Modeling Coke Ovens

I haven't been in western PA for years, but I do believe the Clairton Coke Works is still in operation. I remember seeing an article about an explosion a few months ago. They need rail and/or dock access for the coal to come in to the ovens and coke to go out. Clairton was at one time and may very well still be, one of the biggest.

The Clairton Works are still operating.  USS has poured lots of money into the plant to abate air pollution.  I think that this plant is the largest coke producer in the world--certainly the most modern and cleanest. 

I am looking to do the hillside ovens that dotted the landscape around here up until the mid 50's or so.

Norm

Norm,

If you are referring to beehive coke ovens I recall a small group of them just north of the Washington, DC city limits not far from the Ivy City roundhouse. They were right alongside a main road and had access directly from the road to the ovens.

Norm
Google this phrase "coke oven photos PA" and choose the images choice from google and there are tons of photos of the old coke ovens -might give you plenty of ideas for modeling-a lot were the 'beehive' type of oven. I grew up in Western PA in the Beaver County area and remember the glow of the steel mills very well. Not to mention that Conway Yards was right down the road in Baden PA and drove by there many times as a kid going shopping at "Northern Lights" shopping center.

Add some orange and yellow LED's and a smoke unit and you have a coke oven scene unmatched IMO-good luck 

I know exactly where you are talking about Norm, I lived in Pitcairn years ago.  Very cool idea to model coke ovens, surprised I never thought of it!  The internet is going to be your best source for pictures, and there are many beehives peppered throughout Westmoreland/Fayette counties to get up close and personal!  You could run HO track on top of the ovens with On30 ore wagons to model filling the ovens.  Great idea- Thanks!

Stack

Off of 133 south from I-70 west of Denver, at the junction of the turnoff for Marble (

worth visiting if in the area, for the railroad that hauled marble out of there for years

to build many of the nation's monuments), there is a line of coke ovens, the beehive

type.  There are a lot of beehive coke ovens offered on the net auction, usually in

sets of three, from two different makers, and therefore different.  I have not seen a

kit to model that "cave" type, but it looks fairly easy. maybe using that foam retaining wall material.  I plan to have all variations in a complex, for coke was used in ore smelting.  There were several other sites around Colorado, some served by narrow

gauge railroads.