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The first shipment of nickel and copper concentrate has been hauled by the Mineral Range RR from the Humboldt mill to Ishpeming.

On Wednesday October 1st, Mineral Range hauled four carloads of copper concentrate and five carloads of nickel concentrate from the Lundin Mining Co. mill at Humboldt to the CN yard in Ishpeming. The cars will then be hauled by CN to be smelted and refined in Sudbury Ontario.

The news was reported in the Marquette Mining Journal. A link to the article is here http://www.miningjournal.net. You have to subscribe to read the whole article.

I've read that the Eagle mine only has a lifespan of about 8 years...after these 8 years I wonder if they will try and ship ore from elsewhere to the Humboldt mill, or if the traffic will dry up all together?

I was up to Marquette this last weekend and did a little bit of fanning, turns out my new lady friend really likes finding trains with me. I followed the old MILW from Republic to Channing. We checked out the new railroad operations, they were tied down on sunday at the mill. I didn't see the GP9 or the C420 anywhere.
Mineral Range by Trackmen, on Flickr

CAT345C wrote:...turns out my new lady friend really likes finding trains with me.

Is that what you kids are calling it these days?

CAT345C wrote:I was up to Marquette this last weekend and did a little bit of fanning, turns out my new lady friend really likes finding trains with me. I followed the old MILW from Republic to Channing. We checked out the new railroad operations, they were tied down on sunday at the mill. I didn't see the GP9 or the C420 anywhere.
Mineral Range by Trackmen, on Flickr

That's some nice looking track. Lots of ballast. Been a lot of work done lately? I dig the defacto Burlington paint scheme. Is this a new operation or is it just something that doesn't get a lot of attention being its in the UP?

MQT1223 wrote:Is this a new operation or is it just something that doesn't get a lot of attention being its in the UP?

Brand new. It's on an old abandoned ROW. New ballast, track, etc. First loads went out very recently.

For those just tuning in, the new railroad was relaid on part of the old LS&I republic Branch. The line was originally pulled in 2001/2002. Republic stop producing ore in the 1970s but occasionally trains ran out to republic for paint ore and reclaimed material. Rio Tinto was originally the closing behind the new nickel mine in Big Bay, they bought the ROW fr Cleveland Cliffs.

AARR wrote:

MQT1223 wrote:Is this a new operation or is it just something that doesn't get a lot of attention being its in the UP?

Brand new. It's on an old abandoned ROW. New ballast, track, etc. First loads went out very recently.

Love it! Nothing like a rail line coming back from the dead!

I wonder how old that loco is. Is that an AMD or an Alco.

wagnew0923 wrote:I wonder how old that loco is. Is that an AMD or an Alco.

Oh its an EMD alright. SW9 or something very similar. Wonder if she has the original prime mover.

MQT1223 wrote:

wagnew0923 wrote:I wonder how old that loco is. Is that an AMD or an Alco.

Oh its an EMD alright. SW9 or something very similar. Wonder if she has the original prime mover.

It is a TR4A, built for the Belt Railway of Chicago. It's basically an SW7. I would guess it has it's original 567A block, though it may have been updated to 567AC.

Bulby wrote:

MQT1223 wrote:

wagnew0923 wrote:I wonder how old that loco is. Is that an AMD or an Alco.

Oh its an EMD alright. SW9 or something very similar. Wonder if she has the original prime mover.

It is a TR4A, built for the Belt Railway of Chicago. It's basically an SW7. I would guess it has it's original 567A block, though it may have been updated to 567AC.

I hope someone goes up to catch this operation soon and film it for documentation while the business is good. All it takes is one thing to shut down or go wrong and this line gets shut down again. Plus its not everyday that an old name rises from the grave, even if its not based on the original.

Bulby wrote:

MQT1223 wrote:

wagnew0923 wrote:I wonder how old that loco is. Is that an AMD or an Alco.

Oh its an EMD alright. SW9 or something very similar. Wonder if she has the original prime mover.

It is a TR4A, built for the Belt Railway of Chicago. It's basically an SW7. I would guess it has it's original 567A block, though it may have been updated to 567AC.

Is the SW7 a recent addition? All I can find are an SW1 and a center cab switcher. What does the roster look like for the Mineral Range?

I do not have access to a recent roster for Mineral Range.

The "new" Mineral Range RR has been in business for almost 20 years. The main motive power was a SW-1 No. 600. I believe that 600 was later owned/operated by Vreeland Rail serving the explosives plant and the A&L scrap yard near National Mine. ( I am not really sure what the relationship was between MR and VR)

The Mineral Range had (has?) a center cab industrial switcher, a Whitcomb IIRC and a Plymouth. The TR4A is a recent edition. The MR also rostered an ex-Soo Line caboose used as an idler when moving loads of hazardous materials.

MQT1223 wrote:I hope someone goes up to catch this operation soon and film it for documentation while the business is good.

Do you want something like this?

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=293904194150041

Is SW-1 No. 600 still operating?

A few years back ( maybe two to four years) in was moved to Wisconsin. I think it might have been Spooner WI, either for the Vreeland RR or the Wisconsin Great Northern. Either way I can't find it using Google but it should be preserved at either place. It was built in 1939 so its a relic.

Why is it when I look at the Humboldt mine on Google maps the tracks are all gone? I assume this operation is all over now.

johnnycat wrote:Why is it when I look at the Humboldt mine on Google maps the tracks are all gone? I assume this operation is all over now.

That's because the google imagery is too old, it predates the re-installation of the track.

Saturnalia wrote:

johnnycat wrote:Why is it when I look at the Humboldt mine on Google maps the tracks are all gone? I assume this operation is all over now.

That's because the google imagery is too old, it predates the re-installation of the track.

Where are the Mineral Range locomotives stored when not in use?