Timetable: DSS&A Railroad - Calumet Branch - Nestoria to Calumet

This is a single track branch line, known as the 11th Subdivision under Soo Line ownership. Formally the Mineral Range Railroad. This branch had a 3+ % down grade from Summit to L'Anse.

Key: C=Coal | CS=Car Shop | D=Open > Day | DN=Open Day and night | DS=Dispatcher | DT=Double Main Track | EH=Engine house | F=Diesel Fuel | HI=Half Interlocked Crossing | I=Interlocked Crossing | J=Junction | LB=Lift bridge | N=Open at night | P=Passing Track w/40' car capacity | Q=Quarry | RH=Roundhouse # stalls | RT=Railroad Resort | S=Scales | SB=Swing bridge | T=Turntable | TC=Telegraph call | W=Water | X=Crossing | Y=Wye | Yard=Yard

[REF] = [ETT] + Greg Bunce and other sources, plus additions.

Notes

Time Line

1871. The Mineral Range was a 3' gauge until 1898, then standard gauge in September, 1897. The initial 1,200 foot long track from James Bendry's shipping dock in Hancock was a 4% grade that lessened to 2.65% for another two miles before reaching the top of the bluff behind Hancock. From there to Calumet the grade would remain a constant 1.14%. [DMG-1015-1114]

1883. The MH&O has met with a hitch in procuring the right-of-way between Pilgrim River and Houghton, and the company has consequently given orders to discontinue work at the Houghton end and to establish a station at Pilgrim River, which is to be the present terminus. [CFP-1883-0907]

1883. October 19. The construction train on the MH&O railroad has reached Houghton. [DFP-1883-1019]

1886. November 26. Two propeller boats - the Robert Wallace and her consort David Wallace, were wrecked near Marquette. Efforts by local people to save the crew were not successful. The President of the MH&O seeing that 24 men would perish, at once telegraphed to the other end of the line for the life-saving crew at Portage lake canal station (in Houghton). He also directed that a special train should be placed at their disposal and that the line should be kept clear for the train. The crew promptly responded and traveled the 110 miles to Marquette as fast as the train could take them. The life-saving boat was launched and everyone of the 24 men on the wrecked vessel were saved. This is the longest distance ever travelled by a life-saving crew to save imperiled sailors. [HBT-1886-1203]

1892. Last night the DSS&A passenger and mail train ran into a team of horses attached to a lumber wagon a mile and a half east of Newtonville. James Burns, the driver, was instantly killed and his brother John had his face and eyes badly injured. Both horses were killed. The men were intoxicated and lost their road and drove square down the railroad track, the wagon tongue running into the cow-catcher. [DFP-10-17]. Editor Note: The location of Newtonville has not been identified, likely between Houghton and Michigamme.

1896. Numerous special excursion trains were run by the Mineral Range during this decade. These included church and fraternal groups, trips to see boxing matches and other sporting events. These trips were made in both directions between Calumet and Hancock. Trips were planned during most weekends of the year and the railroad appears to have made additional revenue by operating them.

1903. The DSS&A crosses over the Isle Royale Copper Company tracks at Pilgrim. [MCR-1904]

1910. The Mineral Range, north of Hancock, is to be re-equipped for heavier service. The reason is simply to provide against delays and accidents, particularly during the heavy snows of the winter season. The work is to be done by the Mineral Range railroad and orders have already been placed for a large quantity of 80-pound steel rails.

The same policy of strengthening the trackage will be carried out upon the MR line which connects the Centennial, Allouez and Franklin mines with their stamp mills at Point Mills, and with the completion of these plans the entire Mineral Range trackage north of Portage Lake will be equipped with 80-pound steel rails, the lines connecting the Tamarack and Osceola mines with their stamp mills on Torch Lake having already been laid with this weight.

Six new locomotives of 100 tons each will be bought and a large number of new rock cars are to be placed in the Mineral Range general service. [CN-1910-0422].

1914. March. Attacks on trains bearing imported workmen were described to congressional investigators by witnesses for the (railroad) operators. Charles F. Dettman, a Mineral Range conductor, testified that 50 or 60 shots were fired at a train one mile west of Hancock on the night of October 24, 1913. Soldiers in the vestibules of the cars returned the fire. The strike breakers laid flat on the floors of the cars and escaped unhurt, but the witness said he found six bullet holes in an extra car ahead. Chairman Taylor announced that some members of the committee would visit Calumet today to take testimony on the Italian Hall disaster. [SJHP-1914-0307]

1932. Several miles of telegraph poles along the Mineral Range railroad were reported down between Hancock and Calumet due to a major snow storm. [IDG-1932-1029]

1945. SNAPSHOT. This line operates two round trip passenger trains and one round trip timed freight. The passenger trains are daily (#9 and #10) and daily except Sunday (#1 and #2) and run from Nestoria to Calumet. Meeting points are L'Anse, Baraga and Chassell. Nestoria station is open at night. L'Anse is open DN, and Baraga, East Houghton, Houghton, and Calumet are open during the day. [ETT-1945]

1966. April. Railway post office service on the Soo Line between Champion and Calumet will continue and remain unchanged unless studies indicate the use of airplanes would bring significant savings of time and money. So far, that is not the case and would not justify endangering passenger car service. [HES-1966-0402]

1967. October. The Milwaukee Road and the Soo Line railroad said they will discontinue two passenger trains operated jointly between Milwaukee and Calumet, MI on November 8. The train operates on the MILW from Milwaukee and Green Bay to Champion, and then on the Soo Line to Calumet via Nestoria, L'Anse and Houghton. [SJHP-1967-1006] The decision to discontinue service was as a result of the Post Office to withdraw all mail traffic from the trains. [PNR-1967-1007]

1976. The Soo Line submits an application to the ICC to abandon its lines north of Baraga in the Upper Peninsula. The company notes that the lines have been continued in anticipation of new copper mining exploration in the Handcock-Calumet area but the traffic has not materialized. [IDG-1976-0805]

1977. January. The newly formed Copper Country railroad has shown interest in operating a 42-mile stretch of track linking Baraga, Calumet, Hancock and Lake Linden. The new firm made its intentions known after the Soo Line petitioned the ICC for the right to abandon the line. [EDP-1977-0119]

1977. January. It will be at least four months before a decision is made on the Soo Line's plan to abandon 42 miles of track in the upper peninsula. There have been protests from about 40 freight shippers and receivers. Protesters claim a cut in service would thwart attempts to revive the dormant copper mining industry in the western U.P. Both the Homestake and Quincy mining firms have declared their intentions to reactivate mines in Houghton and Keweenaw counties if there is a possibility of showing profits. Meanwhile, the soo line increased service north of Nestoria from 5-days to 6-days a week. [IDG-977-0126]