Ore Cars
lead photo copyright © Jim Hammond; used by permission.
Ore cars are a type of hopper car, but they have a dedicated service. Whereas generic hopper cars can be used to carry a variety of materials, ore cars are shorter because they are designed to carry the much heavier iron ore (as opposed to the lighter coal carried by larger hopper cars). Ore cars are also known as "jennies". They were often seen in unit trains, being shuttled between ore docks and steel mills. After WWII, ore cars carried mostly taconite. They could also, occassionally, be found carrying sand or gravel.
Below are links to the various reports that show all of the S-scale ore cars ever produced. Click whichever report gets you to the information that wish to find.
Contact person: Webmaster
- By Model Manufacturer
Entries are sorted by manufacturer, then by road name, and then by type of ore car. - By Model Manufacturer ID
Entries are sorted by manufacturer, then by the product ID, and then by road name and road number. This report is handy if you know the manufacturer and the product ID.
This report is limited to entries that have a known manufacturer ID set. - By Road Name
Entries are sorted by road name, then by model manufacturer, and then by type of ore car. - By Gauge
Entries are sorted by wheel gauge, then by manufacturer, and then by type of ore car. The final pages have the entries sorted by the ore cars' road names. - By Model Introduction Year
Entries are sorted by model year, then by manufacturer, and then by type of ore car. The final pages have the entries sorted by the ore cars' road names.
This report is limited to entries for which the model introduction year is known. - By Material
Entries are sorted by the dominant material from which the model (especially its body) is made, then by manufacturer, and then by type of ore car. The final pages have the entries sorted by the ore cars' road names.
This report is limited to entries for which the dominant material is known. - By Photo
A mini photo album of sorts, this report shows the primary photo for each entry. Click on a photo to see that model's details and possible additional photos. The photos are sorted by road name, road number, and then by manufacturer. This is a huge page, so it may take some time to load.
This report is limited to entries that have at least one photo set. - Missing Photos
This report lists all of the entries for which we do not, yet, have a photo. If you have this model and can take a photo of it, please contact the webmaster. - All Entries
This report lists all entries in one page, and you can click on an entry to see its model information. - All Entries (text only)
Entries are sorted by model manufacturer, type, road name, road number, model year, and product ID, all on one page (no details, no photos). This is handy for when you just want a basic list of what has been produced. - Downloadable Text File
The full list of all of the key data for these entries. Note: To import or open this file in a spreadsheet software application, use the hat, ^, character as the column separator (see the "6" key of your keyboard). Most spreadsheet applications will let you pick the separator or delimiter; if not, open the file with a text editor and replace all "^" with a character of your choice, and then try it again.
Report Definitions
These definitions, in alphabetical order, may clarify some of the terms used in the reports linked to above:
- Gauge
"AF": for models that come only with A.C. Gilbert-style or -compatible wheels and couplers.
"S": for standard-gauge (4'8-1/2" rail-spacing) models that come with either no wheels and couplers, with scale wheels and/or couplers, or with "hi-rail" wheels and couplers but have scale wheels and couplers included in the package.
"Sn3", "Sn2", "Sn42": for the various narrow-gauge rail spacings.
References
Iron Ore Rail Cars: A History Of The Classic Jennie
CN Buys Ore Cars (2009)