SOG Class “Great Lakes” Ore Car

HISTORY

Ore cars first appeared on the railroad scene around the time of the Civil War. These cars were wooden in construction and could handle around 20 tons of iron ore. By the turn on the century, large veins of iron ore were being found in the upper midwest and the iron ore business began to boom.

While the ore could be transported in a standard hopper car, the ore hauling railroads worked to find a specialized car to handle the heavy ore more efficiently. From this, the more modern steel ore car was born.

The SOG Class ore car was a fairly standard design of the Bethlehem Steel Works and was sold to many of the Midwestern ore haulers like the Duluth Missabe, & Iron Range, Chicago & Northwestern, Duluth South Shore & Atlantic, Lake Superior & Ishpeming, and Great Northern among others. These 70 ton cars were built in several batches by Bethlehem Steel starting in the mid 50s and some are still in service today, although they have mainly been replaced by the “U” series cars and newer 100 and 125 ton cars.



Our Car

 Our car is based on the LS&I “SOG” class 70 ton cars. It was modeled from photographs and drawings supplied in the various LS&I books. It would also be right at home painted for many of the other roads mentioned above. The car is designed to use Titan Trains Bettendorf trucks (not included) and use Live Steamer Parts solid shank couplers for the prototypical close coupling. Properly constructed, this car will traverse #5 switches and 35’ radius curves. This kit is a mix of welding and riveting to fully assemble.

Our kit includes:

  • Laser cut sheet metal parts for the body

  • 1X2 steel tube for the frame and bolsters

  • Precision Steel Car details including grab irons, brake wheel and other brake details

  • 3D printed Railhead Designs air tank, triple valve and brake cylinder

  • All the screws, bolts and rivets to assemble the car

  • Option to add LSP solid shank couplers to your kit box for a reduced price.

  • Full instructions with drawings written out in an easy to understand manner.

  • Customer support from the Reading Car Company team!

This car is shipped in a cardboard box and can be shipped worldwide. See our shipping page for more information.

How to Order

Order via our “Order Now” button below or email us for other options. Cars can be shipped, picked up at our facility near Reading, PA, free delivered to the Buckeye Limited Convention in Coshocton, OH or we can arrange pickup directly from one of our partners in Central OH.

We accept cash, check, money orders, and credit cards.

Flat rate shipping of $60. For multiple cars, we can do a better price on shipping. Please email us (Russ.Swinnerton@gmail.com) for a shipping rate. We will bill you directly after that.

Price: $975. Flat Rate Shipping $60