I see people still using them so i think the answer is yes. Personally i never did it, i alwasy preferred to fight real stuff even in train-time.
Anyway, ortanords should be a valid replacement for shadow iron elementals. They spawn in ter mur pretty much everywhere, easy to find a quiet place where to "use" it, they are invulnerable too, do probably even less damage than an elemental and they cast, so you train spell resistance too.