Upper Peninsula Railroad Operations Thread

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Saturnalia
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Re: Upper Peninsula Railroad Operations Thread

Unread post by Saturnalia »

The U30Cs and C30-7s will occasionally head down the hill, but it is not proffered because they do not have extended range dynamic brakes like the AC44CWs do.
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Robertrains
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Re: Upper Peninsula Railroad Operations Thread

Unread post by Robertrains »

Saturnalia wrote:
Sun Feb 20, 2022 3:26 pm
The U30Cs and C30-7s will occasionally head down the hill, but it is not proffered because they do not have extended range dynamic brakes like the AC44CWs do.
That's cool! Is there a way to know when the "Greens" will head down the hill? The worker (on Facebook) said they haven't run to the docks since LSI first leased the AC4400CW locos in 2010! Is that correct? Can the "Greens" still be on the docks? Or is this the "Occasional" train just to the Marquette yard?
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Re: Upper Peninsula Railroad Operations Thread

Unread post by Saturnalia »

Robertrains wrote:
Tue Feb 22, 2022 7:24 pm
Saturnalia wrote:
Sun Feb 20, 2022 3:26 pm
The U30Cs and C30-7s will occasionally head down the hill, but it is not proffered because they do not have extended range dynamic brakes like the AC44CWs do.
That's cool! Is there a way to know when the "Greens" will head down the hill? The worker (on Facebook) said they haven't run to the docks since LSI first leased the AC4400CW locos in 2010! Is that correct? Can the "Greens" still be on the docks? Or is this the "Occasional" train just to the Marquette yard?
The situation is exactly as I described in what you quoted above.

It has only happened a few times in the last several years. A couple years ago a pair did spend a few days on the dock. A lot of the AC44CWs need to be down and circumstances need to align for them to do it. It's totally random, very rare, and there is no way to predict or forecast it.
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Re: Upper Peninsula Railroad Operations Thread─GREEN Lake Superior & Ishpeming locos!!!!

Unread post by Robertrains »

Yup, about to leave on this trip (quoted below)! I will be "Off the Grid" unless at a hotel lobby computer or the old laptop! Time to catch some "Green" ex BN LS&I locos, E&LS and the new Watco® operation (and anything else of interest)! Also going to Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario today ('no joke') and will catch that new Watco® Algoma Central®!!!!! I find it very interesting that it is the same "Anniversary" as when Wisconsin Central® purchased Algoma Central® twenty seven years ago (2-1-1995)!!!!
A report of the Canadian portion will be in my thread that I created with lots of film pictures (Railfanning Information 'Algoma Central!!!!')! :wink:
Robertrains wrote:
Sun Feb 20, 2022 12:07 pm
OK, here is what is happening. I have more info (LSI worker on Facebook® is helping)!!!! The three additional new CEFX AC4400CW locos are not going to be ready when the season starts! There will be some ex BN "Green" U30C and C30-7 locos working! However, there are three total! One "Green" C30-7 blew its engine a few months ago (did not realize when I posted in January that 3074 was already broke)! There will be some still working for a few months! They will retain two "Greens" even after the new engines come in (as back-ups)! COOL!!!! These old GEs only work between Eagle Mills and Tilden Mine! They have not run to the docks since LS&I started leasing the CEFX AC4400CWs in 2010! The SOO Locks open March 25! I am actually travelling to the U.P. at the beginning of April (giving time for the barges to make it to Marquette and LS&I operating fully)!!!! I will be going with a good friend (Roger) that I have known since 2001!!!!

Also, I will check out E&LS and the new Watco® operation (and anything else of interest)! I will be going for approx. 5 days! EL&S F7A #600 now is not being used!!!! :cry: Looks like "Traction Motors!" How long would this take to fix? Probably not long, but nothing has been done on it since it broke in January! I hope it goes back on the mainline soon! I also have not caught this railroad (very few trains I have seen in the U.P.)! Well, E&LS does not have their own line connecting to Wells! Is that just isolated? Do they have freights connecting west to Iron Mountain area? It is just CN! E&LS also has one operating SD9 (ex Republic Mining®)!!!!

Here is a video showing ELS 600 sitting at the beginning of January (©Jason Asselin):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LZS8QqbnOPg
Robertrains wrote:
Sat Jan 15, 2022 12:06 pm
OK, found out recently on "Michigan Railfans" Facebook® group that the old ex BN "Green" U30C and C30-7 locos are now retired! The season just ended! There were four total working! Two U30C and two C30-7! Sounds like they now will be "Scrapped!!!!" LS&I bought three of the leased six CEFX AC4400CW locos and will purchase the rest soon! Also, three more AC4400CW will come for next season!!!! However, they may keep two "Green" GEs but nothing is final! They'd need to keep old GE parts locos in that case!!!! Does anyone know more? :?: I have never seen the LS&I operating! I was in Marquette in July 1996 on a great trip with my late Dad (RCJ I)! We never caught a train running! Now, I may be able to get to the U.P. later this year! Looks like I will never get these old GE locos though (unless I see the last two if they decide to keep)!!!! :cry: :cry:

Here's footage from 12-2021 showing LS&I (©SD457500): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rh4LaMDWGxA
Robert Jackson (Extreme Railfan/Bluewater and Michigan Transit Museum member)

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Re: Upper Peninsula Railroad Operations Thread─GREEN Lake Superior & Ishpeming locos!!!!

Unread post by Robertrains »

Well no need to report on the "Canadian" portion of this trip as we did not make it to Canada! The U.P. trip is listed below! After I get film developed and/or negatives scanned, I will post pictures in a "Trip Report!"

Friday April 1: Roger and I went up to Sault Ste. Marie! Even though no "Covid" test required for entry, Canada still needs an "APP" downloaded! I don't do "APPS!!!!" We caught the return CN from Sault Ste. Marie, ON crossing the Saint Mary's River! CN "Widecab" GE lead, another D.P.U. in the middle. Slept in the vehicle at Trout Lake.

Saturday April 2: Saw some of Watco®'s leased engines. One near Trout Lake (HLCX GP38-2 3885) connected to a train with no one occupying cab. At Newberry, MI there was Decatur & Eastern Illinois® (ex NS GP38-2) #5551 parked. Went to Eagle Mills JCT. and soon were greeted by an old guy who looks like Santa Claus, Jim!!!! He drives an old Crown Victoria and sells LS&I RR merchandise! I bought two LSI hats for $17! As a matter of fact this is exactly what I wanted for the trip! My goal for the trip was catching old BN GE "Green" locos! They don't run very much! Caught CEFX "Blue" GE units on the westbound "Weigher" train to get ore loads for CN! Went to ask at Buck's Restaurant® Ishpeming! We talked to a nice female waitress asking for a good fish place! None there! Went around Eagle Mills Yard! Then met a guy who works for LS&I and went to a great place he recommended, "Hudson's Classic Car Restaurant®!" Lake Superior Whitefish! We slept by the tracks!

Sunday April 3: The two morning westbound trains were the "Weigher" and "Tilden" jobs! Both going westbound to the Tilden Mine and using the "Blue" GEs! Saw a CN job go north! We then caught it going south at Eagle Mills JCT. with two CN SD60s, 20 cars! There were two ex CEFX (now LSI) AC4400CW locos, 1005/1003! They went light to Eagle Mills and came back west light to get loads for the next job! Not much else that day besides just looking around! That night we slept at Eagle Mills JCT. In the middle of the night was a "Tilden" job going to Eagle Mills with loads, two ex CEFX GEs!

Monday April 4: The LSI worker brought us breakfast from Hardees®! We saw the "Weigher" come with one single unit, a "Blue" (ex CEFX) LS&I AC4400CW! It ran "Long Hood Forward," 47 cars! One "Blue" engine "Blew" its Traction Motor! Now we were hoping "Greens" would come later! Turned out LS&I quickly fixed the "Blue" engine and the "Greens" did not come out! 🙁 Roger and I saw the Mineral Range Railroad®! In the yard I saw an ex EJE caboose. Then saw them open the garage door and fire up both GP9s! Green ex BN ISLX #1345 and "High Hood" MR colored #1323!!!!! Got excellent S-VHS video of them starting up! Saw the train going with the "High Hood" leading! We were following them to Humbolt! Roger's truck was having problems (thought bad brakes)! Luckily the LSI worker told us where to go for fix! Het met us there! Turned out a Wheel Bearing was broken! A guy said we only had 20 miles to go before explosion! We were lucky here! They fixed in less than an hour and we continued to Humbolt! Got the Mineral Range® leaving with 11 cars, ex BN 1345 leading! Followed it back to Ishpeming! After that it was dinner time! Went to that Buck's Restaurant® Ishpeming (place we asked for good fish a couple days before)! The nice waitress, Taylor, actually wants to see me again! Very nice and now we are friends on FB! That night we slept beside the ore dock, Presque Isle! Saw the ore dumping into the "Maumee!"

Tuesday April 5:
I was up extremely early and photographed boats at the dock! Also the display LS&I train! Camera on tripod, raised above the fence, and used shutter release cable to photograph this train with a 17mm lens (Canon 35mm S.L.R.)! This was a great idea because of the darn fence! Saw the "Maumee" depart! Did the same thing with S-VHS and "Fish Eye" lens! Later we again met the LSI worker at Eagle Mills JCT! Saw more "BLUE" ex CEFX locos, 1003/1005! Ran "Light" both east then west! I did not want to wait for its return! I had enough "Blues!" Though he suggested the Buffalo street crossing! There you can witness trains climbing the grade out of Tilden Mine! I only wanted "Greens" for that! 😉 Roger and I left for Escanaba! We caught a westbound CN departing Gladstone (the yard also included two GTW GP38-2s)! It had two CN SD60s, 53 cars. We followed the CN train and got them crossing the Escanaba River, Wells! Caught Escanaba & Lake Superior® GP38 #400 running light too! I had along a pack of pix that were given to me at Woodward Camera®, Birmingham, MI in 2019! The guy never claimed them. I had this pack of pictures (4x6/8x10) for three years! Suddenly, January 31, 2022, I saw one of these pictures posted on E&LS group! I commented showing scanned ones! This guy, Michael Koprowicz, was going to meet me! He knew who I was since he has bought my train calendars sold at P&D Hobby®, Fraser, MI. He lives in Toledo, OH and is Conductor on Amtrak® "Lake Shore Limited!" However, he had his own problems and now does not want the pix back! At least he told me about the girl in the picture from August 2018! She's from Bark River, MI and was curious about the train! OH Yeah, now I went to Bark River looking for the girl (had three copies of this photo)! Family Dollar® was no help but a girl there said go to "Massie's® Store" since they know all the local townsfolk! Went to Massie's® and I gave this picture to a manager! WOW she "knows this girl!" I left my phone number and shortly later got a text from the girl in the picture (Jennifer)! After we ate at "Buck Inn®" I found a "Text" from this girl on my phone! Since I don't text I called! We soon talked! I found out her Fiancé's birthday is the day before mine (July 27)! She actually has family who lives in Detroit area! We will meet for Lunch this year!!!! I was determined to find her!!!! 😉 Finally slept in a hotel, Ecolodge®!!!!

Wednesday April 6: Rainy day! We got the E&LS GP38 #400 switching a lot in Wells! We went to the Roundhouse area and saw lots of dead Baldwins®, SD9s and the ex WSOR F7A #600 parked! Hopefully this will return! A CN train was stopped on the bridge and headed east! Photographed more of ELS 400 switching! I asked the engineer (Dennis Bordeau) to turn on the Classification Lights! He said they were not working! However, shortly later he actually replace the bulbs! All four Class Lights were now turned on! :mrgreen: :mrgreen: Thanx!!!! The E&LS crews are nice! I know the owner isn't! Saw a westbound CN with two standard "Widecab" GE locos (one mid D.P.U.)! Then saw the other side of the Wells Roundhouse but lost ELS GP38 #400! There were more F-units and Baldwins® on this side! The ex Wisconsin & Calumet® F-units I actually saw at the National Railroad Museum, Green Bay, WI, August 2002 (last time I was in this part of the state)! The LSI employee soon called (around 1 p.m.)! The "Greens" were on duty at 3 p.m. We then "Zoomed" back to Marquette area from there! However, we were heading the wrong direction! Of course Lake Michigan shouldn't be on the right heading north! We mistakenly went on Highway 2 and ended up in Manistique (approx. 45 miles out of the way)! Quickly turned around and made it back to Highway 35! Got to Eagle Milles JCT. and saw "Blues" again! East Light and south with empties! This was not the train! I thought we came back for nothing!!!! Soon talked to the LSI worker though! We took his advice and went to Buffalo crossing for the loaded "Tilden" job!!!!!!!! Got excellent S-VHS video of the "Greens" climbing the grade! U30C #3009 and C30-7 #3073, 60 loaded ore cars! Then saw these ex BN locos switching Eagle Mills yard at both ends! They were going back to Tilden Mine with only loads of Caustic Soda and Bentonite Clay for supplies! Lastly went to Eagle Mills JCT. to catch this! Saw one ore train with "Blues" (LSI 1003/1005) going to Eagle Mills! Then a northbound CN job with two SD60s, 56 cars! Then the final LS&I train with those "Greens!!!!!" Wow, we almost did not catch these units running! Even though the weather wasn't the greatest that last day (rain), we had 😁 "SUCCESS!!!!" 😁 Also saw the ore train going east of Eagle Mills to dock! Ate dinner with the LSI worker at Hudson's®! Cod Fish!!!! 😉 Just headed home and barely slept an hour in the truck on the way back! Came home officially Thursday April 7th afternoon! 😁 😁 😁 😁 😉 😉 😉 😉

:mrgreen: :mrgreen: It was a great trip! I will actually return Memorial Weekend with my good old friend Scott Waters! I decided against going to the "Bessemer" of PA this time! I figured I should go to the U.P. again to have another chance to catch LS&I "Greens" before they are fully gone!!!!! 😁 😁 😁 😁 😉 😉 😉 😉 :wink:
Robert Jackson (Extreme Railfan/Bluewater and Michigan Transit Museum member)

http://cooltrains.rrpicturearchives.net/

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David Collins
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Re: Upper Peninsula Railroad Operations Thread

Unread post by David Collins »

Do we know anything as to when the not-so-super -7's are supposed to leave LS&I property? Or are they going to be scrapped on-site?

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