Last week I made a trip to the Keweenaw to conduct historic mapping, visit the Tech archives, and visit my folks. Took a couple breaks from the historical work and observed the following:

Monday 5/6:
At Winthrop Junction on the CN-Vreeland interchange: three tanks and one covered hopper, at Pepin-Ireco three covered hoppers and one tank.

Chased the L’Anse turn. Locomotives 5789-2542 five covered hoppers, one box and eight tie loads. Waited at the CR-CL at the Blue Bridge (just west of where this cobbled together line switches from historic LS&I to historic C&NW) and caught the turn at 1140hrs. Rushed back down CR-CL to Diorite Road, passed the well preserved 19th century kilns on the way to Diorite, crossed the abandoned DSS&A American Mine branch and caught the turn in Diorite at 1155hrs.

On the way to shoot the train at the old saloon in Champion, I noticed Coleman Engineering had a HSA drill rig taking GT samples on the LS&I grade to Humboldt—preparing to re-lay rail?

Caught the turn at Higleys in Champion at 1240hrs, and along the Spurr River at Beaufort Road at 1345hrs. At Nestoria some rail had been removed since I had been there last—a short segment on the wye to the line to Duluth and a portion of the scale track. The scale house and the old privy are still standing. The turn rolled through at 1415hrs. Ran ahead to Taylor Junction, a great place to watch a train assault L’Anse hill and caught the train at the old junction at 1540hrs. The train rolled into L’Anse about 1600hrs. After mapping in the Lake Michigamme area for the a few hours we headed back north and in passing through L’Anse, the turn was tied up for the night at the location of the former depot with five loaded pulp cars, eight empty tie cars, and four covered hoppers.

Tuesday 5/7:
Passed though L’Anse about 0700hrs and noticed the turn had left town. At Escanaba locomotive 2413 was working the taconite dumper at the docks.

Caught train 412 (Gladstone – SSM) at Rapid River at 1145hrs. The caboose and coach that are there are looking in really poor shape. At Ensign, the Verso pulp yard is in use but looks like rail serves has not occurred in a bit of time. 412 arrives at 1158 hrs. The train consisted of locomotive 8837-54 ore cars-locomotive 2223-32 general fright (five boxes, three tanks, 14 coil cars, one car of new ties, eight empty pulp cars and one empty flat). The train rolled through Nahma Junction and over the Surgeon river at 1217hrs.

Arrived in Manistique just in time to catch the Manistique Paper Whitcomb run a box out to the interchange and then return to the mill to collect another box to bring out to the interchange (this was about 1245-1310hrs). 412 crossed the Manistique River and the site of the old iron furnace at 1317hrs.

In Gulliver, there were eleven empty pulp cars on the siding at the old section house and the pulp yards was full of cars being loaded or were loaded. The train arrived at 1347hrs in Gould City, pass the old elevator in Engadine at 1454hrs. On the way to Trout Lake I noted pulp cars being loaded at Caffey. 412 rolled through Trout Lake at 1606hrs.

At Trout Lake another train was set to run west, I assume the local (Train #?). According to the scanner this train arrived at Trout Lake at 1340hrs. This local rolled through Caffey at 1631hrs, locomotive 2652 leading sixteen cars (five box, four tank, two empty pulp cars, five loaded pulp). Thorough Gilchrist at 1655hrs, across the Lower Millecoquins River at 1712hrs, through Engadine at 1715hrs and through Gould City at 1732hrs. The train was going to switch the interchange at Inland Junction and the pulp yard at Gulliver but this is where I broke of the chase.

Saturday May 11:
Caught the EB L’Anse turn at Three Lakes at 0949hrs with locomotives 5789-2542 – three covered hoppers, one tank, six empty tie cars, and four pulp loads.

Caught the WB Munising turn at Driggs River at 1230hrs with one box and one tank.
Cheers,
Mark Worrall