Timetable: Milwaukee Road - Channing Sub - Green Bay to Channing

This was the Milwaukee Road's main line north into the upper peninsula of Michigan. This line was built by the Milwaukee & Northern and became the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul railroad in 1893. In 1928 it was reorganized as the CMStP & Pacific. Station hours and car capacity as of 1938.

Key: BB=Bascule Bridge | C=Coal | CS=Car Shop | D=Open > Day | DA = Open Days and Afternoons | 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 | SS=Spring Switch | T=Turntable | TC=Telegraph call | W=Water | X=Crossing | Y=Wye | Yard=Yard 

Notes

Oconto Junction: A junction with the MILW Oconto Branch.

Stiles Junction: A junction with the C&NW.

Holmes Junction: Originally a crossing of the W&M, then a junction.

Anderson's Spur: At mp 90.5 this was the last station in Wisconsin.

Kingsford: This was not an MILW station but a junction with a large facility for Ford Motor's forest products operation west of the main line.

Iron Mountain: The C&NW junction with the MILW here.

Quinnessec: This was likely not on the main line but east of Iron Mountain on a branch.

Groveland Junction: Was a junction with a short branch to Groveland Mine, east of the main line.

Channing: The main line continued north from here to Champion. MILW branch lines to Ontonagon and Iron River left towards the west and the Escanaba & Lake Superior main line left east to the Wells area at the north end of the yard. The MILW & E&LS dispatcher was located here.

References = [ETT][CNWV]

Time Line

1887. Line is built and opened by the Milwaukee & Northern railroad. [MRL]

1891. Probably the largest number of loaded cars drawn by one switch engine was on Tuesday morning when the M. & N. switch engine No. 1 brought fifty-three loaded cars from the Hamilton and Ludington mines. The weight of the load was something over 1,166 tons and the engine pulled the train without much difficulty. [ATDC]

1893. Sold to the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul railroad. [MRL]

1896. February. Last Monday afternoon at exactly one o'clock, the Lake Superior division of the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul railroad, 238 miles in length, was for the first time operated under the block system. The placing of the necessary apparatus was completed some weeks ago, but it was deemed best not to put the system in operation until the operators had been thoroughly drilled, which required some little time.

The blocks are on an average about six miles apart, which requires the maintenance of night and day telegraph operators at the end of each block. Only one train can occupy the line between two blocks at one time. While the train occupies this stretch of track the blocks at each end are locked so that trains following cannot pass until the other train has passed the next block and six miles of track are unobstructed. Thus a train between blocks has the exclusive right of way, and is in no danger of plunging into another on some sharp curve. Should a train be derailed, or any other accident happen, it is not possible for any train to pass the blocks until the track is clear. The form of signal used is the double-arm semaphore, which consists of a mast with two arms near the top, one on each side. A horizontal position of the arm signifies danger and is a signal to stop, while a vertical position of the arm indicates that the track is clear and that the train may proceed safely. In the night lights are displayed, a red light indicating danger while a white light indicates a clear track.

The normal position of these signals is at "danger," where they always remain unless held at "clear" by the operator. When a train approaches one of these signals if the track is clear to the next station the signal is changed to "clear." When the train passes it resumes its position of "danger" and is held there until the train which is on that block passes out of it. Only in certain cases and upon the issuance of a written permit can more than one train at a time occupy one of these blocks. The placing of the system in operation, and the employment of some thirty or forty additional operators, has cost the company a large sum of money, but the change is one that will be thoroughly appreciated by the traveling public, as it removes all danger of collisions of all kinds. [RTR-1896-0215]

1902. The railroad replaces a 70 foot wooden turn table with a steel table costing $3,000. [MCR-1902]

1928. Reorganized as the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul & Pacific railroad. [MRL]

1943. SNAPSHOT. The Milwaukee Road operates two round-trip passenger trains daily between Green Bay and Channing. One train, one during the day and one in the evening. Trains #9/#2 continues north to Champion. The railroad also ran one round-trip timed Freight train between Green Bay and Channing. In Michigan, Iron Mountain and Channing were passenger train stops. Randville and Sagola were flag stops. Stations were open in Pembine, WI (24/7), Iron Mountain (730a - 1130p), Sagola (8a-5p) and Channing (24/7). Passenger trains operated at 60 mph, 50 mph north of Iron Mountain. Freight trains were limited to 45 mph. [ETT-1943]

1943. The MILW operates two round-trips daily of the "Chippewa Bus" service between Channing, Sagola, Crystal Falls, Stambaugh and Iron River. These connect with trains #14, #21 and #2. These are in addition to mixed train service to Iron River (see Iron River branch). [ETT-1943]

1959. October. The Milwaukee Road told an ICC examiner that its out-of-pocket loss in the first six months of 1959 on trains No. 14 and No. 21 from Milwaukee to Channing, MI amounted to $49,203. The trains are known as the Chippewas and the railroad has petitioned the ICC for authority to discontinue both. It said it would continue the Copper Country Limited from Chicago to Calumet which serves the same area. A second hearing by the examiner will be held in Iron Mountain on Friday. [IDG-1959-1014]

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]

1969. The MILW installs a spring switch and protecting signal on the main line at the branch going towards Groveland Mine. For westbound (northbound) trains, this switch was on a curve and there was no way to tell how this switch was closed all the way until the train is close to the switch. This two-aspect (Green over Lunar) signal indicated how the switch was lined. 

An ore train leaving the mine and heading towards Iron Mountain on the main line needed to be going at least 25 mph by the time they crossed Merriman to make the hill (south of Merriman) with five F7's and 130 loaded ore Jenny's. This signal allowed them to leave the spring switch without stopping to inspect or reline it. There was also a block telephone at this location. The speed of trains over the facing points here was limited to 25 mph. The E&LS eliminated this signal after they began operating the line. The spring switch continues to exist as of 2024. [GB]

1980. Sold parts in Michigan and Wisconsin to the Escanaba & Lake Superior railroad. [MRL]

1983. State of Michigan purchases the line from Iron Mountain north. [MRL]