Location: Hancock, MI - Shore Line Junction

Shore Line Junction was located at the north end of the Portage Canal lift bridge. It was an interlocked junction which controlled the bridge, the DSS&A main line through downtown Hancock, the DSS&A (former H&C line) towards Lake Junction, and the COPR lines along Portage Lake to Laurium and Calumet.

This may have been known as Bridge Junction. It was staffed by the DSS&A/Soo Line. [TRT]

Photo Info: Top, this is a 1917 map of the northeast leg of the wye at Shore Line Jct. This indicates that the COPR crossed the Mineral Range at grade here originally. There is no tower indicated on the map, though the COPR Hancock passenger train is on the northeast leg of the wye. [SBM-1917]. 2nd photo, this is the CTC/model board at Shore Line Junction, now on display at the Houghton County Historical Society. This interlocking controlled switches and signals on both sides of Portage Lake. Though it did not control the lift bridge, there was an indicator of the bridge's status and it was interlocked into the signal system. This was a General Railway Signal system panel. It was likely installed in 1959 when the bridge was rebuilt. [Houghton County Historical Society]

Notes

Time Line

1930. Horizontal position of signal arms during the day or red light at night indicates danger and stop. Green light or inclined position of semaphore signal indicates that the line is clear for the COPR. Northbound COPR trains will be governed by high arm signal south of the bridge (located near the Electric Light Plant) which governs movement of trains to next single arm dwarf signal on a post at the intersection of the MR and COPR track (still south of the bridge). This dwarf signal governs movement of trains across the drawbridge to a double arm dwarf signal at the switch on the north end of the bridge. At this double arm dwarf signal (northbound), the top arm governs movement of trains to a second dwarf signal which governs switch north to Hancock depot or south through Shore Line junction. [COPR ETT-1930]