| The rotary dumping machine at Midwest Energy Resources Company (MERC), Superior, WI on 25 Jun. '16. Unfortunately for us, the last car was dumped only a few minutes before our tour began. We did get to see the dumper rotate, but sans car. Here, it has rotated about 45 degrees from its normal, horizontal position. 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. 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. |