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Seems like they keep them on the mine's property. But it's possible they may stage them in Ishpeming too.

NS3322 wrote:

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?

The Mineral Range power is kept in the engine house just south of Landing Jct when not in use.

Saturnalia wrote:The Mineral Range power is kept in the engine house just south of Landing Jct when not in use.

Is this the site?
Google Maps needs to update the aerial imagery in the UP!
Is the motive power still the same as in your 2016 video? ISLX 1323 [GP9] & ISLX 1345 [GP7]?
I am assuming the same power switches both Humboldt and Pluto/National Mine?

NS3322 wrote:

Saturnalia wrote:The Mineral Range power is kept in the engine house just south of Landing Jct when not in use.

Is this the site?
Google Maps needs to update the aerial imagery in the UP!
Is the motive power still the same as in your 2016 video? ISLX 1323 [GP9] & ISLX 1345 [GP7]?
I am assuming the same power switches both Humboldt and Pluto/National Mine?

Yes. The pin placed on the map is the lead to a new engine house built just north of Moyle’s. I haven’t been out there in some time. The last time I went back there the engine house was under construction.

I noticed the Wiki page for the Mineral Range was basically blank, so I created one!
How did I do?
I honestly did not realize how many locomotives the MR has had over the years.
http://railroadfan.com/wiki/index.php/M ... _Customers

I like it.

I think CN owns the track from Ishpeming to Winthrop Jct. So Hollis Forest Products is switched by CN.

Also, A&L isn't shipping by rail. It's my understanding A&L's yards in the UP truck their scrap to Gaylord where it's processed then shipped out by rail and truck.

NS3322 wrote:I noticed the Wiki page for the Mineral Range was basically blank, so I created one!
How did I do?
I honestly did not realize how many locomotives the MR has had over the years.

AARR wrote:I like it.

I think CN owns the track from Ishpeming to Winthrop Jct. So Hollis Forest Products is switched by CN.

Also, A&L isn't shipping by rail. It's my understanding A&L's yards in the UP truck their scrap to Gaylord where it's processed then shipped out by rail and truck.

NS3322 wrote:I noticed the Wiki page for the Mineral Range was basically blank, so I created one!
How did I do?
I honestly did not realize how many locomotives the MR has had over the years.

Correct, CN owns from Landing Jct to Winthrop Jct. MR owns from Winthrop Jct to Pluto and Landing Jct to Humboldt via Humboldt Jct. Thus they are discontinuous.

A&L seems to be shipping via the MR again. Saw scrap loads in the MR cut several times this spring and also last fall.

I have been looking at these locations on Google Maps and am trying to put names to locations on the Map. Euclid yard is the 11 track yard in Ishpeming.

Q) Why was this yard built so big. None of the traffic reports I see indicate a volume of cars that would require that substantial a yard.

Let's follow the tracks South from the yard. The first spur is Holli Forest Products. The next spur is the spur where the engine house is located correct?

Q) What customer(s) used to be back here. It looks like the remains of a much larger section of tracks is back on this spur. Just south of this location appears to be the remains of two spurs entering that same property.

From the engine house spur, the line curves southward where there is another spur (with CH's and a tank car on it). This is where the Iron Ore Heritage Trail extends from the spur.

Q) What is this location called? What line was the trail that continues north toward Ishpeming? Who services this "customer" where the cars are? Is this Winthrop Jct? Why did CN retain this line? Who operated the line in prior times?

Continuing south we pass A&L. There is not a spur at this location, so any serivce would require cars to be loaded while on the mainline. The line then continues south to Pluto.

Q) Was the line that now ends with the spur to Pepin - Ireco continued to serve Tilden Mine at one time? If so, who owned and operated this line.



Moving back to the line from Euclid Yard going west. The line heads west until it reaches a point north of 41. Is this Humboldt Jct? The line continuing west appears to head towards Nestoria correct?

Q) How does MR own the tracks from Humboldt Jct back to Ishpeming, but for a long time it appears CN was the only operator (until this mining operation started).

Q) West of Michagamme, there is a ROW that appears to show a wye going south from the main. What was this trackage?

Q) What is the story with the line west from Nestoria? Who operates it, and what is it used for? It appears to be car storage? Do both CN and E&LS use this line for storage or have access to the cars on it?

Q) I know the E&LS pulled up back from Ontonagon. How far back did they pull the tracks? It appears, on Google Maps that there were additional customers (pulpwood) located on the line into Ontonagon? Where they also cut off from rail service?

Q) Why was this yard built so big. None of the traffic reports I see indicate a volume of cars that would require that substantial a yard.
A) Used to be a lot of lumber and ore traffic

Q) What is the story with the line west from Nestoria? Who operates it, and what is it used for? It appears to be car storage? Do both CN and E&LS use this line for storage or have access to the cars on it?
A) E&LS owns it and uses it for car storage

Q) I know the E&LS pulled up back from Ontonagon. How far back did they pull the tracks? It appears, on Google Maps that there were additional customers (pulpwood) located on the line into Ontonagon? Where they also cut off from rail service?
A) Rail ends between Mass Sta. and Rockland. The ROW in Ontonagon went to the carboard mill that closed around 2011. They provided E&LS with a lot of inbound and outbound traffic.

AARR wrote:Q) Why was this yard built so big. None of the traffic reports I see indicate a volume of cars that would require that substantial a yard.
A) Used to be a lot of lumber and ore traffic

Q) What is the story with the line west from Nestoria? Who operates it, and what is it used for? It appears to be car storage? Do both CN and E&LS use this line for storage or have access to the cars on it?
A) E&LS owns it and uses it for car storage

Q) I know the E&LS pulled up back from Ontonagon. How far back did they pull the tracks? It appears, on Google Maps that there were additional customers (pulpwood) located on the line into Ontonagon? Where they also cut off from rail service?
A) Rail ends between Mass Sta. and Rockland. The ROW in Ontonagon went to the carboard mill that closed around 2011. They provided E&LS with a lot of inbound and outbound traffic.

Is the last customer on the line to Ontonagon now the wood loading area south of Mass City and Greenland? The Google Streetview west of here shows car storage on the line in 2018, but the streetview for this location is dated 2009.

Correct, last I heard they ship 3-6 cars a week. There's two other wood log customers on the line. Sidnaw and Triangle Spur. Triangle Spur is the largest of the three.

chapmaja wrote:Is the last customer on the line to Ontonagon now the wood loading area south of Mass City and Greenland? The Google Streetview west of here shows car storage on the line in 2018, but the streetview for this location is dated 2009.

AARR wrote:Correct, last I heard they ship 3-6 cars a week. There's two other wood log customers on the line. Sidnaw and Triangle Spur. Triangle Spur is the largest of the three.

chapmaja wrote:Is the last customer on the line to Ontonagon now the wood loading area south of Mass City and Greenland? The Google Streetview west of here shows car storage on the line in 2018, but the streetview for this location is dated 2009.

Where are these two locations? Just outside Sidnaw I see the double wye area which could be trisangle spur or Sidnaw. Is Sidnaw actually in town and triangle spur is just west of town?

Triangle Spur is about a mile or two west of Amasa. It's a spur that Ottawa Forest Products uses to load pulp wood.

chapmaja wrote:

AARR wrote:Correct, last I heard they ship 3-6 cars a week. There's two other wood log customers on the line. Sidnaw and Triangle Spur. Triangle Spur is the largest of the three.

chapmaja wrote:Is the last customer on the line to Ontonagon now the wood loading area south of Mass City and Greenland? The Google Streetview west of here shows car storage on the line in 2018, but the streetview for this location is dated 2009.

Where are these two locations? Just outside Sidnaw I see the double wye area which could be trisangle spur or Sidnaw. Is Sidnaw actually in town and triangle spur is just west of town?

chapmaja wrote:Q) I know the E&LS pulled up back from Ontonagon. How far back did they pull the tracks? It appears, on Google Maps that there were additional customers (pulpwood) located on the line into Ontonagon? Where they also cut off from rail service?

This photo was posted on Facebook recently; a rare photo of the end of the line near Rockland. Photo by Brian Madl.

I am trying to identify this EMD SW locomotive that Mineral Range apparently acquired in 2019. Does anyone have any idea what the reporting marks are?
Photos by Chris Gleason.

When were the lines south and west of Ontonagon pulled?