabooses. Average ore train was 125 cars, but they often spliced two empty trains for the return trip. March, 1974.

Sam Carlson posted
3 centercabs on the point and 2 GP38-2s shoving 125 loaded ore cars and the caboose.
Sam Carlson: By the time the rear end rceahed me, the train was moving maybe 5 mph and those 700's were really barking!
Dennis DeBruler: Was this ore train headed to Waukegan or one of the US Steel mills on the south side?
Sam Carlson: Dennis DeBruler One of the mills on the south side. This train is leaving Waukegan. The C&NW brought the loads in from the Iron Range. and handed them over to the J at Waukegan.
Dennis DeBruler: Sam Carlson Thanks for the details. I wondered how the EJ&E received the ore trains from up north.
Dennis DeBruler shared
"Mountain railroading" in Chicagoland. I did not realize that cabooses used around Chicagoland had to be built to take the buff forces of helpers.
Randall Hampton: Two pushers isn't a problem. Some railroads had a pusher restriction of 12 powered axles.

This is what made me think that Waukegan was a wire mill rather than it had a wire mill.

Sam Carlson posted
To finish our thing about the 3 centercabs, here is the going shot You can see where the units begin to climb the grade.In the background is the USS Wire Mill, which had its own Baldwin switcher. In the foreground is Lake Michigan, which was froze a week before.
March 1974