does anyone know why this railroad did not take over the whole former milwaukee road line from milwaukee to upper michigan?
Aside from possibly a small portion from Republic Junction to Channing, MI, as far as I can remember (admittedly not all that much) they did buy up all that remained (at the time) of the Milwaukee’s lines in the UP. There are some cutbacks in the rumor mill-a big shipper in Ontonogan, MI, closed their plant last year and the Marinette branch seems to be no more than a car storage track (and in a condition good for little else, I hear).
Simply put as to why the ELS didn’t buy the line from the UP all the way to Milwaukee is because the line between Green Bay and Milwaukee wasn’t for sale by the MILW. Since the Milwaukee had a decent amount of business still in and out of Green Bay. The line north of Green Bay was not included in the “Milwaukee II” restructuring plan, despite the fact that there was the paper mill in Ontonagon, and another served in Menominee, MI on the Marinette branch. Although the Milwaukee had a couple iron ore mines on-line in the UP they did not have their own ore dock, instead they interchanged their ore trains to the CNW at the CNW’s Antoine Yard in Iron Mountain- by 1980 the only mine that was still shipping was the Groveland Mine north of Iron Mountain, and that ceased operations about a year after ELS took over.
As for the Marinette branch- it was embargoed last year on account of poor track. The ELS still has a switcher stationed at Marinette to serve the mills in the area, but CN handles the cars now in and out of Marinette for the ELS. The Ontonagon mill is closed for the forseeable future, but there are rumors it may be sold to new operator and reopened. Pulpwood loading, car storage and a few other customers keep trains running on the ELS- but it’s nowhere near what it was when I went up to see it in the summer of 2008.
Thanks you for the replys!! I hope things turn around for this short-line