Diamond Junction/Eagle Mills Crossing

Any historical questions can be posted here. Answers would certainly help as well :)
MiddleMI
Railroadfan...fan
Posts: 415
Joined: Thu Jan 16, 2014 2:23 am

Diamond Junction/Eagle Mills Crossing

Unread post by MiddleMI »

Does anyone have any old maps showing the crossing at Eagle Mills between the Soo Line and LS&I's line? I'm interested particularly in the section west-southwest of their and what it connected? Seems it exist as a crossing until 1986 when it became a junction (Diamond).

Jim_c
Railroadfan...fan
Posts: 311
Joined: Sun Apr 09, 2017 6:14 pm

Re: Diamond Junction/Eagle Mills Crossing

Unread post by Jim_c »

Trails to Rails. Put the track back.

MiddleMI
Railroadfan...fan
Posts: 415
Joined: Thu Jan 16, 2014 2:23 am

Re: Diamond Junction/Eagle Mills Crossing

Unread post by MiddleMI »

Thank you. What did this line connect? I'm assuming something to the dock, but that's just a guess.

Jim_c
Railroadfan...fan
Posts: 311
Joined: Sun Apr 09, 2017 6:14 pm

Re: Diamond Junction/Eagle Mills Crossing

Unread post by Jim_c »

This one may answer the question. I didn't look at it in detail.

https://ngmdb.usgs.gov/img4/ht_icons/ov ... 00_geo.jpg

Try this site for historical maps.

https://www.oldmapsonline.org/en/Marque ... &scale_to=
Trails to Rails. Put the track back.

MiddleMI
Railroadfan...fan
Posts: 415
Joined: Thu Jan 16, 2014 2:23 am

Re: Diamond Junction/Eagle Mills Crossing

Unread post by MiddleMI »

Wow, quite a mess of lines in the region decades ago! More than today.Okay, so this Soo Line looks to have connected maybe the mines with the lower harbor (and regions west of here), while LS&I connected the mines to the upper harbor.

For someone who knows the area, it'd be interesting to make a diagram showing this superimposed over the current rail lines still left.

i995impalass
Yooper Foamer
Posts: 1527
Joined: Wed Aug 30, 2006 12:00 am
Location: Marquette, MI

Re: Diamond Junction/Eagle Mills Crossing

Unread post by i995impalass »

The current layout is from the re-routes of the 1950's. To understand Diamond JCT you need to understand a little of the past history. DSSA (SOO) crossed the LS&I. The DSSA line from the West (Duluth) to Lower harbor in Marquette and extending along the south Superior shore line to Munising and St.Ignace. The DSSA have the iconic ore down in downtown MQT. The LS&I came West from Eagle Mills and went to the MASS Mine and Mather Mines in Negaunee (with other closed mines, like the Queens, Prince, ect in the mix). The Mather was the last mine to close in late 70's, making trips over the LS&I branch a few times a week to service Ferrell Gas.

When the WC acquired the SOO property in 87, talks had been in place for the LS&I to obtain track rights over the SOO (WC) to service Ferrell gas, and abandoned their track. Diamond JCT lost the diamond and gained the switch. The LS&I then begain to interchange freight with WC at Morgan siding. (just over CR 492, on the way to MQT for the WC).

CNW is also in this mix, as they had a control point about a half mile West of Diamond JCT and had crew layovers at Eagle Mills in the late 80's and early 90's.

There is plenty more to go with this and why this all unfolded, including exchanging trackage/ trackage rights between the LS&I and WC at Humbolt since the Republic mine went out in the early 80's and why the re-route was built in the 50's.

User avatar
Saturnalia
Authority on Cat
Posts: 15385
Joined: Wed Sep 28, 2011 7:54 pm
Location: Michigan City, IN
Contact:

Re: Diamond Junction/Eagle Mills Crossing

Unread post by Saturnalia »

Finding some good maps is easier than explaining the changes, but around 1952 everything between Empire Jct and Negaunee was realigned for the LS&I, DSSA and CNW for the opening/expansion of the Tracey Mine.

Later, in the mid-60s, there was more realignment between Negaunee and Ishpeming for all three roads, due to subsidence of the mines in the area. This was done jointly with the construction of US-41 in the area.

I could go on and on but among other things the LS&I used to have their original southern alignment to Ishpeming that passed just north of Eagle Mills Jct, and then a second alignment up via the Mather Line.

Historic USGS topics available on their website, especially pre-1952 should help you untangle it, but it takes a lot of time and patience. There were so many changes to so many lines you really just need to see it to understand it!!
Thornapple River Rail Series - YouTube
Safety today is your investment for tomorrow

MiddleMI
Railroadfan...fan
Posts: 415
Joined: Thu Jan 16, 2014 2:23 am

Re: Diamond Junction/Eagle Mills Crossing

Unread post by MiddleMI »

Where the current junction is, what was the route of the Soo Line? I'm asking, because you can't make it out on the map, any longer. Obviously, it ran south of the LS&I mainline, but what did the route look like? Old maps seem to show that it paralleled the LS&I west to maybe about the wye, but then things get confusing.

More than that, the current Iron Ore Heritage Trail west of Diamond Junction implies that there was a line north of the LS&I mainline which appears to have gone to downtown Negaunee. Which line was this? And then it looks like just west of the wye, a line branched off to the southwest to Negaunee. Was this a branch of a main?
Attachments
Diamond Jnction.png
West of Wye.png

Post Reply