Timetable: C&NW - Shafer Branch - Crystal Falls to C&NW Connection

The Shafer branch was originally built by the Chicago & Northwestern railroad from Crystal Falls Junction south through downtown Crystal Falls then curving southwest to the south of the city to Shafer Mine. The line was eventually built to other mines in the area, and to a connection with the Milwaukee Road after 1900.

Eventually, the MILW received trackage rights on this line (from both Crystal Falls Junction and from a connection on the west. In the 1930's, the MILW brought this line from the C&NW but continued to share it. They were unhappy with the level of maintenance on the route and purchased it as a result of the ore pooling agreement with the C&NW.

Key: C=Coal | D=Open > Day | DN=Open Day and night | EH=Engine house | F=Diesel Fuel | HI=Half Interlocked Crossing | I=Interlocked Crossing | J=Junction | N=Open at night | P=Passing Track w/40' car capacity | Q=Quarry | RH=Roundhouse # stalls | S=Scales | T=Turntable | TC=Telegraph call | W=Water | X=Crossing | Y=Wye | Yard=Yard

Notes

Crystal Falls Junction: This was on the north side of Crystal Falls. A short branch line left the MILW here to the depot downtown. This was also a connection with the C&NW and other mines in the area.

[REF] = MILW timetable, [MRL] and other sources.

Time Line

1910. The city council has in mind the macadamizing of Superior avenue and a survey was ordered. Special attention was given to the grade of the Shafer spur of the C&NW railroad from a point where it crosses Crystal Avenue to the Parks warehouse. A profile of the grade was made and submitted showing the comparison between the street grade and the railroad grade. The railroad is about five feet too high at the Superior avenue crossing and seven feet too high at the Marquette avenue crossing. The Crystal Avenue crossing is below the street grade. The council wants the railroad to lower its grade before any permanent street work is done and, now that the officials know where they are at the matter it can be taken up with the railroad people. This was left to the city attorney, with a report to the council at its next meeting. [DDF-1910-0108]

1912, The St. Paul is handling the output of all of the mines in the Crystal Falls region excepting the Mansfield at the present time. [DD-1912-0504]

1920. November. A contract has been let to John Marsch of Iron Mountain to construct about a mile of track connecting the wye track at the Carpenter mine with the main line of the St. Paul just east of Fortune Lake (Carpenter Junction). The grading work will commence at once as it is designed to have the tracks ready for use when shipping season opens in the spring. When this track is completed the St. Paul ore trains will not enter Crystal Falls at all. Ore from the Odgers, Tobin, Carpenter, Dunn, Balkan and Judson mines will be hauled over this connection line to the main line and shot straight for Escanaba. In addition t the connecting track the company has secured sufficient room along this connecting line to show for several sidings where the ore trains will be made up. The new line will cross the county road a few rods east of where Dan Ross' house stands. Its building is made necessary by the fact that the present ore line of this company crosses above the Bristol pit and the recent cave necessitates the abandonment of the line. [DD-1920-1116]

1930's. Prior to the pooling agreement with C&NW, the MILW handled ore traffic between Champion and Channing, and from Iron River, Crystal Falls and Channing. They then used trackage rights on the E&LS to reach their two docks between Wells and Escanaba. [LSIOR]

1937. The MILW purchased the Shafer Branch from the C&NW. The C&NW had maintained trackage rights on the branch. [MRL] Speculation in newspapers suggests that this may have been due to the C&NW not maintaining the branch to the level needed by the MILW for ore operations. By this time, the ore pooling agreement was in effect and the MILW may have been serving the bulk of the mines southwest of Crystal Falls on this branch.

1969. Entire branch abandoned from Kelso Junction to Iron River, including Crystal Falls and the Shafer branch. [MRL]