Abandoned! L'Anse to Baraga!

I was hoping this day would never come but it did-the 3.9 miles of track from Menge Creek Rd. to the Industrial Park North of Baraga will be on or after May 8 officially abandoned.. This notice in the local paper states Wisconsin Central Ltd. intends to file with the Surface Transportation Board. I will definitely be filming this sad event. For today I have local moves but the next video will feature South of here and a little of my explorations of the Dishneau Quarry which became the Champion Quarry. THanks for watching!

[@poowg2657]

As I mentioned earlier CN is very well practised at terminating trackage. CN originally wanted to abandon our line from Bradley to Armstrong creek Wi. but WATCO stepped in at the last minute to buy it and several other sections of CN trackage. Excellent video again, liked it much. Thanks Nancy!

[@nancyhaun]

Unfortunately there is noone to save our rails!

[@bcoldgoalie]

Sad to see more rail being taken out. Just want to say how good your videograpy has become since you started! Keep up the good work Nancy! 😊

[@nancyhaun]

Thank you!!! I hope to continue improving!

[@davidbrown4823]

Sad news. back in the late 70's CN and then CP were going to abandon tracks east of Montreal as was not enough traffic according to some bean counter. if happened, there been tens of thousands of trucks daily on the roads to move even then traffic in oil and forest products alone. the plan was quickly shelved especially as two short lines and two major railroads shined on the lines. great work Nancy.

[@user-mr3ct1dm9p]

And didn't one of those short lines become famous for the Lac Megantic disaster??

[@rodchallis8031]

11:30 It's like he rang the bell to say "hey, focus on me." :)

[@nancyhaun]

I hadn't noticed but yes your right! lol

[@cnwbutlerjctwi5511]

We need more trails to rails. , it's a sad day. 🙁

[@thomasmackowiak]

I hope that Wisconsin Central Ltd. is not make a wrong move by abandoning those 3.9 miles of track from Menge Creek Road to the Industrial Park North of Baraga, Michigan. Has the STB approved the abandonment of this trackage or has Wisconsin Central Ltd. put in a notice of abandonment which STB must approve? Thank you for this video of the L'Anse Local arriving in L'Anse, Michigan and then taking the loaded cars to the Koppers and CertainTeed plants. You then went up the L'Anse Hill to catch the Local coming up L'Anse Hill with empty cars.

[@user-mr3ct1dm9p]

As a lifelong railfan, it's very simple--- if a RR has very little, or no business, then the track can be taken out. Sad to see it happen, but it is reality.

[@kingdoughnut7244]

I remeber those SD60s when they were "Oakway Leasing," running BN coal trains through Lansing between Chicago and Detroit, 30 years ago. Found one on video at the 12:47 marker. kzbin.info/www/bejne/bl7Wqqh6d8qai6s

[@user-mr3ct1dm9p]

Noboby noticed the CN TRACK INSPECTION CAR,in the shove move to Koppers?????

[@nancyhaun]

Yes I mentioned it a couple times during filming.

[@1361057]

Nancy, would it be possible to see on a map where you are talking about the abandonment is located?

[@nancyhaun]

Yes I will post a map and a short walk on the abandoned section.

[@poowg2657]

You can still see the rails on Google maps from L'anse to Baraga and a little beyond.

[@benjamincresswell3713]

Be back OK, I'm back. Nancy, to me there is nothing quite as sad as losing things I am familiar with. Train tracks are no exception. When I was young I figured out right away that riding a bike meant I could coast sometimes. So I always had a bike. Early on I lost friends to car accidents, so I was always very leery of riding on the highway. Besides my Dad would beat me with a stick if he ever heard about me doing it. So, you can imagine when I discovered the railroad tracks what I thought about them. I figured a train is hard miss when it's coming. They even blew their horns and I could hear it for miles. Unlike a car that could literally sneak right up on you and surprise the daylights out of you. So I began riding the tracks whenever I could and I discovered they went everywhere. You may not believe it but I used to ride on the actual rail. Once I mastered doing it the reward was so great it made it all worth it. The rail is extremely smooth, there is never even a bump. Sometimes, like going into town, the track was down hill for a mile so riding the rail was even better than pavement. Coming back was such a slight incline it was never bad either. So my love for using the railroad tracks for getting around Rochester, where I grew up was probably vastly different from most. Nowadays those tracks that I rode to town or out to the Bald Mountain recreation area or over to Stoney Creek rec are all pulled up. They still have the grade for hiking and biking but its not going to be anything like it used to be riding the rail. (not that I could or would even try) They call it progress, I call it heartbreak. Probably my sadness is I don't like to see the end of an era. OK, Life goes on, Long after the thrill of Livin is gone. I wish you Godspeed on your trip under the Mighty Mac. Be careful, stay pretty and have fun. ben/ trolling under the bridge

[@nancyhaun]

I'm with you 100% Ben. This is the end of hope for the local rails to increase customers and enjoyment of a trip to the Copper Country by rail. Hopefully the three customers in L'Anse continue. Many local jobs in these 3 businesses would be lost if CN closed the short line here. Sounds like you had a great time on the rails!