Return of Rail Service to Ontonagon

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Standard Railfan
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Return of Rail Service to Ontonagon

Unread post by Standard Railfan »

A new project is underway to build a bio-fuels plant on the site of the former Smurfit Stone paper mill in Ontanagon. Part of the "Assistnace" needed for the plant is to "bring back rail access to the plant".

http://www.uppermichiganssource.com/con ... 42621.html

blackjack1518
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Re: Return of Rail Service to Ontonagon

Unread post by blackjack1518 »

ELS sure did remove that section of track quick. The state will most likely end up paying the bill to relay that 12 miles of track, Ontonagon has state resources available through Project Rising Tide and that could assist in related economic development. Note the state also rebuilt this line into Ontonagon in the 1980's, this was heavy rail so had resale value when ELS pulled that section up.

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Doktor No
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Re: Return of Rail Service to Ontonagon

Unread post by Doktor No »

Lengthen a runway? Build a deepwater port? Rebuild the rail? For 3.6 tank cars a day of production...if it all goes out by rail? Perhaps inbound pulp and logs by rail though too?
I wonder....will they offer to build tug/barge car ferries too?
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Re: Return of Rail Service to Ontonagon

Unread post by blackjack1518 »

I'm sure rail could be for receiving wood waste as well, although only shows for transport on layout. Also they'd store and then sell/ship more depending upon changes in pricing, contracts, seasons, etc. The tank farm is to have 12 large tanks for gasoline, diesel and aviation fuel

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Re: Return of Rail Service to Ontonagon

Unread post by blackjack1518 »

On another note, CN has removed all the crossing signals on the White Pine sub at highways and added a simple crossbuck with except. They are either doing this for tax purposes or may be getting ready to pull the track up. But If CN Invests to bring this subdivision back online to serve the Copperwood mine (operation by 2021) would not be a need to go past Thomaston which is about the halfway point to White Pine.

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AARR
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Re: Return of Rail Service to Ontonagon

Unread post by AARR »

Did some transload business (paint ore?) transfer from a point on the CN White Pine Sub to E&LS/Sidnaw?
blackjack1518 wrote:On another note, CN has removed all the crossing signals on the White Pine sub at highways and added a simple crossbuck with except. They are either doing this for tax purposes or may be getting ready to pull the track up. But If CN Invests to bring this subdivision back online to serve the Copperwood mine (operation by 2021) would not be a need to go past Thomaston which is about the halfway point to White Pine.
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Re: Return of Rail Service to Ontonagon

Unread post by Saturnalia »

AARR wrote:Did some transload business (paint ore?) transfer from a point on the CN White Pine Sub to E&LS/Sidnaw?
blackjack1518 wrote:On another note, CN has removed all the crossing signals on the White Pine sub at highways and added a simple crossbuck with except. They are either doing this for tax purposes or may be getting ready to pull the track up. But If CN Invests to bring this subdivision back online to serve the Copperwood mine (operation by 2021) would not be a need to go past Thomaston which is about the halfway point to White Pine.
Yes the iron ore tailings used for pigment is now done on the west side of Sidnaw.
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AARR
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Re: Return of Rail Service to Ontonagon

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Thanks Saturn. Would you happen to know how often it is shipped and how many carloads?
Saturnalia wrote:
AARR wrote:Did some transload business (paint ore?) transfer from a point on the CN White Pine Sub to E&LS/Sidnaw?
blackjack1518 wrote:On another note, CN has removed all the crossing signals on the White Pine sub at highways and added a simple crossbuck with except. They are either doing this for tax purposes or may be getting ready to pull the track up. But If CN Invests to bring this subdivision back online to serve the Copperwood mine (operation by 2021) would not be a need to go past Thomaston which is about the halfway point to White Pine.
Yes the iron ore tailings used for pigment is now done on the west side of Sidnaw.
PatC created a monster, 'cause nobody wants to see Don Simon no more they want AARR I'm chopped liver, well if you want AARR this is what I'll give ya, bad humor mixed with irrelevant info that'll make you roll your eyes quicker than a ~Z~ banhammer...

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Re: Return of Rail Service to Ontonagon

Unread post by Saturnalia »

AARR wrote:Thanks Saturn. Would you happen to know how often it is shipped and how many carloads?
Nope.
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AARR
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Re: Return of Rail Service to Ontonagon

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Maybe the question should be posted under Are you Smarter than a 5th Grader :D
Saturnalia wrote:
AARR wrote:Thanks Saturn. Would you happen to know how often it is shipped and how many carloads?
Nope.
PatC created a monster, 'cause nobody wants to see Don Simon no more they want AARR I'm chopped liver, well if you want AARR this is what I'll give ya, bad humor mixed with irrelevant info that'll make you roll your eyes quicker than a ~Z~ banhammer...

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Re: Return of Rail Service to Ontonagon

Unread post by blackjack1518 »

AARR wrote:Maybe the question should be posted under Are you Smarter than a 5th Grader :D
Saturnalia wrote:
AARR wrote:Thanks Saturn. Would you happen to know how often it is shipped and how many carloads?
Nope.
I believe they ship few times a year during the spring, summer, fall time frame. 4 or 5 gons seems to be the normal.

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Re: Return of Rail Service to Ontonagon

Unread post by jimnorthwood »

The track from Bergland to White Pine must have been one of the longest stretches of new rail laid in Michigan in a long time when it was built to serve the White Pine Mine.

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Re: Return of Rail Service to Ontonagon

Unread post by Jim_c »

A bit more on the plans from the SynSel website.
https://www.synselenergy.org/synsel-in-the-news/
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Re: Return of Rail Service to Ontonagon

Unread post by blackjack1518 »

Here is what the plans are for the Copperwood mine, no yooper rail line will be used.

The transload facility will be located at a rail siding in Park Falls, Wisconsin 80 miles from site. The location has been chosen due to the costs and mainly because it provides access of the Canadian National Railway networks, for easy shipment to known economical smelters. The facility accepts concentrate shipments
from site via side-dump haul trucks. Haul trucks enter the building, dump the concentrate, and exit the building. Concentrate is loaded into rail cars using a front-end loader. The building is fully enclosed to ensure the control of air quality with sufficient air changes, as per the usual codes. Entrances and exits will have roll-up style doors to regulate airflow through the building. Each haul truck carries a concentrate payload of around 18 metric tons, a weight that is limited by the Wisconsin DOT to a maximum gross vehicle weight of 80,000lb.

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Re: Return of Rail Service to Ontonagon

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blackjack1518 wrote:Here is what the plans are for the Copperwood mine, no yooper rail line will be used.

The transload facility will be located at a rail siding in Park Falls, Wisconsin 80 miles from site. The location has been chosen due to the costs and mainly because it provides access of the Canadian National Railway networks, for easy shipment to known economical smelters. The facility accepts concentrate shipments
from site via side-dump haul trucks. Haul trucks enter the building, dump the concentrate, and exit the building. Concentrate is loaded into rail cars using a front-end loader. The building is fully enclosed to ensure the control of air quality with sufficient air changes, as per the usual codes. Entrances and exits will have roll-up style doors to regulate airflow through the building. Each haul truck carries a concentrate payload of around 18 metric tons, a weight that is limited by the Wisconsin DOT to a maximum gross vehicle weight of 80,000lb.
Source?

I don’t have any reason to question it, but a source would help solidify it
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Re: Return of Rail Service to Ontonagon

Unread post by blackjack1518 »

Saturnalia wrote:
blackjack1518 wrote:Here is what the plans are for the Copperwood mine, no yooper rail line will be used.

The transload facility will be located at a rail siding in Park Falls, Wisconsin 80 miles from site. The location has been chosen due to the costs and mainly because it provides access of the Canadian National Railway networks, for easy shipment to known economical smelters. The facility accepts concentrate shipments
from site via side-dump haul trucks. Haul trucks enter the building, dump the concentrate, and exit the building. Concentrate is loaded into rail cars using a front-end loader. The building is fully enclosed to ensure the control of air quality with sufficient air changes, as per the usual codes. Entrances and exits will have roll-up style doors to regulate airflow through the building. Each haul truck carries a concentrate payload of around 18 metric tons, a weight that is limited by the Wisconsin DOT to a maximum gross vehicle weight of 80,000lb.
Source?

I don’t have any reason to question it, but a source would help solidify it

https://docs.wixstatic.com/ugd/62921a_4 ... 91308f.pdf

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Standard Railfan
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Re: Return of Rail Service to Ontonagon

Unread post by Standard Railfan »

blackjack1518 wrote:
Saturnalia wrote:
blackjack1518 wrote:Here is what the plans are for the Copperwood mine, no yooper rail line will be used.

The transload facility will be located at a rail siding in Park Falls, Wisconsin 80 miles from site. The location has been chosen due to the costs and mainly because it provides access of the Canadian National Railway networks, for easy shipment to known economical smelters. The facility accepts concentrate shipments
from site via side-dump haul trucks. Haul trucks enter the building, dump the concentrate, and exit the building. Concentrate is loaded into rail cars using a front-end loader. The building is fully enclosed to ensure the control of air quality with sufficient air changes, as per the usual codes. Entrances and exits will have roll-up style doors to regulate airflow through the building. Each haul truck carries a concentrate payload of around 18 metric tons, a weight that is limited by the Wisconsin DOT to a maximum gross vehicle weight of 80,000lb.
Source?

I don’t have any reason to question it, but a source would help solidify it

https://docs.wixstatic.com/ugd/62921a_4 ... 91308f.pdf
Thank you for posting the link. Fascinating document.

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