Ok, I decided to do another "tour" via Google maps. Since I asked the questions about the CN and E&LS lines in the UP, I thought this would be a good place to "go".

Starting at the SSM, On yard we see a large number of cars in and around the Steel plant. There are also several blue switchers present. There are also a couple older looking switchers and center cabs on the property. I assume these are steel plant switchers. No other power is visible in and around the yard area. Heading east-south east from the yard there is another smaller yard. This yard has a yellow switcher connected to some cars in the yard and a train with three locomotives heading east out of the yard (it appears). Would this be the old Soo Line to Sudbury that has been subject to multiple abandonment discussions?

Also, in SSM, On. I assume (if I am correct above) that the Soo Line had the smaller yard mentioned above the the larger yard was the former Algoma Central yard that was in place to serve the steel plant as well as other traffic and interchange with the Soo Line.

Now, moving from SSM, On south into the UP, we cross the St. Mary's River. We come to the SSM, Mi "yard" which appears empty. When was the last time this yard was actually used for anything of note. I can't see it being important once WC gained control of the Soo Line and Algoma Central due to the yards in Canada.

The next switch discovered belongs to an old scrap yard but it doesn't seem to get service. The next switch leads back into the Kinross complex. At the end of the line are a couple tracks of tank cars (propane?)

Back to the main. Just southwest of where the line splits off to go towards the correction facility there is a small transload (pulpwood?) with bulkhead flats. We then continue to Rudyard which also has a spur, but no evidence of anything used.

Onward to Trout Lake. The line that went to St. Ignace has a couple cuts of pulpwood flats on it. In the small yard is what appears to be a GTW blue locomotive with 3 cars heading EB. The yard also has a sizable cut of loaded pulpwood cars and a couple others I can't recognize the type of (box maybe). On the line heading northwest, there are a couple cars on the interchange track. We will revist the line northwest later.

Continuing on the mainline southwest, Caffey appears to have a pulpwood loadout as well. In Gould City is a siding, but no evidence of use.

Next we come south to a place called Inland. There is a track crossing the CN line via bridge going north. Each side of this track is connected to the CN line via wye tracks on the south side of the CN line. Each of these wye tracks split into two tracks (interchange tracks?). The track to the north goes to the massive limestone pit.

Didn't WC used to switch this property at one time with the SDL-39's? Up near the quarry are a couple larger looking locomotives (GP's or SD's non-widecab) but very few cars. Heading back south on this line towards the port, we see nothing until we get to the port. At the port a locomotive is pulling a cut of cars through the dumper while another cut of cars sits on a siding. The cars on the siding appear to be covered hoppers. What would these be hauling? How much traffic does Inland produce for CN?

Back to the CN mainline, we pass the large pulpwood operation at Gulliver which includes a support yard. At the time the loadout has 18 cars being loaded while another 10 sit in the yard.

Manistque has several tracks in town, but no signs of cars on any of them. Is the paper plant still open or has this plant closed?

Continuing SW we then come to Cooks, where two cars are sitting on a siding. They appear blue from the top view, but I can't make out what they are. Nothing as we pass Nahma Junction where the Nahma and Northern crossed the now CN mainline. In ensing we come to another empty of cars pulpwood loadout.

Our next stop is the Gladstone yard. In the yard are two CN locomotives near the turntable. Also a large number of open top hoppers are present. These are a mix of ore jennies and larger (limestone possibly) empty hoppers. Also in the yard are the large number of pulpwood cars plus a large variety of other cars. The spur off the north end of the yard has two cars on it, one tank and one boxcar.


After the yard the tracks turn west and serve a single customer with an inside spur. After this is the wye track that heads towards the Escanaba ore docks, plus a crossing over what appears to be the line towards Ishpeming. This also has the line for the E&LS to Wells. In Wells were a bunch of different cars and several locomotives per Google Street View. (In various states of repair from the looks of them).

The ore docks had both loaded and empty jennies present.
How are these docks serviced? Does E&LS serve the ore docks are is the ore brought down by CN? I didn't think E&LS served any open mines.

Reverseing back north from the docks to the bridge crossing, (not a diamond as I earlier mentioned) Just west is the New Page paper facility. Is this still open or has it closed? The yard here has a ton of pulp, tank and boxcars. The CN line appears to continue going SW from here (but Dale's map seems to show it abandoned) The CN main then crosses the E&LS's (old line) towards Wells. This line has some cars stored on it, but otherwise seems to be in lesser condition. There is a wye track of this E&LS line as well as a line or storage cars off the E&LS spur just east. Heading south on the CN line there is a point were the CN line turns south and the old ROW now a trail heads west. This was the old Soo Line tracks into Escanaba. Just to the south of this is where the ex-CNW tracks crossed the CN line heading to Escanaba. As we continue westward we come to Bark River where there is an empty team track. In Spalding we see a passing siding with nothing present. Into Powers we go coming upon a small yard area with a couple cars. This is where the line west towards Iron Mountain heads west and the line to Green Bay heads south.

Heading south we next see the Stephenson passing siding. Beyond that we head to just NE of the regional airport where a spur comes off the mainline to the west and looks unoccupied at the time. The next track off the main is just north of the state line. This track heads east off the main and appears to serve multiple customers. A small yard on the track has a mixture of boxcars and tank cars. On the Wisconsin side of the boarder CN appears to serve several different customers.


Later today or tomorrow I will follow the other CN lines in the UP which branch off this "main"

On the CN line there is a small yard just southwest of the wye track, this CN "mainline" then continues south and has a wye track of its own. Going east from the wye there is a track going to a large yard then the ore dock tracks (which head north and connect to the mainline line east of new page paper. Just east of this yard is a north-south track that at its end serves a rather busy customer. This track cross the track from the yard to the docks at a diamond with an wye track at the NW and SE quadrents. Going north this track is the one that appeared to be used for storage by the E&LS and connects to the E&LS line into Escanaba.

Now back to the southern wye. Heading west we take the CN mainline from Escanaba west