17 Sep 2016, ISHPEMING, MI -- In the heart of the Marquette Iron Range, a shortline railroad has recently expanded to serve the Humboldt Mill, a site with a lot of mining history. The operation is a unique slice of Michigan railroading, which we're bringing to you as the latest edition of Pure Michigan Trains!
Our coverage of a day in the life of the Mineral Range begins in Ishpeming, where they enter their own rails for the first leg of their turn to Humbdolt.
Historically LS&I rails towards the Republic Mine, the Mineral Range purchased the line from Landing Jct to Humbdolt Jct, and reinstalled the recently abandoned segment of the line from Humbdolt Jct to Humboldt Mill, in order to serve a rebuilt mill site, now owned and operated by the newest mine in the State of Michigan, the Eagle Mine.
As the train arrives at the mill, we get a look from the sky thanks to the drone, where we see the cleanest mining site in the country, where safety and environmental contamination are paramount. There is hardly any noise pollution, and no dust.
Formerly the site of an iron ore mine, the mill was essentially abandoned before the Eagle Mine spent tens of millions rebuilding an repurposing to process their nickel and copper ore.
After an incredibly earth-conscious milling process, the outbound nickel and copper concentrates are loaded into sealed gons for a number of reasons. First, the fine powder is best not exposed to air or water. It also keeps the dust down. The concentrates warrant a catch-all hazmat tag, as they just barely exceed the minimum threshold as a marine pollutant for heavy metals in the United States - but interestingly, not in Canada.
We then chase the train back to Ishpeming, where the cars are handed off to the CN for shipment to smelters in Canada or loading into ocean-going ships for transport worldwide.
As for the railroad itself, the stately GP7 and GP9 add a nice flare of character to the line, a modest affair through the woodlands of Michigan's Upper Peninsula.
Side note, the Mineral Range existed previously as a couple-mile branch line south of Ishpeming serving a scrap facility and explosives transload for the Empire and Tilden Mines. Thus, this expansion has been an exponential increase in the business for this shortline.
Mineral Range RR Humboldt Turn
WB Consist:
- ISLX 1323 [GP9]
- ISLX 1345 [GP7]
- 20 cars [Empty Gons for Humboldt Mill]
EB Consist:
- ISLX 1345 [GP7]
- ISLX 1323 [GP9]
- 17 cars [Loaded Gons from Humboldt Mill]
Location/Time:
- Mineral Range RR, Ishpeming, MI, Cooper Lake Cutacross Rd xing, on 9-17-16 at 08:32 EDT
- Ely Twp, County Rd 585 xing, at 08:41
- Humboldt, US41 xing, at 09:32
- Humboldt Mill, County Rd 601 xing, at from 09:58 to 10:35
- Humboldt, M95 xing, at 10:50
- Diorite, Diorite Rd xing, at 11:17
- Ely Twp, County Rd CL bridge, at 11:33
- Ishpeming, US 41 bridge, at 11:52
- Ishpeming, EE Elucid Yard, along US 41, at 12:00
- Ishpeming, Washington St xing, at 12:14
For a Map of Railroads in the Upper Peninsula, presented by TRRS, check out this link for a Google Map overlay!
drive.google.com/open?id=1GeSrFy52MXs042KZKSmcPRMInTY&usp=sharing
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Videography Equipment:
-Primary: Sony PJ790 Camcorder
-Aerial Platform: DJI Phantom 3 Advanced Drone
-Edited with: Cyberlink PowerDirector 13
People:
-Alex C: Owner, producer, and narrator
-Andrew E: Aerial platform owner and operator
Copyright 2016 Thornapple River Rail Series by Alex Christmas, All Rights Reserved
4 ноя 2016
