This project has developed a system of operating Dock Loaders, ships and barges, that may be loaded with ore or coal. Smaller docks load barges, and the larger dock version will loads ships. The Ore Docks may be joined to the previously released Ore Dock Splines - refer to the Ship Download page for information. My thanks to Stryker (Geoff Steele) for scripting assistance for the models, and to David Walsh of Auran for the slow ship load scripting.
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Original Ore Docks and Bridges
Ore docks were released as spline models, with various chute positions, some up, and some down. A joining bridge trestle is also available. The image shows these models The new models are industry assets, fixed lengths, with track attachment points. These may be placed and the original ore dock splines joined to them, using small sections of invisible track. In this way, the industry active models may be mixed into the spline models. |
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Animated Ore Dock Loaders
The image shows a small version of the ore dock loader, loading barges with coal. The model has now been updated to load both coal and ore into the barges. Ore or coal is delivered at the top track level, and barges are driven to the dock using a tugboat, the chutes lower and fill the barge slowly. The chutes rise up again when loading is comple. The barges sink into the water as they are loaded. Barges are bottom dump models and are driven to an unloading industry further down the river, the Ore Unloading Ship Dump Complex. |
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Ore Carrier Loading
The ore carrier Edmund Fitzgerald being loaded at the larger ore dock. The ship crane removes the hatches, the chutes lower and load the ship. The ship settles lower in the water as it is loaded. When loaded, the chutes are raised again and the ship crane replaces the hatches. These larger ships will be unloaded using the Ore Conveyor Gantry Loader or the Hulett Unloader. |
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Ore Unloading Ship Dump Complex
This is the river ore unloading facility for the bottom dump barges. The barges drop the ore into the river bed and the conveyor retrieves it into the storage facility bin. The ore bin has an animated load. The discharge from the barges is a moving unload, at speeds less than 18 kph. The ore can be loaded into trains for transport, using a stopped load procedure. The overhead loading bin above the trains has animated loading chutes. The model has been updated to unload both coal and ore from the barges. |
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Ore Delivery Ore is delivered at the top of the Ore Dock Loader using bottom dump hopper cars, with animated doors, moving unload. Three different ore hopper cars are available, in loaded and unloaded configuration |
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Ore Dock Loader Large
The hatches on the Edmund Fitzgerald have been removed by the deck crane and the chutes are loading the ore in a slow loading process. The loader handles both coal and ore, and is synchronised with the Edmund Fitzgerald or the Iron Duke animations. Note the large loaders are suitable for the larger ships, the small loader is suitable for the barges. |
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Ore Barges Unloading
The barges towed or pushed by the tugboats are unloading the ore in a moving load situation (speed below 18 kph). The center of the unloading facility is marked by the white marker buoy with flashing lights Also show is one of the invisible track switching levers as a safe water shipping buoy. While the invisible track is set at ground level, the buoy sits at water level, 3 metres below ground level. The red or green arrows may be clicked to change the track junction direction. |
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Invisible Track Switch Lever
The water level switch lever changes the invisible track directions. It is offset 14 metres to one side of the track so ships do not run over it and obscure it. The white buoy in the background marks the center of the Ship Dump Complex, where the barges bottom dump the ore into the river. |
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Tugboat Barges and Loaders The tugboat is used to tow or push the barges. The image shows the barges unloaded. They have an animated load with smoke effects, and settle into the water when loaded. The tugboat does not have an interior at this stage. Other tugboats such as the James Hart or the Yelta can be used.
Note:
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Ship Dump Complex Loading Rail Cars The cars are loaded with a stopped load process, the chutes from the overhead bin lower to the hopper cars and fill the cars with ore. The default load it the red Mineral load by Alberto Zato. The model has been updated to handle both coal and mineral ore. |
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Hulett Ore Unloader
This is the model of a Hulett ore unloader, five individual unloaders make up the model. It unloads coal or ore from ships and loads trains. Each loader has animated operating arms and clamshell bucket, and lowers into the ship hold to unload the ore. The ore is placed in a skip above the rail tracks, and the ore is moved to the loading piles at the rear of the loader. The hoppers are also used to reload the ore into trains, although this was not possible in the real loaders. |
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Hulett Ore Unloader and the Iron Duke
This is the Iron Duke ore carrier being unloaded. Three of the loaders reach into the hull to extract the ore or coal. The animation cycle of the three unloaders is unsynchronised for realism. Accuracy of stopping of the ships can be an issue, currently this is about 1 metre and allows the loaders to align with the open hatches on the Iron Duke for unloading. |
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Hulett Ore Unloader
The Edmund Fitzgerald is being unloaded. The narrow hatches can be a problem if the ship approaches too fast and does not stop accurately at the centre of the loader. The accuracy can be improved by placing an invisible 10 kph speed sign on the ship track at the centre of the loader. The ship slows when the bow of the ship reaches the speed sign, and will stop correctly at the unloader. |
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Hulett Ore Unloader
Trains can be loaded at our tracks. The hopper below the loader retrieves ore or coal from the rear stock pile and loads the hopper cars. The left two tracks shown in the picture, will load trains in a moving load situation, and the right two will load in a stopped load situatuion with animated overhead hopper. The unloader is configured to manage coal or ore (mineral kuid2:86311:66:4 by Alberto Zato, I like the reddish colour) and a matching ground texture for the colour is available. |
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Hulett Ore Unloader Information
This is the HTML display in Driver for the industry. It shows the levels of product, and information on which tracks are used for loading or unloading. As the industry is an interchange facility for ore or coal and has five tracks for loading trains and only one ship delivery track, I have set it to produce at a slow rate, so you should always have enought to load the trains. A waybill is issued if products become low. Note: the Hulett Unloader and the Ore Gantry are designed for use with the larger ship, not the smaller barges. |
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Ore Gantry Loader The loader / unloader is based on those used at Gary Indiana. I have a scenery animated item already available, but this is the industry model that loads / unloads trains and loads ships with ore or coal. It is designed to operate with the Edmund Fitzgerald and the Iron Duke ore carriers. The gantry has an idle mode, it moves ore around until a train or a ship arrives to be processed. The Edmund Fitzgerald is seen being loaded. |
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Ore Gantry Loader and Ships The larger ships like the Edmund Fitzgerald open their hatchs before loading, and the gantry waits, then loads into a number of the open hatches in sequence, the ship loads slowly. The hatches are replaced when loading is complete and the gantry goes looking for other work. The clamshell is seen descending into the hold of the ship. |
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Ore Gantry Loader and Trains The loader will load trains from the stock pile, in a stopped load operation, on the two tracks closest to the ship. Flashing lights on the tracks show the loading point and indiates the state of loading - a green flashing light indicates the gantry is waiting for a hopper to stop, and the red solid light indicates that the hopper is awaiting loading or being loaded. Since the gantry may be busy loading a ship, the hopper cars wait until the gantry is ready to service the loading. |
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Trains Unloading Ore Three tracks are provided at ground level for trains to deliver ore to the loader. They discharge in a moving operation, and the product is transferred to stockpile using an underground conveyor system. The gantry does not interact with these trains. The train is unloading at one of the three tracks, under the walkway.
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Trains Unloading Coal Two tracks are located on an elevated trestle bridge where trains can unload coal using a moving load. The coal is discharged to an underground conveyor system and delivered to the coal stock pile. A separate spline for the trestle is available so the trestle can be extended. Because it is dual track, you need to join the individual tracks from the spline nodes to the gantry trestle track with invisible track, and move the spline to close the gap between the two parts. |
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Stopping Ships or Trains Accurately Because of the narrow hatches on the Edmund Fitzgerald, it is important to try to have the ship stop accurately for loading. The flashing light on the buoy marks the centre of the gantry installation, and the strip on the ship deck shows the centre of loading. If you place one of my 10kph invisible speed boards on the ship track near the buoy, the ship will be slowed sufficiently to stop reasonably accurately. Don't forget to place one for each direction and to use the higher 30kph speed limit after leaving the facility to allow full speed to be regained. Trains may also overshoot the moving unload points, a warning message is posted, place normal speed boards to suit if this occurs. |
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Ore Gantry Information in Driver This is the HTML display in Driver for the industry. It shows the levels of product, and information on which tracks are used for loading or unloading. The train tracks are signed in the model. As the industry is an interchange facility for ore or coal and has five tracks for delivery, I have set it to consume at a slow rate, so you have to deliver product if it runs out. A waybill is issued if products become low. Note: the Hulett Unloader and the Ore Gantry are designed for use with the larger ship, not the smaller barges. |
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Night Lighting The loader is lit at night, and has moving lights on the loader cab on the bottom of the gantry. Other general lighting is provided. The colour of the corona under the moving cab changes to show the different loading operations currently being performed. |
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Script Debugging The scripting of the loader is involved and as part of the debugging process, a HUD (display) can be seen in Surveyor, and used in Driver to indicate what animations are taking place and what loading or unloading operations are queued for the next sequence. The display can be turned on or off in the config file string table. Wait times are built in to the script to ensure animations complete and trains or ships will wait for servicing. The HUD shows the triggers being serviced. This was a great help in determining what is going on with the various animations. |
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Trestle Spline A trestle spline is available to match the elevated trestle of the Ore Gantry Loader. Because it is dual track, you need to connect individul sections of invisible track to each of the nodes of the gantry and then to the nodes on the spline. The trestle spline is then moved closer to the Gantry trestle to close the gap, until the inivisible track vanishes. Do not buckle the invisible track or trains will derail. Stretch the spline until it "snaps" a new section, and then extend or shorten it so the column spacings approximately matchs those in the Gantry elevated trestle. |
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IBTZ Mine My ore loaders will handle the mineral ore product generated from the IBTZ Mine by Alberte Zato. I have used his red ore texture with permission and have created a ground texture to match. Download Alberte's model, kuid 86311:4500 to generate ore for use in my ore transport system. |
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BM Ore Hopper
One of the ore hopper cars constructed as part of the project. Hopper cars are provided loaded and empty, and can carry: Other hoppers available include: |
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Soo Locks
A model of the Soo Lock is available. The lock is a vertical transfer table lifting the ship 6 metres. It is large enough for the ore ships. The Soo Lock control buildlng model also available, is placed between two individual lock models to make the actual lock system. A canal wall spline is also available to match. The lock is activated using the red arrows under manual control. Use the Move Turntable rule in TRS2006 or later versions to easily activate the lock under AI operations. Use Google Earth to see the actual lock arrangement and pictures around the lock. |
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Ore Transport System
This is how the industries may be linked, ore from the mine (by zatovisualworks - Alberte) by rail to the dock loader or the gantry, and then by ship to the Hulett unloader. Of course you can do other combinations, as there are a number of loading / unloading rail tracks on some of the models, handling coal and ore. |
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Placing Models and Track
The models shown are the Small Ore Dock Loader at the left. If placed on the bank it should be at the height required, but can be adjusted. Make the seabed 10 metres below the ground level. The ore dock bridge or other ore dock splines are placed and raised to the height of the Ore Dock Loader. Invisible track is placed to join the splines to the Ore Loader and the spline is moved into alignment with the Ore Loader. Join Blue, Red or Green invisible track to the Ore Dock Loader for the shipping track, and adjust its height to be level with track on the loader. |
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Joining the Models
The Auran wide Red Invisible track is easy to see when the tracks are aligned, but I now use my less obtrusive blue, green or red coloured invisible track. The Ore Dock Spline is moved towards the Ore Dock Loader, until the invisible track is squashed up to nothing. When the lateral alignment of the track on each model is correct, at the junction, the invisible track should show vanish. Make sure you do not buckle this track, or trains will derail.. |
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Placing an Ore Dock Bridge The Ore Dock Bridge model can be placed like the other splines, and joined to the Loader with the invisible track. Here it is shown joined closely to the loader. For the Ore Dock or any spline dock, you may need to have an additional spline node point close to junction, so you can get the alignment correct at the junction, without kinks at the joint. Below the bridge, a separate Sheet Pile Dock wall spline has been placed to join to the Loader, to complete the wharf structure. |
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Shipping Track The blue invisible track has been used for ships in the Ore Dock Loader. Attach more track to the model to make routes and junctions for the ships to use, setting the height to suit. The Auran TRS2006 Purple invisile track may be used. Delete the default Auran switch levers and place the offset lever buoy (Switch Lever Ships 4 offset) which will sit at water level The lever is offset 14 metres from the track so it does not interfere with ships. Place water at -3 metres when the track is finished. |
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Downloads of Completed Models |
