E&LS

[jimnorthwood]

The trackage between Sidnaw and Rockland will be abandoned but kept in place and re-classified as ancillary track, ie to be used for car storage.

http://www.stb.dot.gov/filings/all.nsf/ ... 233925.pdf

[AARR]

I don't know the exact number but from what I have read from Greg Bunce at MIRR.com E&LS has many miles of cars in storage around their system. Whenever they have to pull some cars it can take a full shift just to get some cars that might be several miles deep in a cut out.

[jimnorthwood]

A bunch of years ago when there was a proposal to restore service to Chassell, E&LS was one of the bidders, and would have used Sidnaw to Nestoria and then north for access. That proposal never went anywhere, but E&LS kept the Sidnaw to Nestoria track in place, perhaps looking ahead to the day when they might operate Nestoria to Baraga. For now I suppose Sidnaw to Nestoria is also used for car storage.

[Sppengelly]

Why was there a proposal to restore service to Chassell? I didn't think there was anything north of L'anse except for Michigan Tech and a bunch of abandoned mine shafts (though the track is in place to Baraga).

-Sean

[AARR]

Why was there a proposal to restore service to Chassell? I didn't think there was anything north of L'anse except for Michigan Tech and a bunch of abandoned mine shafts (though the track is in place to Baraga).

-Sean

Some pulpwood is loaded in Baraga. I don't know how often or how much, though. Besse operates the loadout IIRC.

[SW]

Wasn't there a lumber yard at end of track in Chassell at one time, just north of where US-41 crossed the tracks?

[Raildudes dad]

Wasn't there a lumber yard at end of track in Chassell at one time, just north of where US-41 crossed the tracks?

Forslund Building Supply Inc

[jimnorthwood]

Before the paper industry entered into a decline in the U.S. there had been a long talked about proposal to build a paper mill in or around Lake Linden. The city of Houghton would have never permitted the track that was buried under the pavement to be restored, so perhaps the product from the never-built Lake Linden paper mill would have been trucked to Chassell, and then transloaded. Following that, the proposed restoration of service to Chassell was promoted as a point to gather pulpwood from around the area, and load it onto railcars near the U.S. 41 crossing. That idea never went anywhere, either.

[Sppengelly]

To bring this topic up again:

http://www.copperrange.org/trans.htm

[wagnew0923]

Before the paper industry entered into a decline in the U.S. there had been a long talked about proposal to build a paper mill in or around Lake Linden. The city of Houghton would have never permitted the track that was buried under the pavement to be restored, so perhaps the product from the never-built Lake Linden paper mill would have been trucked to Chassell, and then transloaded. Following that, the proposed restoration of service to Chassell was promoted as a point to gather pulpwood from around the area, and load it onto railcars near the U.S. 41 crossing. That idea never went anywhere, either.

Wait I thought that under the FRA anrestoring an abandon rail line was the decision of the FRA and the railroad and the town just had to live with it. Or is that just covered if they turn it into a rail trail.

[jimnorthwood]

The Surface Transportation Board is the federal agency vested with the authority to grant abandonment petitions for rail lines, as well as to permit restoration of service on railbanked rights of way, such as recently with the Mineral Range RR. Much depends on who or what acquired ownership of the right of way following removal of the track. If adjacent landowners, then the odds of restoration are slim to none. If some department of the state of Michigan, then the possibility is still there. Part of the right of way was, I believe, recently used in a project to relocate U.S. 41 further away from Lake Superior. Somebody posted some pictures of the rails being removed around Arnheim or Keweenaw Bay as part of this project a couple of years ago.

The bottom line is that there is no demand for rail service north of Baraga. Unless and until there is, Baraga will remain the end of the line.

[Sppengelly]

I wouldn't be too certain there...

[railohio]

I wouldn't be too certain there...

Vague statements are vague.

[Standard Railfan]

Vague statements are only vague to the uninformed or unaware.

Realize that the world is in the midst of boom market for all types of natural resources. The Keweenaw peninsula holds tremendous amounts of minerals. I believe that there will be a time in the not so distant future that mining will return to the area. At first, reclaiming of old spoil piles. Since these minerals are heavy, rail is a much better transportation option than truck.