Timetable: Milkwaukee Road - Champion Sub - Channing to Champion

This is the last leg of the Milwaukee Road's main line from Chicago and Green Bay to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. The railroad served the mines in the Republic and Champion area and partnered for a time providing passenger service to Marquette and Houghton/Calumet With the DSS&A and Mineral Range.

Key: A = Open afternoons | BB=Bascule Bridge | 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

Notes

Channing: This was the junction with the Ontonagon Branch which also led to the Iron River Branch.

A MILW dispatcher was located here. 

Republic: Connections with the Republic Mine spurs.

Champion: The MILW passenger train was operated northwest of here to Calumet in the Copper Country by the DSS&A.

[REF] = [ETT-1943] + additional sources.

Time Line

1887. The track-laying on the Republic extension of the Milwaukee & Northern railroad will be finished this week and freight trains will soon be running over the line. Work is also being pushed on the Champion extension. [DD-1887-1015]

1887. Line bult from Channing to Champion by Milwaukee & Northern. [MRL]

1887. Until the E&LS was completed in 1901, the Milwaukee & Northern (later CM&StP) used the Soo (CMStP&SSM) ore dock at Gladstone. They connected with the Soo at Pembine.

1893. Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul purchases the Milwaukee Northern. [MRL]

1896. The state railroad commissioner got after the St. Paul Railroad Company, and its tri-weekly service to Ontonagon, complained of in these (newspaper) columns two weeks ago, has been discontinued, and the towns along the Ontonagon division now have a daily train service in each direction. [LAS-1896-0206]

1901. The Escanaba & Lake Superior line from Channing to Escanaba was opened and the MIlW had trackage rights for their ore trains.

1915. November. For the accommodation of hunters in Michigan, the following arrangements are effective: Train No. 3, the day train south, will stop on signal at Merriman, Granite Bluff, Floodwood, Milwaukee Jct. and Wabik from November 1 to November 30th to let off passengers from Milwaukee and points south. Train No. 97, the Ontonagon-Channing train, unloading points between regular railroad stations where practicable. [DD-1915-1106]

1928. The railroad is reorganized as the Chicago, Milwaukee St. Paul & Pacific. [MRL]

1943. SNAPSHOT. The Milwaukee Road had one round-trip passenger trains between Channing and Champion. #9 northbound left Channing at 4:45 am, arriving at Champion one hour and five minutes later. #2, the southbound train left Champion at 7:55 pm arriving at Channing at 8:55 pm. These trains stopped in Republic, and had flag stops at Witch Lake and Witbeck if necessary. Passenger trains limited to 40 mph, freight trains 30 mph. [ETT-1943]

1943. Manual block system in use between Channing and Champion. Train order signals used as block signals. Train dispatcher at Channing. [ETT-1943]

1952. The Michigan Supreme Court upheld a lower court decision which vacated an order by the state public service commission requiring the Milwaukee Road to add a second passenger train between Channing and Champion. It was ruled that the order interfered with inter-state commerce. [IDG-1952-0108]

1950's. The MILW serves the Champion Mine. The MILW yard at Champion has four tracks which are primarily used as a connection with the Soo Line for regular freight. Ore cars are handled on the tri-weekly freights No. 69 and 82, which operate between Champion and Channing. [IOR]

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 line is abandoned between Republic and Champion, eight miles. [MRL]

1980. The line from Channing north to Republic is abandoned. It is used for car storage. Purchased by the State of Michigan in 1983. [MRL]

1980. Line purchased by Escanaba & Lake Superior. State of Michigan purchases this line in 1883. The line was never used north of the Michigamme River bridge (north of Floodwood) after this. [GB]

1980. Line truncated south of Republic. Mostly used for car storage by E&LS. [DJB]

Map

This is a 1917 map of the rail lines leading to Republic. This map does not include the LS&I which was not built until the 1950's. [CNWV]