Ishpeming Western (ISHW)
Posted: Tue Jan 03, 2023 7:28 pm
In 2016 the ISHW was created from CN trackage in Ishpeming west to Baraga, a new branch to the Lundin Eagle Mine in Humboldt and from Ishpeming to Pluto for a total of about 61 miles. ISHW interchanges with CN in Ishpeming’s Euclid Yard.
ISHW belongs to the E&WM family of railroads which includes E&WM, TL&W, ISHW, M&MI and GBN.
Owner: Ishpeming Western
Model: EMD F9Ar Built As: MILW 96A (FP7A)
Serial Number: 10361
Order No: 3073
Frame Number: 3073-A1 Built: 1/1951
Notes: Rebuilt to GP9 standard
Other locos with this serial: ISHW 600(F9Ar) ELS 600(FP7A) WSOR 71A(FP7A) WICT 96A(FP7A) MILW 96A(FP7A)
Owner: Ishpeming Western
Model: EMD GP9R Built As: NKP 814 (GP9)
Serial Number: 25092
Order No: 5592
Frame Number: 5592-20 Built: 1/1959
Notes
Other locos with this serial: ISHW 601(GP9R) ILSX 1323(GP9) MNN 1484(GP9) DME 1484(GP9) NW 2814(GP9) NKP 814 (GP9)
Owner: Ishpeming Western
Model: Rebuilt EMD GP10 Built As: GN 618 (GP7)
Serial Number: 11044
Order No: 5029
Frame Number: 5029-13 Built: 10/1950
Notes:
Other locos with this serial: ISHW 602(GP10) ILSX 1345(GP10) BNSF 1418(GP10) BN 1418(GP10) GN 618 (GP7)
Although the engines are 60-70 years old, they are well-maintained and liked by the crews. There are no immediate plans to replace them.
Customers include:
Ishpeming Transload - A. Lindberg & Sons: 200-300 carloads a year of limestone
Ishpeming Transload – Ishpeming Concrete: 70-110 carloads a year of cement
Ishpeming Transload – Sara Lee Bakery: Receives 2-3 carloads a week of flour
Ishpeming Transload: Several hundred carloads of transmission pipe
Ishpeming – Holli Forest Products: inactive pulpwood spur
Ishpeming – A&L Iron & Metal: 1-2 outbound carloads of scrap metal per week
Pluto – Pepin-Ireco: Receives 3-4 carloads per week of ammonium nitrate and blasting powder
Diorite – MR Transload: An occasional carload or two of paint ore
Humboldt – Lundin Eagle Mine: ships out 50-70 carloads per week of copper and nickel concentrate.
Michigamme – J. M. Longyear: inactive pulpwood spur
Michigamme – xxx: inactive pulpwood spur
Bovine – NewPage: 1 outbound (pulpwood) 17-car block every 2-3 weeks
L’Anse – Connor Forest Industries: inactive pulpwood transload
L’Anse – L’Anse Warden Electric: Receives 9-15 carloads per week of used railroad ties
L’Anse – BPB Mfg.: Receives 1-3 carloads per week of kaolin, 5-7 carloads per week of clay, perlite and starch and ships out 9-14 carloads per week of ceiling tile & panel board.
Baraga – Lacourt Bottled Gas: 80-100 carloads a year of inbound propane
In 2022 ISHW handled 6,742 carloads of which 3,489 were concentrated from Lundin Eagle Mine. An increase is forecasted for 2023 when L’Anse Warden Electric can officially increase the volume of wood railroad ties it can burn.
Operations is Monday-Friday and occasionally on Saturday to end the week at Euclid Yard. The crew starts at Euclid Yard in Ishpeming but can end up anywhere on the system during the week although they usually end up back in Euclid. Typically, they make one trip per week to Baraga, three trips per week to L’Anse, three trips per week to Humboldt and one trip per week to Pluto. CN interchanged in Euclid Yard usually three days per week (Sunday, Wednesday and Friday).
Lundin Eagle Mine life was recently extended another several years to mid-2025 so it will remain a valuable source of traffic for a few more years. Without the mine traffic, ISHW would not be able to cover its expenses without assistance.
ISHW belongs to the E&WM family of railroads which includes E&WM, TL&W, ISHW, M&MI and GBN.
Owner: Ishpeming Western
Model: EMD F9Ar Built As: MILW 96A (FP7A)
Serial Number: 10361
Order No: 3073
Frame Number: 3073-A1 Built: 1/1951
Notes: Rebuilt to GP9 standard
Other locos with this serial: ISHW 600(F9Ar) ELS 600(FP7A) WSOR 71A(FP7A) WICT 96A(FP7A) MILW 96A(FP7A)
Owner: Ishpeming Western
Model: EMD GP9R Built As: NKP 814 (GP9)
Serial Number: 25092
Order No: 5592
Frame Number: 5592-20 Built: 1/1959
Notes
Other locos with this serial: ISHW 601(GP9R) ILSX 1323(GP9) MNN 1484(GP9) DME 1484(GP9) NW 2814(GP9) NKP 814 (GP9)
Owner: Ishpeming Western
Model: Rebuilt EMD GP10 Built As: GN 618 (GP7)
Serial Number: 11044
Order No: 5029
Frame Number: 5029-13 Built: 10/1950
Notes:
Other locos with this serial: ISHW 602(GP10) ILSX 1345(GP10) BNSF 1418(GP10) BN 1418(GP10) GN 618 (GP7)
Although the engines are 60-70 years old, they are well-maintained and liked by the crews. There are no immediate plans to replace them.
Customers include:
Ishpeming Transload - A. Lindberg & Sons: 200-300 carloads a year of limestone
Ishpeming Transload – Ishpeming Concrete: 70-110 carloads a year of cement
Ishpeming Transload – Sara Lee Bakery: Receives 2-3 carloads a week of flour
Ishpeming Transload: Several hundred carloads of transmission pipe
Ishpeming – Holli Forest Products: inactive pulpwood spur
Ishpeming – A&L Iron & Metal: 1-2 outbound carloads of scrap metal per week
Pluto – Pepin-Ireco: Receives 3-4 carloads per week of ammonium nitrate and blasting powder
Diorite – MR Transload: An occasional carload or two of paint ore
Humboldt – Lundin Eagle Mine: ships out 50-70 carloads per week of copper and nickel concentrate.
Michigamme – J. M. Longyear: inactive pulpwood spur
Michigamme – xxx: inactive pulpwood spur
Bovine – NewPage: 1 outbound (pulpwood) 17-car block every 2-3 weeks
L’Anse – Connor Forest Industries: inactive pulpwood transload
L’Anse – L’Anse Warden Electric: Receives 9-15 carloads per week of used railroad ties
L’Anse – BPB Mfg.: Receives 1-3 carloads per week of kaolin, 5-7 carloads per week of clay, perlite and starch and ships out 9-14 carloads per week of ceiling tile & panel board.
Baraga – Lacourt Bottled Gas: 80-100 carloads a year of inbound propane
In 2022 ISHW handled 6,742 carloads of which 3,489 were concentrated from Lundin Eagle Mine. An increase is forecasted for 2023 when L’Anse Warden Electric can officially increase the volume of wood railroad ties it can burn.
Operations is Monday-Friday and occasionally on Saturday to end the week at Euclid Yard. The crew starts at Euclid Yard in Ishpeming but can end up anywhere on the system during the week although they usually end up back in Euclid. Typically, they make one trip per week to Baraga, three trips per week to L’Anse, three trips per week to Humboldt and one trip per week to Pluto. CN interchanged in Euclid Yard usually three days per week (Sunday, Wednesday and Friday).
Lundin Eagle Mine life was recently extended another several years to mid-2025 so it will remain a valuable source of traffic for a few more years. Without the mine traffic, ISHW would not be able to cover its expenses without assistance.