Timetable: DSS&A Railroad - Main Line Central - East Yard (Marquette) to Ewen

This line from East Yard in Marquette to Ewen, known as the Sixth Subdivision (later the 2nd Subdivision), was built under Iron Mountain railroad ownership around 1857. It was purchased by the Bay de Noquet & Marquette railroad in 1858 and then to  the Marquette Houghton & Ontonagon in 1871-1872. The railroad purchased the parallel Marquette & Western railroad in 1884. All of these lines became the Duluth, South Shore & Atlantic railway in 1890. 

This line was reorganized into the Soo Line railroad in 1961, the Wisconsin Central in 1987, and the CN in the 2000's.

This line, between Marquette (docks) west through Lake Michigamme was primarily an ore and timber railroad.

A branch from Nestoria to Houghton (reaching the Mineral Range) was constructed to L'Anse in 1872 and a connection made via the Mineral Range railroad in 1883.

The portion of this line between Nestoria and Ewen was reverted to the State of Michigan in 1981 and is currently used by the Escanaba & Lake Superior railroad for car storage.

Note Key: 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

[REF] = Greg Bunce, plus additions.

Notes

There were two spurs to the area around the Ohio Mine. Both were owned by the DSS&A. The east spur 1/2 mile west of Michigamme was used exclusively by the DSS&A to reach the Imperial Mine in the northwest corner of Section 25 of T48N-R31W. The second spur was joint between the DSS&A and C&NW. It went south from Beaufort Junction to the Ohio Mine, Norwood Mine and Portland Mine. It also had an extension to the Imperial Mine. This spur had at least one switch back. [CNWV]

Time Line

1867. SNAPSHOT: The M&O operates eleven scheduled ore trains a day in addition to two passenger trains between Marquette and the Ishpeming area. Three ore runs were made each to the Cleveland, Lake Superior and Lake Angeline mines, and two to the Washington mine. Ore trains included 59 loads of ore, each averaging 9 tons or ore. Each ore run required 3 hours 15 minutes to make the 32-mile run from Champion to Marquette. Ore was largely split by the M&O and C&NW. [DSS]

1870. This line was resurveyed and laid between Marquette and a location known as Bruce which reduced the ruling grade to 1.4% and 3 miles shorter. Finished in 1873. [DSS] Bruce was at milepost 159.8 and also known as Bagdad Junction. [DSS]

1872. When this line was built west from Champion, it followed the south side of Lake Michigamme for 5.5 miles to reach mining speculations in the area. The MH&O built on the north side of the lake via the village of Michigimme. The branch on the south side of the lake fell into disrepair and was abandoned in 1872. [DSS]

1888. July. Over 500 men are rushing work of ballasting the new track of the DSS&A from Nestoria west to Iron River (WI), the junction with the Northern Pacific railroad. The men are working in four directions, west from Nestoria, east from Dogwood, west from Dogwood and east from Iron River Junction. The steam-shovels are being worked night and day and unless the mosquitoes kill the men the South Shore Road will be ready for through traffic by August 1st. [TTN-1888-0718]

1888. August. Vice President Brice has just given orders to Chief Engineer Latcha of the DSS&A to go ahead and build a line from Iron River (Junction) to Duluth. It has been the intention of the old management of the South Shore to use the Northern Pacific track between those points, but the Northern Pacific does not feel like extending accomodation to the new management, the Canadian Pacific. The new line will be built as fast as men and money can build it. [TTN-1888-0815] An arbitrator determines that a DSS&A lease of the NP line will be 8 percent on half its valuation, which fixes matters so that through traffic will be commenced at once. The contractors (laying the parallel route) will be transferred to the Gogebic branch. [GRH-1888-0830]

1892. Thirteen sawmills and four cedar mills are now in the process of erection on the DSS&A west from Nestoria. [Weekly Expositor, Brockway Centre, MI]. 

1906. The DSS&A begins using an electric train staff system between Eagle Mills and Negaunee. No trains can proceed in either direction without having obtained from the operator at the block house a train staff, giving them absolute right-of-way between the two stations.

1918. The spur tracks to the Portland Mine were removed. [CNWV]

1930. The C&NW operated jointly with the DSS&A between Winthrop Junction and Greenwood Mine Junction by agreement. [CNWV]

1939. Through sleeper service from Chicago to Marquette over the C&NW and DSS&A will be resumed June 1. It had been stopped during the depression seven years ago. During the seven years, riders could take a sleeper to Negaunee, and then a day coach to Marquette. The service will likely be limited to summer months only. Also, since the DSS&A has no Sunday evening/Monday morning service between Marquette and Duluth, the sleeper will not operate on those days. [EDP-1939-0323]

1945. SNAPSHOT. There is one passenger train each way daily except Saturday on this line, #7 (westbound) and #8 (eastbound). These were through trains between Duluth and Marquette. There was also a daily passenger train between Champion and Calumet via Nestoria each way (#9 and #10). Trains #1 and #2 operated between Marquette and Calumet, southbound in the morning and northbound in the afternoon. There were two timed freight in each direction daily operating at night, one to Ewen and one to Calumet. [ETT-1945]

1961 - Maximum speed was 50 mph for passenger trains, 45 mph for freight trains (40 between Ewen and Nestoria. Trains handling ore out of Champion Mine must use retainers between the mine and the main track.

1977. In addition to its abandonment request for lines north of Baraga, the Soo Line indicated that they will proceed with an abandonment petition for part of their main line between Bergland and Nestoria on or before May 1, 1977. They note that the request will be made contingent upon coordination of certain operations with other railroads to continue service west of Marquette. [IDG-1977-0423]

Early 1990's - The EL&S was interchanging pulpwood cars with the Wisconsin Central at Nestoria that were loaded at Bovine for Mead Paper.  The speed limit from Sidnaw to Nestoria was 10 mph but the track was in fair shape, 80 lb. rail with stamp sand ballast. There were some big swamps east of Covington that even the Soo Line had speed restrictions on because of rough track caused by the line sinking.  I worked the first trip for E&LS to Nestoria as the conductor when we first started running over their. I was impressed with the wye at Nestoria; the west leg where we had to set out the flats was 60 lb. rail and the curvature was so sharp that the WC section men greased the outside rail to keep the flanges from climbing the rail. [Greg Bunce