Detroit Steel Mill Trains: Ford Dearborn Works

On May 27th, 2024, I ventured into the suburbs of Detroit to visit Cleveland Cliffs Dearborn Works, formally a part of the Ford River Rouge Complex. I'd been wanting to film Dearborn Works for quite a while, as there aren't many recent photos or videos of the railroad used the transport molten iron to the mill's BOF (Basic Oxygen Furnace). I was surprised to find quite a lot of action inside with switchers going about their duties. The track layout was pretty fascinating with how it cut through buildings and across roads. The freighter Lee A. Tregurtha also happened to be moored in the mill during my visit after unloading iron ore pellets. I hope to return to Dearborn when it's not so windy to film some other areas of the mill I didn't get a chance to capture!

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[michaelabalos]

I remember growing up in Southwest Detroit Patton Park area and the sky would glow orange at night from the hot iron blocks from the the Great Ford Rouge plant in the sixties and seventies.

[jcolby]

My dad was a millwright when it was the rough and then severstal. I would hear stories all the time about how he would fix things and help re-rail railroad loads. Thank you for this I remember touring when I was a kid

[kurtboginski]

Spent lots of time in the Rouge complex. A dangerous and dirty place. But very interesting with all the things going on.Thanks for the aerial veiw.

[Jscribe]

Steel mills are mind boggling operations. This is a fantastic video capturing the feel and action. Thanks!

[missydg]

My father worked for Ford and we took a ride on the ore ship William Clay Ford in the late 1960’s.

[thunderbird]

Really cool to see the hot glowing stuff in that one "submarine car"!

[farmerdave]

As a former worker at the last fully integrated steel mill west of the Mississippi river, I approve of this video.
I worked in the hot end. Two BOFs. Three blast furnaces.

[vacuumtube]

Good morning. Cool video you have here. I worked in an iron foundry and these videos bring back memories. Drone footage is great ! Very well done my friend. Thank you.

[shortliner]

Nice to see the mill still going strong. I remember when Bethlehem Steel's Sparrows Point mill outside of Baltimore was busy with trains coming off the PRR, B&O, and WM going every which way. Unfortunately, that's just a memory now.

[leonardbartholomew]

You caught a few glimpses of the Marathon Petroleum Refinery in the background. Spent 41 years there but only caught a few glimpses of railroad ops in the Ford plant. There was a TOFC yard between the East and West sides of the refinery and i managed to get some stills of the switchers in 1977.

[chopperjoe]

Cool vid! I actually work there and maintain the locos. Eight of twelve were shipped to Dearborn after they closed the Ashland, Ky mill. They become like family members after 22yrs 😂

[ShawnCalay]

This is cool, i worked for a railway for 21 years. Now im a expediter, i have been here, delivered parts for this facility and the locomotives

[torchandhammer]

I had seen the Paul R. Tregurtha before. I didn't realize there was another family member! Apparently, they're known as the King and Queen of the Lakes.

[haasebahn]

Lot more green than you'd expect at a steel mill

[shawnpowell]

Great video of this MASSIVE steel mill that resembles a model railroad layout. The placement of the track is perfect to have access to each part of the plant. To see that steel through the top of car definitely looked like hot lava. Thanks again SLT for sharing this video with us along with your PRICELESS time and effort. Cheers from Laurel, Delaware.

[Scaletrains]

Thank God for drones! Nice video, Sam.

[railroadjim]

Wow! Terrific video and I enjoyed seeing the top of the blast furnace, as well as all of the other shots, including the hot metal cars being moved.

[liann]

I had a school field trip here back around 1970.

[philipperiopel]

Interesting elevated abandoned rail yard!

[electrictractiontrainsandt]

It is amazing to see 🇺🇸American steel works/ factories in operation! The trains and Laker add to the scene! Great stuff!👌👍