Timetable: Copper Range Railroad - Freda Branch

The Baltic Mill branch was 11 miles in length used principally by the Copper Range railroad to bring copper rock to their mills along Lake Superior. This was also known as the Lake Shore branch. Until 1928, it was also used to bring patrons to Freda Park, an amusement and picnic park along Lake Superior.

Station MP from Mill Mine Jct. Notes
Mill Mine Junction 0.0  
Obenhoff 2.8  
Salmon Trout 5.4  
Redridge Junction J-Redridge Br. 7.6 J Y
Stanwood 8.4  
Edgemore Junction J-Edgemere Br. 9.6 J Y
Beacon Hill 10.0  
Freda 10.7  
Freda Park 11.4  
     
Redridge Branch From Redridge Jct.  
Redridge Junction J-COPR 0.0 J Y
Redridge J-A&LS 0.9  
Baltic Mine 1.0  
     

Key: C=Coal | D=Open > Day | DN=Open Day and night | EH=Enginehouse | HI=Half Interlocker | I=Interlocker | J=Junction | N=Open at night | P=Passing Track w/40' car capacity | RH=Roundhouse # stalls | S=Scales | T=Turntable | TC=Telegraph call | W=Water | X=Crossing | Y=Wye | Yard=Yard

[REF] = COPR timetable + [MRL] + additions.


Notes


Time Line

1901. February 8. The contract for building a twelve-mile extension of the Copper Range railroad along the lake shore to serve the new mills of the Baltic, Trimountain, Champion and Adventure mines was let yesterday to C.J. Johnson, a Houghton contractor. It is likely that the new mill of Michigan will also be located near the Adventure site. [DFP-1901-0209]

1901. This branch line was constructed as part of the original Copper Range railroad. [MRL]

1928. The line from Freda to Freda Park is removed. [MRL]

1930. This line operated three round-trip 2nd class mixed trains, leaving Mill Mine Jct. at 5:50 am, 8:20 am and 2:55 pm. The round trip leaves Freda returning back at 6:25 am, 9:45 am, and 4:30 pm. Two of these trains operated daily except Saturday and Sunday, and one operated daily except Sunday. It appears that these were freight trains with a caboose or passenger car on the end and provided transportation between the mines and the mills. [ETT-1930]

1971. The entire branch line is abandoned. [MRL]

Bibliography

The following sources are utilized in this website. [SOURCE-YEAR-MMDD-PG]:

  • [AAB| = All Aboard!, by Willis Dunbar, Eerdmans Publishing, Grand Rapids ©1969.
  • [AAN] = Alpena Argus newspaper.
  • [AARQJ] = American Association of Railroads Quiz Jr. pamphlet. © 1956
  • [AATHA] = Ann Arbor Railroad Technical and Historical Association newsletter "The Double A"
  • [AB] = Information provided at Michigan History Conference from Andrew Bailey, Port Huron, MI

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