Timetable: MILW Odgers Mine Branch - Crystal Falls to Carpenter Mine Jct.

The Odgers Mine branch was constructed about 1902 by the MILW from Crystal Falls Junction, west (north of Crystal Falls hill) adjacent to the Bristol Mine and then southwest through the Odgers Mine property. From here, the line paralleled the C&NW Shafer Mine branch to the area of the Carpenter Mine. After crossing the C&NW Shafer/Dunn branch it was graded west to Carpenter Junction on the MILW main line to Iron River.

Eventually, the MILW received trackage rights the C&NW Shafer branch when the under-diggings at the Bristol and Odgers mines encroached on their right of way. At this point, the MILW branch was no longer used north of Odgers mine, and this branch was combined with the Shafer branch.

In the 1930's, the MILW brought the Shafer branch from the C&NW but continued to share it. They were unhappy with the level of maintenance by the C&NW 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.

According to MILW valuation maps, the railroad had a 2'x2' concrete trench which ran parallel to the track on the north side, from approximately Odgers Mine south to the Carpenter Mine spur. This was used or water runoff and possibly water pumped up from area mines. [MILV-1917]

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

Time Line

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]