Lake Superior ore docks

There is a lot of railroad history packed into a relatively small area up there.  I've been there once, probably 7 years ago now, and would love to go back some day.  Unfortunately I only got a quick glimpse of the ore docks as we passed through town on our way further north.  They were definitely neat to see though, and their size is something you can't appreciate unless you see them up close.  My great-grandfather was born in Munising, so we do have some family history up there too.  Of course I also have a deep fascination with the copper mining history in the Keewenaw peninsula mainly due to my longtime interest in the 1873 Mason 0-6-4T "Torch Lake" that operates in Dearborn, MI at Greenfield Village.  It operated for the Calumet and Hecla Mining Company from 1873 well into the 1900's before being stored and eventually donated to Greenfield Village in 1969 and is the last existing example of that type of locomotive.

 I saw "Torch Lake" as a kid, and kinda often again as an adult, while running in Dearborn. You spot it on their grounds every once in a while when traveling in the area too. At one job, I could hear the whistle from work when on breaks  

  I have seen them un-dump ore loads here.  Conveyors, bucket cranes etc and huge piles of everything after.

I know copper was done here, but not where.

    Like the mines, Detroit's steel industry was more than one company too. It once ate up a large chunk of shore, many miles worth if combined, "Downriver" of Detroit. The area retains the Downriver nickname, and is also still struggling with the loss of the industry years ago. Most of the little industrial shops that sprung from it are basically gone too.

  The single steel plant's production in River Rouge Mi., is a shadow of it's former self really. The area was a 24-7/365 day a year, thundering madhouse of heavy movements even in the 70's (strikes, lay-offs, loss of production contracts etc.) .Fairly quiet today... Now a RR "quiet zone" at night for the switcher loco's I believe.  . 

  There was an old structure collapse (elevator/conveyor), that slowed the new furnace down I'm sure. It would be cool to see more cars in the parking lots, but that should let you know how bad the condition of some things are there too .

I did some exploring this morning and found information about Cap'n John's SHIP (not boat!) this morning.

Really fascinating. Read about it here.

Ace posted:

Mike CT posted:

You have to wonder what is the destination of the iron ore??   Requires a blast furnace and BOF to make steel. Europe, Southern Europe, or are there still blast furnaces/BOF's in the US.  China through the Panama Canal???

We still have steel production in the USA. These plants produce steel from ore:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...in_the_United_States

In 2014, there were 11 operating integrated steel mills in the United States, down from 13 in 2000. Integrated mills produced 31% of the steel produced in the US.

In an integrated steel mill, iron ore is reduced to metallic iron. In the US, this is done in blast furnaces ...

Current integrated steel mills in the US

Name	Location	Owner	Status and Date
Gary Works	Gary, Indiana	US Steel	Operating, February 2015[5]
Mon Valley Works - Irvin Plant, Edgar Thomson Steel Works	North Braddock, Pennsylvania	US Steel
East Chicago Tin	East Chicago, Indiana	US Steel
Midwest Plant	Portage, Indiana	US Steel
Rouge Steel	Dearborn, Michigan	AK Steel Holding
Fairfield Works	Fairfield, Alabama	US Steel	Plan to convert to electric arc furnace, February 2015.[5]
Granite City Works	Granite City, Illinois	US Steel
Indiana Harbor Works	East Chicago, Indiana	ArcelorMittal
Burns Harbor Works	Burns Harbor, Indiana	ArcelorMittal
Cleveland Works	Cleveland, Ohio	ArcelorMittal

 

The ore carrier boats on the Great Lakes are purpose-built and cannot all travel down the St Lawrence Seaway, and are not designed for ocean travel.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_freighter

A wonderful piece of information.   A lot is still done with scrap metal and electric Arc furnaces.   We at one time did a large Blast furnace/coke ovens/BOF in Aliquippa, PA,  J&L Steel.   Another prominent steel production facility was Colt Industries, Crucible Steel,  Midland, PA.  Both those facilities are gone.  Babcock and Wilcox, (McDermott ??) still does some melting (Electric Arc), Koppel, PA.  one of the few places that installed a continuous caster, early 1980's, may be the only reason it's still there.  Arco Steel Butler, PA (AK Steel) a presence both in Butler and lower Beaver Valley. 

One of the interesting notes that is still part of our community, is a bike trail/railroad that connects Freeport, PA to Butler.  This railroad/now bike trail, was used by the steel industry to move iron ore to a sintering plant near Butler. Ores were processed/enriched, so to speak, before shipment to a blast furnace facility.

Forum member Alan Graziano has done a model of the Edmund Fitzgerald, ore carrier.  Pictures from Alan's post several years ago.

Alan was also working on a Hulett ore loader/un-loader.

Thread on Alan's Hulett model.  This three page thread is a must see.  May be one of the all time best threads on the this forum.   IMO. 

Best wishes all,  Great post/thread.

Thank you,

Mike CT

Speaking of lakeboats and the "Edmund Fitzgerald", there is another person/ group who displays models of the boats and loading facilities and ore docks at Trainfest and other venues in the Midwest. Unfortunately, I can't recall his/their name. Here is some of their work in HO scale:

John23 posted:

MattR posted:

John, any chance of getting a tour of your ship with the kids when you come to town?

Matt

You bet Matt.  We will have guided tours 10-2 on Sunday & Monday.  If that doesn't work for you e-mail me (in my profile) and we'll work something out.

Capt John

Sounds great, thanks alot.  We'll be there.

Matt

To Breezinup's comment regarding the size of an O Scale dock and ore boat, one of the layouts open to viewing during the Chicago O Scale Meet, was that of a physician's, with a full size O Scale ore boat.  The telling of how two fellows had to wrestle this 14 foot boat down a tight, winding staircase to the basement, was quite humorous !!

Thanks, Bill, for starting this thread.  The Great Lakes ore docks are really impressive.  I had only seen them in photos until a few years ago, and never realized what they would be like in person.  Thanks for taking the photos now, as the future, well, we just don't know, do we?

And a U25B stuffed and mounted in the park.  Now I have the perspective all the old steam men had when they saw a steam engine in the same position.

Further, thanks to all who added interesting, educational, and helpful information to this thread.

For those wanting a close look at Great lakes shipping you can book a night (two nights is better) at the South Pier Inn, right at the entrance to Duluth harbor.  If you book a channel side room, ore boats and other huge ships will pass 200 feet from your patio.  The front desk, if requested, will awaken you for arriving and departing ships during the night.  We have stayed there three times and it has always been top notch.  Duluth is a good vacation destination, too -- many good eateries and watering holes, Great Lakes Maritime Museum, a retired U S Steel ore boat museum, a little night life, great walks on the breakwater, half-day and whole-day fishing boats.  Oh, and lest we forget, a great railroad museum, and - seasonally - tourist train rides behind a Soo Line steam engine or a Great Northern NW5.  The museum contains rare stuff: an immaculate Soo Line F7 or FP7, a DM&IR Yellowstone 2-6-6-4, a DSS&A RS1, and - in my opinion, the crown jewel - a Milwaukee Road box cab electric locomotive.

Tom - Great recommendation !  There are some near-by points of interest, too.  Amnicon Falls State Park, near Superior, WI has two watersheds diverging and which has created some spectacular water falls:      http://dnr.wi.gov/topic/parks/name/amnicon/

Then there is Bayfield, WI, the gateway to the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore.  A picturesque town that was the end of an Omaha Road branchline that meandered out of Ashland, WI.  En route one encounters a strangely grandiose village, with large city hall, schools, banks, but seemingly no real economy to have supported such facilities. It is Washburn, WI, which Omaha Road investors built in the 19th century, with huge grain and coal trans-loading facilities. The intention was to build an alternative to the facilities in the Twin Ports (Duluth-Superior).  Alas, much money invested, but an utter flop. Ashland WI, might still be worth a visit, although railroad activity has shrunken to almost nothing. The Soo Line depot has been saved and restored, and a Soo Line 2-10-0, built in 1900, is on display, covered and in good shape. At last report the Soo ore dock was being dismantled and is probably gone now.

Also swing by Two Harbors, MN. A nicely restored DM&N 2-6-0 and wooden ore car is on display,  plus  a DM&IR Yellowstone and a DM&IR steam tug boat. An active ore dock can be observed and CN/ex-DMIR empty ore trains, fighting their way up and out of the Lake Superior bowl.

Yes, great vacation area, with pristine Lake Superior as the omni-present back drop.. Be sure to see ore boat SS William A. Irvin on display in Duluth, too !

I think I have had more fun with this thread than any I have ever started. Here's today's contribution. I was on my way back to Marquette from Negaunee on the old road, Country  Rd. 492, and passed the Eagle Mills LS&I yard. At the crossing there was an apparent grandfather-grandson combo waiting along the tracks. Thinking a train might be coming, I stopped. Sure enough, got this photo,  but in the 20 minutes or so I waited it did not leave the yard.

Turned out the grandfather component of the pair was a former FBI agent, as was my Uncle. Both now retired. Sure enough, they knew each other.

J Daddy posted:

Hi BanBob,

Must have missed you by one day... Stopped by to take my nephew out for dinner with the family.

I was able to take a few shots then the fog rolled in... beautiful town. Staying in Munising tonight, did the sunken ship and pictured rocks tour and it was fantastic!

 

 Hey John, too bad you aren't go to be there when my ship docks in Marquette!  Our timing is off!

 

 

Interesting to read all the comments.  BTW, I am in Duluth right now with my vessel, tied up near Canal Park.  I am a member of the museum in Duluth, even tho I only get here a few times a year.  Great museum & railroad!  

Re lake freighters, the Canadians do have a few that are ocean classed.  None of the US ones go any further than Sept Iles, Quebec - which is at the mouth of the St Lawrence.  The 1,000 foot ones can't go any further east than Lake Erie, due to the locks in the Welland Canal being too small.  There are a few US ore boats that were converted from salt water tankers.

Re the Fitzgerald,  I was living on Lake Superior that night, saw the storm that sank her.  Got a call two days later telling me that one of my friends, Tom Bentsen, went down with her.  So a personal connection there.

Couple more today. first, in case anyone doesn't quite comprehend how the ore docks work, here's a video I made of a working demonstration model at the Michigan Iron Industry Museum in Negaunee.

Second, my sister-in-law got this photo today down at the dock. I think that is the same train I saw in Eagle Mills, now pushing its loads onto the dock.

Correction: NOT same train.

Interesting thread and great models. The ship in the first post is actually the combined tug/barge unit shown here: http://www.americansteamship.c...-lakes-contender.php

All the ore from Lake Superior goes to steel mills in the lower lakes, e.g. Burns Harbor IN and other destinations. There are actually American flag ships "trapped" on the upper lakes due to their length and single-purpose of ore carrying on these dedicated routes. Other great places to see lakers and salties up close are Duluth (as mentioned) and Two Harbors MN. You will also be in the immediate vicinity of three 2-8-8-4 Yellowstones on display.

Also, there is a modular O gauge club in the Green Bay area that has a selectively compressed model of an ore dock.  It is still pretty big!

Firewood posted:

Interesting thread and great models. The ship in the first post is actually the combined tug/barge unit shown here: http://www.americansteamship.c...-lakes-contender.php

All the ore from Lake Superior goes to steel mills in the lower lakes, e.g. Burns Harbor IN and other destinations. There are actually American flag ships "trapped" on the upper lakes due to their length and single-purpose of ore carrying on these dedicated routes. Other great places to see lakers and salties up close are Duluth (as mentioned) and Two Harbors MN. You will also be in the immediate vicinity of three 2-8-8-4 Yellowstones on display.

Also, Sault Sainte Marie, MI - at the Soo Locks.  You are right up by the freighters as they lock through.  If you take the locks tour boat you might lock through with one.  The Soo is also home to the world's only railroad river crossing using all 3 types of movable spans on a single line: a lift bridge, a swing bridge, and a double(!) bascule bridge (and it is an international crossing).  And it is the namesake for the Soo Line Railroad.

John23 posted:

Firewood posted:

Interesting thread and great models. The ship in the first post is actually the combined tug/barge unit shown here: http://www.americansteamship.c...-lakes-contender.php

All the ore from Lake Superior goes to steel mills in the lower lakes, e.g. Burns Harbor IN and other destinations. There are actually American flag ships "trapped" on the upper lakes due to their length and single-purpose of ore carrying on these dedicated routes. Other great places to see lakers and salties up close are Duluth (as mentioned) and Two Harbors MN. You will also be in the immediate vicinity of three 2-8-8-4 Yellowstones on display.

Also, Sault Sainte Marie, MI - at the Soo Locks.  You are right up by the freighters as they lock through.  If you take the locks tour boat you might lock through with one.  The Soo is also home to the world's only railroad river crossing using all 3 types of movable spans on a single line: a lift bridge, a swing bridge, and a double(!) bascule bridge (and it is an international crossing).  And it is the namesake for the Soo Line Railroad.

Also in  Sault St. Marie is the floating museum "Valley Camp" . A cool old ore boat decommissioned I believe in the early 70's. Neat tour. The locks are neat too. You get right close to the huge vessels as they pass through. Go when it's warm though. Standing in that viewing shelter waiting for the ships in cold weather without moving around, will freeze your *** off.

John, are you cutting across the canal in Houghton when you come back this way? Or going "around the top"?

BANDOB posted:

I did some exploring this morning and found information about Cap'n John's SHIP (not boat!) this morning.

Really fascinating. Read about it here.

 

John deserves respect; that's for sure.

Any "argument" here is strictly aimed at entertainment.

That isn't a birch canoe Johns Captain of, that's for sure 

Though the vessels may have similar emissions

The older maritime argument on "boat or ship", wasn't size, or content

. It was about having enough sails or not . So excuse my "marina" mentality, but I think I've heard this from the "real sailors", The rivet counters of the floating world, The recreational sailboat crowd  . Seriously, in the slips around us  "You have a boat, we have a ship." was heard.

  Actually, I'd also heard it from my non-train Gramps, a sailing ship history buff, (that preferred a good motor) He would say to them, "if you don't need a crew, you have a boat too; a sailBOAT"

  He had me piloting, and docking up to 45ft cabin cruisers starting at about 8 , after I had learned my channels, weather,and signal flags, etc.. of course, all so if he got hurt, I could handle it

 I've been far enough out, to not see land, on all the big waters around Michigan.

4 days solid, no land, on a 36ft Carver is my record. All in good weather.

I've bounced off Erie's bottom in whats normally 30ft. deep over, and over and.BAIL! Bail the cabin!.(Thanks Pete)

I don't really do big water and rain anymore.

  I once got grabbed by rip currents, and almost drowned. How close? I was also youngest in the city ever certified for passing lifeguard training, and swam quarry lengths weekly, and I still took a gulp....A real close call,(Thanks Pete).

   I've had a freighter's bow's swell, push my dead "boats" bow away vs collide too.It wasn't fully loaded and just the bow depth markings towered 10ft over me, the deck seemed a mile high from there, drifting along, dead in the Livingston Channels current.(Thanks Pete)

 Later from land, I saw The Straights with 90phr winds, and saw Superior pale it an hour later. Thank God I gave up boating

   And I think I've got a good grasp & I don't want any part of work like Johns.

Water is fun, but it's tough "shiiii.p" too, this guy does it daily, respect is sure due .

All good things come to an end, and today we leave the U.P. Before going, here's a photo I took back in September, 1979. For you, John 23. Was this the 2-8-0 you fired on the M&HM?

We may get a chance to stop at the National Railroad Museum in Green Bay on the way back to Milwaukee. if so, I'll do another thread on it after we get home.

John-

Sorry we missed you. Do you have any pictures of your ship?

We went to whitefish point and Tehquamenon Falls. Lots of great things to se

MattR posted:

John23 posted:

Firewood posted:

Interesting thread and great models.

-----------------------------------------------------------------

Standing in that viewing shelter waiting for the ships in cold weather without moving around, will freeze your *** off.

Yes, always interesting on the Lakes in chillier weather. I've been on the "ship" side and felt a little like a zoo inmate waiting for someone to throw me peanuts from those spectator bleachers.  Then we would wave, say hi, and the people would see we were human after all and wave back.  

The American Jones Act restricts freight between US ports to American-owned, crewed and built ships, which results in some very old ladies surviving nicely in fresh water for years. There are two or three WW2 veterans still about, and a couple that proudly have their battle ribbons displayed on the bridge. Try this for your next layout animation - this is the Middletown, a much-modified former WW2 fleet tanker (USS Neshanic) strutting her stuff in Lake Erie ice. 

MattR posted:

John23 posted:

Firewood posted:

Interesting thread and great models. The ship in the first post is actually the combined tug/barge unit shown here: http://www.americansteamship.c...-lakes-contender.php

All the ore from Lake Superior goes to steel mills in the lower lakes, e.g. Burns Harbor IN and other destinations. There are actually American flag ships "trapped" on the upper lakes due to their length and single-purpose of ore carrying on these dedicated routes. Other great places to see lakers and salties up close are Duluth (as mentioned) and Two Harbors MN. You will also be in the immediate vicinity of three 2-8-8-4 Yellowstones on display.

Also, Sault Sainte Marie, MI - at the Soo Locks.  You are right up by the freighters as they lock through.  If you take the locks tour boat you might lock through with one.  The Soo is also home to the world's only railroad river crossing using all 3 types of movable spans on a single line: a lift bridge, a swing bridge, and a double(!) bascule bridge (and it is an international crossing).  And it is the namesake for the Soo Line Railroad.

Also in  Sault St. Marie is the floating museum "Valley Camp" . A cool old ore boat decommissioned I believe in the early 70's. Neat tour. The locks are neat too. You get right close to the huge vessels as they pass through. Go when it's warm though. Standing in that viewing shelter waiting for the ships in cold weather without moving around, will freeze your *** off.

John, are you cutting across the canal in Houghton when you come back this way? Or going "around the top"?

I'm going to be in Houghton for a few hours Monday morning.  Are you there?  

Re my transit, I will be going around the top of the Keweenaw.

BANDOB posted:

All good things come to an end, and today we leave the U.P. Before going, here's a photo I took back in September, 1979. For you, John 23. Was this the 2-8-0 you fired on the M&HM?

We may get a chance to stop at the National Railroad Museum in Green Bay on the way back to Milwaukee. if so, I'll do another thread on it after we get home.

 

 It sure was!!!  A really sweet engine.  Hence comes the 23 in my moniker!  That is one of the LS&I paint schemes, with the green boiler jacketing.  When the engines were laid up during the winter their shops used to paint the engines up pretty fancy, just to keep guys working.  Of course it was covered up with ore dust pretty quick once the shipping season started.  When I find a suitable candidate I will paint it into this scheme.  BTW this picture was taken 3 years after it was painted, so the green jacket and white walls are a little hard to see.

BTW, before the vessel I am on now, I worked on ore boats for a number of years.  Before that, on the ocean, including several years in Alaska.  I like what I do!

Firewood posted:

MattR posted:

John23 posted:

Firewood posted:

Interesting thread and great models.

-----------------------------------------------------------------

Standing in that viewing shelter waiting for the ships in cold weather without moving around, will freeze your *** off.

Yes, always interesting on the Lakes in chillier weather. I've been on the "ship" side and felt a little like a zoo inmate waiting for someone to throw me peanuts from those spectator bleachers.  Then we would wave, say hi, and the people would see we were human after all and wave back.  

The American Jones Act restricts freight between US ports to American-owned, crewed and built ships, which results in some very old ladies surviving nicely in fresh water for years. There are two or three WW2 veterans still about, and a couple that proudly have their battle ribbons displayed on the bridge. Try this for your next layout animation - this is the Middletown, a much-modified former WW2 fleet tanker (USS Neshanic) strutting her stuff in Lake Erie ice. 

 

 

Unfortunately the Middletown has been laid up for a while, and probably be either scrapped or chopped into a barge.

J Daddy posted:

John-

Sorry we missed you. Do you have any pictures of your ship?

 

 Don't know how these posts and photos were mish-mashed!   Anyway, there it is.

  The biggest vessels I was even on was the auto ferry to Wisconsin , or one of the old "Bob-Lo boats" (where I could have sat and watched the giant exposed piston rods and crank journals, spinning all day ...if the bumper cars weren't tempting me at the island amusement park destination

 Frozen water is for soda, or cutting a hole in to fish from

And folks said I was crazy busting orv vehicles in half jumping things

  Hey, was there a little tourist trap train ride in one of the towns, right by the water in the early 60's. I have a vague memory of one

John23 posted:

MattR posted:

John23 posted:

Firewood posted:

Interesting thread and great models. The ship in the first post is actually the combined tug/barge unit shown here: http://www.americansteamship.c...-lakes-contender.php

All the ore from Lake Superior goes to steel mills in the lower lakes, e.g. Burns Harbor IN and other destinations. There are actually American flag ships "trapped" on the upper lakes due to their length and single-purpose of ore carrying on these dedicated routes. Other great places to see lakers and salties up close are Duluth (as mentioned) and Two Harbors MN. You will also be in the immediate vicinity of three 2-8-8-4 Yellowstones on display.

Also, Sault Sainte Marie, MI - at the Soo Locks.  You are right up by the freighters as they lock through.  If you take the locks tour boat you might lock through with one.  The Soo is also home to the world's only railroad river crossing using all 3 types of movable spans on a single line: a lift bridge, a swing bridge, and a double(!) bascule bridge (and it is an international crossing).  And it is the namesake for the Soo Line Railroad.

Also in  Sault St. Marie is the floating museum "Valley Camp" . A cool old ore boat decommissioned I believe in the early 70's. Neat tour. The locks are neat too. You get right close to the huge vessels as they pass through. Go when it's warm though. Standing in that viewing shelter waiting for the ships in cold weather without moving around, will freeze your *** off.

John, are you cutting across the canal in Houghton when you come back this way? Or going "around the top"?

I'm going to be in Houghton for a few hours Monday morning.  Are you there?  

Re my transit, I will be going around the top of the Keweenaw.

We are between Houghton and Marquette, just south of L'Anse .  The kid's are excited for next weekend in Marquette.

Thanks again,

Matt

Adriatic posted:

  The biggest vessels I was even on was the auto ferry to Wisconsin , or one of the old "Bob-Lo boats" (where I could have sat and watched the giant exposed piston rods and crank journals, spinning all day ...if the bumper cars weren't tempting me at the island amusement park destination

 Frozen water is for soda, or cutting a hole in to fish from

And folks said I was crazy busting orv vehicles in half jumping things

  Hey, was there a little tourist trap train ride in one of the towns, right by the water in the early 60's. I have a vague memory of one

You may be recollecting the train down west of St. Ignace on US 2, at lwast that's the only one I can think of that was along the lines of "tourist trap" like.

Basil posted:

Adriatic posted:

  The biggest vessels I was even on was the auto ferry to Wisconsin , or one of the old "Bob-Lo boats" (where I could have sat and watched the giant exposed piston rods and crank journals, spinning all day ...if the bumper cars weren't tempting me at the island amusement park destination

 Frozen water is for soda, or cutting a hole in to fish from

And folks said I was crazy busting orv vehicles in half jumping things

  Hey, was there a little tourist trap train ride in one of the towns, right by the water in the early 60's. I have a vague memory of one

You may be recollecting the train down west of St. Ignace on US 2, at lwast that's the only one I can think of that was along the lines of "tourist trap" like.

Yeah, maybe he's thinking of the one near Newberry. The Tequemenon Falls tour.

No, I know those two; Silver "something" Express (Silver lake/Silver Beach/Silver Streak?) on US-2 east of the dunes, west of Brevort rd, near the old couples bright red Alpine roofed restaurant (that lady could cook!)  The "Toonerville" is at the Falls tours (nice little trip with the boat too). Before that even, with horse and buggy rides still popular in the towns, and gone by 1967-68, or I'd have seen it again. I barely remember a Fourth of July Parade, and watching long ships from the shady seat of an open rail car after it, eating ice cream and being glad I was behind an "iron horse", versus a stinky, live one, on such a hot muggy day. I passed out from exhaustion on a blanket by the water before the fireworks that year Could be any port from Green Bay to Traverse then north really, but memory tells me it was in the Keweenaw.

 

We are between Houghton and Marquette, just south of L'Anse .  The kid's are excited for next weekend in Marquette.

Thanks again,

Matt

Hey Matt,

shoot me an e-mail (in profile) and I'll give you my phone number, so we can work out a time if you want to meet up.  I have family & friends coming so will be away from the ship most of the time on Sunday & Monday.

John23 posted:

 

We are between Houghton and Marquette, just south of L'Anse .  The kid's are excited for next weekend in Marquette.

Thanks again,

Matt

Hey Matt,

shoot me an e-mail (in profile) and I'll give you my phone number, so we can work out a time if you want to meet up.  I have family & friends coming so will be away from the ship most of the time on Sunday & Monday.

Hope you're not out in this weather John. Tornado winds here. Lots of damage. Must be spooky out there.

Matt

Ya, we were sailing offshore of the Porcupine Mts when it came through.  Pretty messy, lots of damage in the Western UP and Northern Wisconsin.

@Adriatic posted:

No, I know those two; Silver "something" Express (Silver lake/Silver Beach/Silver Streak?) on US-2 east of the dunes, west of Brevort rd, near the old couples bright red Alpine roofed restaurant (that lady could cook!)  The "Toonerville" is at the Falls tours (nice little trip with the boat too). Before that even, with horse and buggy rides still popular in the towns, and gone by 1967-68, or I'd have seen it again. I barely remember a Fourth of July Parade, and watching long ships from the shady seat of an open rail car after it, eating ice cream and being glad I was behind an "iron horse", versus a stinky, live one, on such a hot muggy day. I passed out from exhaustion on a blanket by the water before the fireworks that year Could be any port from Green Bay to Traverse then north really, but memory tells me it was in the Keweenaw.

The only tourist train in the Keweenaw was Clint Jones's Keweenaw Central.  I wouldn't consider it as a tourist trap though, he ran an ex-Copper Range 2-8-0 and had a nice operation.  It closed in 1972 when the host railroad (Copper Range) abandoned. Clint now runs the Mineral Range, serving the nickel mine concentrator near Ishpeming.

The iron ore layout in "Great Model Railroads" and "Model Railroad Planning" that was referred to is most likely Jeff Otto's HO layout, which mixes Great Northern and DM&IR iron ore operations.

BTW "ships" go on the ocean, "boats" go on lakes. Size (at least in this context) doesn't matter.

For Trainroom Gary

what is  a youpper.

Trainroom Gary isn't a Yooper but I am related to a few...

Yooper-a native or inhabitant of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.

@tstark posted:

For Trainroom Gary

what is  a youpper.

I have on my desk a “YOOPER BAR”. A Yooper is also a person who lives in the upper peninsula of Michigan.

My son lived there for 4 years and graduated from Michigan Technological University with a degree in Mechanical Engineering. He is not a train engineer but a automotive engineer. We did a lot of fishing, hunting and rail-fanning in Yooper Land.

He was just there last week with my old boat.

Hope this helps: Gary

@MichRR714 posted:

Yooper-a native or inhabitant of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.

Hint: Upper Peninsula = U.P., especially to those of us who live in the L.P.

"Yoop" comes from U.P.

Mike

Great thread with great pics and great stories!  Thanks all for posting