Atlantic & Lake Superior Railroad

Built → Atlantic & Lake Superior Railroad → Copper Range railroad

Built: 1893

Operated for 18 years.

Became: Copper Range railroad in 1911.

Reference: [MRRC]

Notes

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This was an iron ore railroad which was originally owned by the Atlantic Mining Company. The railroad was principally used to bring iron ore from their mines south of Houghton to the mill along Portage Lake and later on Lake Superior at Redridge.

This road runs three miles from the mine to the original mill site, two miles west of Houghton where the old wooden mill structure still stands. At this point, there is a large coal wharf, coal being taken from the trestles on the wharf to the railroad cars by an incline tram. There is a good merchandise wharf, the supplies for the mine being received at this point.

The railroad equipment consists of five locomotives (in 1901) four of which are Baldwins and one Brooks manufacture, also 130 hopper cars for rock and 60 flat cars for wood and miscellaneous freight. 

The main line of the railroad from mine to the new mill at Redridge, at the mouth of the Salmon Trout river, Lake Superior, is nine miles long, with favorable grades throughout. [CHBK]

Time Line

1893. The railroad is built from Atlantic Mine to Redridge on Lake Superior.

1894. The Globe Train railroad is converted to standard gauge and turned over to the new A&LS. The A&LS now had 14.87 miles of track. [CRR]

1895. The Atlantic Mining Company begins operation of a two-stamp mill at Redridge. Rock is transported by the A&LS railroad.

1896. A shortage of coal causes the Atlantic mill powerhouse to switch to wood for fuel. The railroad builds 18 flatcars and five log cars to handle this traffic. [CRR]

1898. A extension of the A&LS is built to the Baltic Mine #1 shaft. A 54' turntable is built there. [CRR]

1898. A new turn-table for the extension of the Atlantic railway is being placed at the Baltic mine. When in position the Baltic will be in readiness to begin sending rock regularly to the Atlantic mill, where one head will be used exclusively for stamping Baltic rock. The crosscut of the Atlantic company on section is expected to reach the load at any day. [DFP-1898-1203]

1899. The Copper Range railroad builds north from McKeever to Houghton, and connects with the A&LS at Atlantic Mine. [CRR]

1900. The A&LS builds a steel girder bridge to the new Baltic Mill at Redridge. The bridge is built over the Salmon Trout river dam. They also had a line crossing the river near its mouth at Lake Superior to handle rail needs in the lower part of the Baltic Mill.

1902. Upon completion of the COPR Freda Branch, the A&LS lost the Baltic Mine business. 

1911. The road was sold to the Copper Range in 1911 in a stock deal by their parent organizations. [CRR]

1913. The Atlantic mill closes which dealt a blow to the A&LS.

Map