Aberdeen, OH: 1970-2018 2,441mw JM Stuart Power Station

(Satellite)

"Plant Nameplate Capacity: 2,441 MW      Units and In-Service Dates: 610 MW (1970), 610 MW (1971), 610 MW (1972), 610 MW (1974)" [gem]

Street View, Apr 2018

I found a second view to confirm that the four old smokestacks were replaced by one smokestack. 

Street View

 

Ron Gratton posted
M Stuart Station Ohio - did a boiler inspection in 2015
Tim Sullivan: Nastiest plant I every worked in. Last time I worked there was 1983. Still positive pressure super critical boilers back then. Most of the time you couldn’t see from one end of the turbine deck to the other due to flue gas and fly ash.
Ron Gratton: Tim Sullivan it wasn't that bad when I was there, but would qualify as one of the worst kept I've been in.
Gordon Jones: Tim Sullivan It improved 100% once they installed ID fans….it was nasty in 70s and 80s.
Tim Giannetti: I worked out back on the Scrubber job hooked up all the Ducts shipped in off the river on barges.

Scotty Reese commented on Ron's post

 

Gordon Jones posted
JM Stuart on Ohio River. Four 630MW Units, supercritical once through boilers, 3600psi, 1005 deg F steam…DECOMMISSIONED!
[There are some comments about supercritical plants in the USA.]

Unit 1 was retired because an explosion in Jan 2017 wrecked it. The Sierra Club is responsible for the other three units (and Killen) being shutdown on Jun 1, 2018. The explosion caused six injuries. [gem]

1:27 WCPO 9 video @ 1:13
"Far left of screen are Unit 1 condensor bay doors, or where they used to be. Also a large hole in wall 20 by 40 feet partially visible above East Maintenance Pod. (1.13) Center of screen, west wall of east unloading bay blew off, hanging by a thread. Wall above rollup door is gone. This was a 2400 Megawatt plant (4 units, 600 Megawatts each). The damage inside the plant is unbelievable and Unit 1 is gone forever. The explosion was on Unit 1, second floor and blew a 15 x 30 foot hole through 10 inches of concrete up through the third floor."

Were the old smokestacks being used or is that debris from the explosion that is coming out of the old stacks?

@ 0:57

Gordon Jones posted two photos with the comment: "Unit 1 and Unit 2 630MW GE turbines. JM Stuart Station on the Ohio River."

Tommy Dixon: Is all that damage from demolition?

Gordon Jones: Tommy Dixon yep

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I saved a satellite image to catch all of the barge traffic. Note that a railroad doesn't serve this plant.

Satellite

DaytonDailyNews
The plant was sold to a developer, Kingfisher Development, in Jan 2020.

It appears that a lot of dirt has to be moved to clean up a coal plant site. This is just one of several photos showing some excavation work.

capexel
News reports spell the developer as Kingfisher, but CAPEXL, which owns the company, spells it as "King Fisher."

numerical
[This page is interesting. It is a pictorial list of announcements in 2017 of the closure of 23.5gw.]

envlaw
"Unlike in Michigan, generating plants in Ohio do not receive guaranteed recovery from ratepayers of their fixed capital and operating costs - instead, they compete for energy and capacity revenues on the market. As a result, many older coal-fired plants have negative free cash flows of millions of dollars. This was the case with Stuart and Killen, which we believe contributed to DP&L's financial difficulties."

Jim Adams posted
JM Stuart Station. Aberdeen, Ohio
Jerry Harmon: So sad to see the sunsetting on the plant I worked at for nearly 43 years. Soon it will only be a memory as it's being torn down. Made a lot of friends there and I hope they are all doing well. Unfortunately many good people that worked there have passed on that I was fortunate enough to have made their acquaintance. Rest in peace brothers and sisters.

10 drone photos

12 drone photos after they blew up the stacks

1:05 video of the energetic felling of the smokestacks.

1:04 video

Chas Workman comment on the 1:04 video: it was a controlled fall
But there is a lot of disagreement. A comment on the original video said the scrubber stack was scheduled for demo next spring.

0:41 video, I do wish people would learn to turn their phones to a landscape view.

0:47 video, from the side so a profile view is appropriate

Virginia, MN: US Steel Minntac Iron Ore Pellet Plant

(Satellite)

US Steel also has an iron ore mine near Keewatin, MN.

James Torgeson posted
The United States Steel Minntac Plant, which opened in 1967 and is the largest ore pellet operation in North America. Date unknown. Scan of a 6"x9" postcard.
Mickey Gartman: Emptied a many a rail cars from there at USS in B’ham.
Richard Wright: This picture was taken sometime in the mid 1970’s. I can see the expansion,Step 2,to the plant but it’s before the second expansion,Step 3,was built.
Randall Smith: I believe a good deal of the ore we use at Granite City Works comes from here.
James Torgeson: Randall Smith That or from nearby USS Keetac, which was originally National Steel Pellet Company.

"U. S. Steel’s Minnesota Ore Operations, consisting of Minntac and Keetac in northeastern Minnesota, is Minnesota’s largest producer of iron ore pellets, the key ingredient in blast furnace-based steel making." [IronOreAlliance]

USsteel
Mining Solutions has a combined annual capability of just over 23 million tons. Our high-quality taconite pellets range from standard acid pellets to high-grade flux pellets containing approximately 65% iron.

USsteel
Annual production capability at Minntac is approximately 16 million tons of pellets, while Keetac can produce approximately 6 million tons of pellets each year.

Plano, IL: CB&Q Depot, Old Rectangular Grain Elevator and Superman

Depot: (Satellite)

Elevator: (Satellite)

Smallville Mural: (Satellite)

While visiting old grain elevators, I discovered that the CB&Q depot has been nicely preserved.

20210512 3679rc

Street side

Steven J. Brown posted
Milwaukee Road 261 is on the BNSF at Plano, Illinois - June 27, 1998.

 

Dennis DeBruler commented on Steven's post
Not only has the depot been preserved, but so has the eastbound platform. May 12, 2021
https://www.google.com/.../data=!3m1!1e3!4m5!3m4...

The rectangular grain elevator is across the tracks and west of the depot.

A zoom lens saves some walking.

I then drove down to the elevator and found a view relatively clear of clutter.

But it was backlit so I went around to the trackside.

This post is what taught me that Plano still had a rectangular grain elevator.

First of seven photos posted by Christian S. Landorf photography
The old Grain elevator in Downtown Plano IL. at dusk 12/7/19.
Christian has done a study of this elevator.
Christian Landorf shared
Michael R Morris: Smallville Kansas in "Man of Steel"
Christian Landorf: Michael R Morris yep I remember when it was turned into smallville, this Grain elevator can be seen in some shots of the movie.
Michael R Morris: Indeed. However, the elevator complex that Kal-El and Zod crash through is Leland Illinois.

This view is looking East. The depot is behind me on my right. Note the "Welcome to Smallville" at the bottom on the left side of the flag. This reminded my that Plano was one of the major locations for the "Man of Steel" Superman movie. Does the building with the mural house the Smallville Museum?

TheLocationGuide
"They scouted 70 potential locations nearby and the town of Plano proved the complete package they were looking for. 'Plano's first advantage was that it was within one hour of our Metropolis,” Doyle explains: “It had a classic Main Street, right down to the train station in the middle of town. Plano's Main Street was bypassed when the highway came through town in the 60s, so the heavy traffic that comes with that was kept a few blocks away.' "

Scott Mulliner posted six photos with the comment: "Absolutely beautiful work!  New windows in the depot office.  Great match.  Gorgeous. They kept the old wood on the inside. Outside was in just too bad a shape to save. But it looks so original. What a job!"

Thomas Witt shared

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Marty Bernard commented on Thomas' post
Worked the Plano Depot for two weeks in the summer of 1963 replacing the vacationing agent. A quite place. Not much happening. The photo is from August 8, 1963.

Hamlet, NC: CSX/SAL Railyard

Old Yard: (Satellite) 

New Yard: (Satellite)

Roundhouse: (Satellite, if anything remains, it is completely covered by trees.)

Shops: (Satellite, track panels are used for emergency repairs, crossing replacement, etc.)

I had duplicate posts, so this one is now for the railyards and that one is for the museum/depot.

Rich Shilling posted
Undated Seaboard Air Lines Railroad Roundhouse, Turntable and Yard, Hamlet, North Carolina. NC State Archives.

Ed Komasara, Nov 2017 has been moved to "(Amtrak+Museum)/SAL Depot."

HamletNC has been moved to "(Amtrak+Museum)/SAL Depot."

Michael Heonis posted eight photos with the comment: "Updated photos of the Hamlet Yard, June 26, 2022."

E.V. Welton: How busy is this yard now? I am surprised that it has not been closed already. It seems to me to be out of the way. Maybe I am wrong. Someone educate me.

Randall Hampton: E.V. Welton Ever since the SCL merger, it's been in a bad position to serve anything but regional traffic, its current role, but Rocky Mount was too small until recent traffic reductions.

Michael Heonis: I think Hamlet was going down hill when the line north of Raleigh was shut down.

Nick Brill: The turnout facility down the street is still turning out panels daily. Company I work for pulls them out of there at least twice a week if not more. Didn’t know they basically done away with the hump yard.

Randall Hampton shared

All the online rumors are true.
Don Wetmore: Hunter Hated Humps.

Randall Hampton: It's more than just that; Hamlet has been in a terrible location ever since SCL put all the traffic on the A line. Trying to get to Florida fast, this is where your schedule goes to die.

This yard is not going to die anytime soon. It handles all the local traffic in and out of the Raleigh area, plus interchange with ACW, A&R, and WSSB / HPT&D. Rocky Mount is too far away for this.

Randall responded again: They handle all the cars to/from the Raleigh / Durham area and points north, as well as interchange traffic with ACW, L&S, A&R, and WSSB.

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Danny Robinson commented on Randall's share
Back in April of 2017 an empty bowl and we got our abolishment’s not too long after

1957 Hamlet Quad @ 1:24,000

1949 Hamlet Quad @ 1:24,000