Lake Superior ore docks

Nearby is a plaque explaining the dock's history and operating statistics. also, a nice set of LS&I equipment.

All photos taken with what I had, my cell phone. I may go back tomorrow in daylight with a real camera and see if ship is still there.

Photos then about 9 PM, but dusk lasts a long time in summer in Michigan's Upper Peninsula.

Interesting pictures thank you for sharing. I believe the U25C, less prime mover, is the only one left.

Interesting. You got me wondering, what is the current extent of iron ore mining and shipping around the Great Lakes. Found this info but it's at least 20 years old:

http://geo.msu.edu/extra/geogm...n_ore__taconite.html

And some interesting information about Lake Freighters, which have unique characteristics as compared to "Salties".

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

Then I got diverted into the whole story and analysis of the Edmund Fitzgerald disaster in 1975 ...

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

Ace et al,

Here's some recent footage from "Delayed In Block" whose offerings are uniformly worthwhile - this is terrific:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m5qdWIUrtBc

I live here right near Marquette. Yes the ore docks are cool. The kids and wife and I have lunch at Presque Isle park and watch them once in a while. Watching the trains  drop their loads from the top is interesting too.

The iron mine's life is iffy. Not only due to depleting deposits, but also very threatened by imported steel. Of the 2 big mines in the area, 1 will be closing this fall. 400 people gone.  It's sister mine is expected to stay running for another 20 years, perhaps longer. There are many more deposits yet though and always talk of new mines. My brother is a mechanic there and my father retired from there as well.

Bill, if your here for awhile yet, go to Houghton and up to Copper Harbor. Lots of mining and railroad history up there and excellent scenery. Several mine tours that are cool. Also the strawberry festival this weekend. We went up there yesterday and picked 24 quarts.

Matt

Thanks, Matt. No time for Copper Country this trip.  My family of origin, both sides, is here: Marquette, Negaunee, Ishpeming.  We've been coming here since my earliest days (over 70 years,) initially on the Peninsula "400."

Ship is still there this morning, easy morning walk along the shore.

You all have me humming Edmund Fitzgerald .....

'with a load of Iron Ore - 26,000 tons more, than the Edmund Fitzgerald weighed empty'  . . . .

Bill and/or Matt,

    You being Yoopers, I may have asked before, and might again, but do either of you have a version of a Con Culhane story? I'm trying hard to piece it together better.This Michigan legendary RR logger's story is dying off too fast. He moved his whole logging and RR operation from Culhane Lake (East of the Marquette penn. along Superiors shore), and did it in the WINTER, over the frozen cedar swamp to Shelldrake, near Paradise and Taq. Falls..All by lifting the rails behind him and re-setting them up front. You had to fight him to be hired on. If you would fight for a job, you'd likely work for it too

    My present goal is to find out what Mfg. and type of engine the "Ellen K" was, but any story would be fine. His wife (Ellen) bought the engine when the C&H mine canceled a loco order with the loco en route.(1894-1896?) A "planned scenario", they had trouble getting a dock to let them unload (politics/unions) and so did the unload on a beach (Whitehouse Landing, or the sand bar/shallow cove, north of Culhane Lake(?). He died 1903 falling under his own train....and I have to quit writing and update the laptop, can hardly type it's so bad.....

I'd appreciate any info. Ask the oldest local RR fan you know...please .

 EDIT: White landing is White House landing.

Very cool photos! My maternal grandmother was born and raised in Hancock, and her father (my great-grandfather) worked for the Quincy Mining Company. The mine tours and railroad history up there are fascinating. I am a proud Yooper descendant.

I always enjoy seeing the ore docs and LS&I display at Marquette, and its always fun to watch the lakeboats.

Hey Charlie (MichRR714) check this thread out! Just up your alley, Dave G.

Very much up my alley.  I love Marquette and the ore docks.  I am slowly adding LS&I equipment to my O Gauge roster.  I try to get there at least once a year!

This video was published on You Tube,  June 27, 2016  With more videos to follow.  You will see the Ore Docks and the LS&I in action.  This makes for an excellent model train project.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DuZRxyADq1M

Visited Marquette in 1980, and stopped by the Soo Line's lower yard in town. It was loaded with wooden freight cars in MOW service and the real find, a couple of iron buckets being used to store retrieved scrap metal. These were the kind used in coal sheds, for fueling steam locomotives. I assume, every bit of that, including the lower yard, is gone.

Nice to see there is still some ore boat traffic remaining.

I made one trip up through the UP, specifically chasing old mines and railroads....did not find as many as I wished, but am sure it was a case of having to know where they were.  It was a beautiful fall trip with good weather and great leaves a couple of years ago.  Definitely beautiful and full of history.  I had a guidebook on the old ghost towns, but..much is gone.  Good for a week circumventing the peninsula....research it and do it!

trainroomgary posted:

 You will see the Ore Docks and the LS&I in action.  This makes for an excellent model train project.

 

It would have to be a very small version, or a forced perspective version in the distance. A scale ore dock would probably be something around 20 feet+ long, and an ore boat maybe at least 15 feet long or so.  

breezinup posted: 

 It would have to be a very small version, or a forced perspective version in the distance. A scale ore dock would probably be something around 20 feet+ long, and an ore boat maybe at least 15 feet long or so.  

Hi Bill & "breesingup" / Bill have a safe trip, and hope you get to drive over the Mackinac Bridge.

Here is the rest of the story.  My son is a graduate of Michigan Technological University, Houghton, Michigan.  He is now a powertrain engineer for a major automotive manufacture.  He lived in the U.P. for, 4 years and took a lot of photos of the ore docks.

The ore docks are still on my bucket list and the bucket list at the DMRRC, yes this would be a major project.

My son married a “Yooper” and this makes my two grandchildren / 50% “Yoopers”.  They are both over right now.  We just got back from the beach, because the rain is moving in.  Got the sand off the two boys, gave them lunch and we are in the train room.  One is nabbing and the other is running a steam locomotive.  Ages two & one.

http://www.mtu.edu/

This started out as a Mining & RR College, in the U.P.

Gary

I was born in Ishpeming and grew up near Manistique and Iron Mountain.  I spent my childhood watching Soo Line and Wisconsin Central trains crisscross the UP.  I love Marquette.  I was there two years ago and got to see a seiche roll into the harbor and slowly cover the timber footings of the original ore dock.  It was a real treat as a seiche doesn't happen all that often.  My dream would be to have the space to recreate the Marquette ore dock in O, that'd be awesome.

Took a quick look again this afternoon.  The freighter that arrived last night was already gone. However, another one had arrived on the other side.

...  Wouldn't one of these be a great O-gauge model?

I recall seeing an ore dock like this featured as part of a model railroad in one of the Kalmbach "Great Model Railroads 20XX" magazines (usually published annually around the holiday-season).  I'll double-check, and let you know details if I can locate the article.  It might not have been O-Gauge, but I was pretty impressed by it nonetheless.

David