CN Derailment near Iron Mountain

[Standard Railfan]

A local TV station, WLUC in Marquette. is reporting a derailment on the CN near Vulcan, MI. The report contains little detail, but photos show freight car trucks scattered about the ROW. The line runs from Powers, MI to Iron Mountain, MI and serves the Verso paper mill in Quinnesec. The line was formerly CNW nee Michigan & Wisconsin.

A link to the story is here:http://www.uppermichiganssource.com/new ... TjeYqZhw20

[Doktor No]

Now THATS some crack journalistic work there...pics of wheels and 'there's a derailment.'
Alrighty then.
And remember,
W ith
L uck
U
C ee
TV.
"Henry, put some aluminum foil on those rabbit ears would ye?"

[Standard Railfan]

"Henry, put some aluminum foil on those rabbit ears would ye?"

LMAO. I actually watch WLUC with rabbit ears, although the digital version. I haven't had to use foil yet.

[Standard Railfan]

The news article has been updated three additional photos posted. Hulcher is on scene and clean up underway. Article states all the derailed cars were empty.

[Doktor No]

Marquette is a might bit away from the Pennsy for you isn't it?
Wife used to have that part of the UP on her sales route and we would ALWAYS stop at Lawries to stock up on pasties. DA BEST IMHO. Now she only does The Soo and Manistique...I guess that calls for a ROAD TRIP soon..if it ever warms up!

[JANGAJONGA]

I hear that the EL&S has the contract to switch out the Verso plant now? What is the point of the CN going all the way to Iron Mountain, do they do any business in Iron Mountain proper? interchange with the EL&S?

[AARR]

I hear that the EL&S has the contract to switch out the Verso plant now? What is the point of the CN going all the way to Iron Mountain, do they do any business in Iron Mountain proper? interchange with the EL&S?

I think CN takes E&LS's cars to Iron Mountain while E&LS takes CN's cars somewhere outside of town (to the mill perhaps?).

[Standard Railfan]

I hear that the EL&S has the contract to switch out the Verso plant now? What is the point of the CN going all the way to Iron Mountain, do they do any business in Iron Mountain proper? interchange with the EL&S?

I have not been down that way in quite some time to find out what is where these days. I know that CN and ELS have a very solid relationship and work together in the Menominee/Marinette area. I would not be surprised to find out that ELS is switching Verso. I hope to get down that way in the next month or so if the snow ever stops. I will post anything of note.

[Standard Railfan]

Marquette is a might bit away from the Pennsy for you isn't it?

I grew up in Central Lower Michigan. My two favorite railroads are PRR and the Great Northern. I have had a fascination with both of these railroads ever since I can remember.

I have made the pilgrimage on the Empire Builder from GRR to Portland OR plus a few GNRHS conventions many years ago. My focus in now to the east. I hope I can make all the stars align and take Amtrak on the old PRR through Altoona and then onto the NE corridor.

[elshogger]

The CN leased the track from just east of the New Page mill to Lake Street in Quinnesec to Motive Rail. They have been switching the mill since this winter. The CN only delivers and receives cars from them at the mill. The ELS hasn't interchanged cars at Quinnesec for over a year and since the lease of the track to Motive Rail the CN has taken the track from Quinnesec to Iron Mountain out of service.

[JANGAJONGA]

The CN leased the track from just east of the New Page mill to Lake Street in Quinnesec to Motive Rail. They have been switching the mill since this winter. The CN only delivers and receives cars from them at the mill. The ELS hasn't interchanged cars at Quinnesec for over a year and since the lease of the track to Motive Rail the CN has taken the track from Quinnesec to Iron Mountain out of service.

Ah okay, so Motive Rail does the inter-plant switching, and CN delivers cars from the east. The Quinnesec-Iron Mountain portion will remain out of service until there is a reason for them to go to Iron Mountain then? are they looking to tear that track up?

[elshogger]

The CN has no customers in Iron Mountain, Antoine Yard was torn up probably 10 years ago and the property sold to the DNR. They accessed the yard with trackage rights over the ELS from H Street to near Hamilton Street. Their property ends at H Street in Iron Mountain at the connection with the ELS. No word on the fate of the line Iron Mountain- Quinnesec. I wouldn't be surprised to see it put up for abandonment.

[Super Chief]

Motive Rail normally rosters second hand geep 9s any word on the unit number?

[elshogger]

According to a photo posted on another site, they are GP10's 8334 and 8317.

[JANGAJONGA]

Was there really any need for Antoine after the ore trains from Groveland stopped?

[elshogger]

The crews of the Escanaba-Iron Mountain local and the Niagara switch engine tied up there. Mostly, I suspect it was due to union agreements. Most of the work was at Niagara and later at the new International Paper plant at Quinnesec. There were still a few cars interchanged with the E&LS and the C&NW still had an agent at Antoine. Later, they started tying up in Quinnesec and Antoine was closed.

[JANGAJONGA]

Thats interesting, how is business on the Michigan portion of the EL&S these days? do they actually switch any customers in Escanaba/Wells besides the car shop? thanks so much for sharing your knowledge!

[elshogger]

No customers in Escanaba anymore that I know of except maybe a LP gas dealer. They used to get in an occasional car. We switch a Louisiana Pacific mill between Sagola and Randville that makes OSB. They get in pulpwood and dye and ship out OSB. A scrap yard in Kingsford ships out
an occasional car of scrap. No customers in Iron Mountain. Pulpwood is loaded at Randville and Channing. The wood from Randville goes to mills in Wisconsin and the wood from Channing goes to Sappi Fine Paper in Cloquet, MN. At Floodwood on the Republic branch cement is received for a company in Negaunee and they ship out iron ore tailings in the Summer. On the O&B (the line towards Ontonagon) pulpwood is loaded at Amasa, Triangle Spur, Sidnaw, and Mass. Most of that wood goes to the LP mill. In the Summer iron ore is loaded at Sidnaw that is trucked over from the Peterson Mine in Bessemer.

[AARR]

Thanks, eshogger.

Any update on the wood chip plant south of Pembine?

[JANGAJONGA]

Does the Groveland still ship out occasional loads of tailings? or is that a thing of the past?