Ya - notice I always let him lead? Everytime we got back in the car he was picking them off himself left and right. I think I only picked off three all trip.
This was a good video. I enjoyed looking at the old abandoned E&LS lines along with the old structures and other trackside features. The sight of the rusty rail overgrown with weeds and trees was very cool but sad too. You included some interesting before and after shots as well. I also like the sounds of the birds in the background. The story about the old lady was funny. Well done 👍🏻
That was actual bird sounds - nothing dubbed in. They were pretty intense. And after the fact, I was kicking myself for not videoing the lady out yelling at us. I think I was too stunned at the time.
Great memories but also sad to see. When I was in college in the early 70’s we would take my car on the abandoned (or little used) tracks. With the tire pressure at about 20 lbs it would follow the tracks perfectly. We would quietly cruise thru beautiful scenery. With the car in drive at idle we would go about 10 mph and often ride on the roof or hood with no one inside.
Thanks for the video of some Yooper land. Woodticks, pine snakes, blood suckers and mosquitoes make up most of the inhabitants in these areas. I marvel when I think of the steam engines using these lines. I don’t know how many water and coal facilities were around for the engines. I can only imagine what it would look like if all of the log rail lines were still active.
Thank you for this informative tour of the original Escanaba & Lake Superior Railroad trackage from Channing, Michigan to Wells, Michigan. I enjoy videos that give me historical information about railroads. (Posted 19 July 2024 at 0032 CDT.)
A buddy of mine and myself drove this in the mid-1990s and already it was getting that inactive look. It was a real eye opener to see a line with so little population and accordingly so little business. Greatly appreciate seeing the pictures and the helpful Maps. It's hard to envision the occasional truck cranes from Harnishfeger in Wells with the blocking around the tires slogging over this right of way. I remember seeing them in the late 1970s as the Milwaukee Green Bay line went past my employer. Nice and concise and a real help in research. Thank you for sharing
It is almost a little creepy driving along the line today. Dead towns like Watson, the dirt road, the inactive railroad with trees between the rails...
A bygone era of the UP. It sounds like these rail lines serviced the logging industry. Once logging ended on these lines so did the trains. You have documented this very well. Who knows what will happen new here. It’s a very nice area off the beaten path. I have read that current logging output (in the Keweenaw) is moved by trucks which is expensive because it’s a long trip and they only carry a cash paying load one way.
@@eugenetswong They are planting trees, Mede Paper Co owns vast sections of land and rotates the harvest. Trees grow slowly and the new trees never get very big before they get cut. I’m not sure where the trees end up but it’s split between pulp for paper, chips for wood products and lumber like the twisted framing lumber at Lowe’s or Home Depot. There are wood processing operations in the L’Anse and Escanaba and I’m sure a few more in the UP.
Excellent video, thanks for making this! I still remember an old VHS on the E&LS that had Jim Boyd as the narrator and him saying RALPH, where the heck is Ralph, MI?
That was wondeful! I enjoy following along your videos, pausing, finding where you are in Google Maps, and seeing if the elements you're pointing out are visible in the satellite view. Do you mind sharing where the ELF building is? I learned about the program recently when studying my E.E. degree and found it fascinating! There is a fair amount of information available on it within web searches, but not much on the ancillary buildings like what you showed. It's amazing they built that infrastructure in such rural locales with a demand for a very real amount of energy. The interweaving of the older pictures is a great feature (as in your other videos too). I've really enjoyed all of your videos and have found them delightfully educational -- thank you!
This is probably pretty close to the Republic area location of Project ELF. www.google.com/maps/place/Charlie+Lakes+Trail,+Forsyth+Township,+MI+49841/@46.2721766,-87.5952106,2212m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m6!3m5!1s0x4d51fa0a0349b08b:0xe875cd726ad7a330!8m2!3d46.2744222!4d-87.5897258!16s%2Fg%2F1tvw4knw?entry=ttu
I get a kick out the Crivitz to Menominee branch of the ELS has been out of service for quite a while. Looking back, when the ELS purchased the Ontonagon to almost Green Bay from the Milwaukee Road, they really had to fight the Milwaukee Road to purchase and took it to court where ELS won and purchased the Crivitz to Menominee line. Now it just sits idle full of overgrowth and looks to have a very bleak future!
@@killerbee6310 I frequently drive scrap paper loads to Resolute mill in Menominee Mi. and I can say that the E&LS track back there is in very poor condition. VERY poor.
Thanks for the ride in the 19:01 best season, spring before everything turns green and all hidden. On Google Earth there is a good bunch of cars in storage after the mill. Same close to Channing. So the track isn´t completely dead. Track to Floodwood is also a long time parking. But lot of action in Channing. Sad that "borrowed" switchstand. At least it won´t be send to foundry....well i hope. 60 pounds rails you said. Ouch, those are really rare these days.
Wonderful video Thanks for Showcasing this line for SHIPPERS AND RECEIVERS looking for TRANSLOADS FACILITIES Sotes many God. PRAYERS THAT YOUR NEXT VIDEOS SHOWS A NEW CUSTOMERS 😊😅😮😢🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉😂❤❤❤❤❤
I was under the impression that this main line was mostly removed. I guess not! The Wisconsin road map shows the rail from Channing running east is cut off at just east of Ralph.
It's interesting but sad to explore old lines. In my county, Sheboygan, WI., a CNW line that was inactive but never abandoned, was rebuilt after nearly 30 years. Wisconsin Southern operates the line but the state owns the line from Plymouth to Kohler. If you're interested, I wrote a book about the rebuilding of the line including the history of the line dating back to the civil war.
I wish you looked more at this 'Elf building' (I assume it was an auxiliary purpose since it doesn't look like the actual ELF site on google maps). Cold War era facilities make me curious (what was a typical day at a BFE site in CONUS?).
great video.....I have a question? Why do the railroads not reuse or recycle the rails on some abandoned rail lines? If they do, can they use them again? I don't know if the rails have any value, but if they did, you might think that some people would rip them up and take them to a scrap yard for money. Just curious about these things and maybe has some insight into these questions.
Many branch lines have rail laid a long time ago so it is too light to be reused. Many branch lines are 90-pound rail - to lite to reuse elsewhere. I saw a line the other day that was 80-lb !! Plus it is often old - 100 years is not unusual - and worn. So why isn't it scrapped out? Inertia. Or price of scrap may be too low. Or the cost to dismantle the line may be greater then the value of the scrap generated. Or the line may still have a valuation "on the books". Scrap yards are not suppose to accept railroad track scrap from non railroads, but that doesn't stop some harvesting of idle track materials.
The guy who runs the Neo Wilson Railway / Liberty Farms is probably the destination for the missing switch stands as he has a few that popped up in his collection, obviously stolen. Sad.
![เปิด อาณาจักร หมื่นล้าน "สาระตั้ม" l [Nickynachat]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/3XE0nPF4YkQ/mqdefault.jpg)
A friend lived in Felch. Sounds like typical Felch hospitality.
I watched Greg walk through those fir trees and noting the time of year, he was picking up ticks. Nice video!
Ya - notice I always let him lead? Everytime we got back in the car he was picking them off himself left and right. I think I only picked off three all trip.
I missed the Baldwins, as I was too busy chasing the Alcos on CNW. Thanks for doing this!
My pleasure. And yes, life is a series of tradeoffs.
Love these type of rail history videos. Thanks for posting
It was fun to make. Especially collaborating with Greg.
This was a good video. I enjoyed looking at the old abandoned E&LS lines along with the old structures and other trackside features. The sight of the rusty rail overgrown with weeds and trees was very cool but sad too. You included some interesting before and after shots as well. I also like the sounds of the birds in the background. The story about the old lady was funny. Well done 👍🏻
That was actual bird sounds - nothing dubbed in. They were pretty intense. And after the fact, I was kicking myself for not videoing the lady out yelling at us. I think I was too stunned at the time.
Wow this was amazing thanks for the history 😁
My pleasure - thanks for watching !!
Great memories but also sad to see. When I was in college in the early 70’s we would take my car on the abandoned (or little used) tracks. With the tire pressure at about 20 lbs it would follow the tracks perfectly. We would quietly cruise thru beautiful scenery. With the car in drive at idle we would go about 10 mph and often ride on the roof or hood with no one inside.
That is wild!! Would make a great video !
I would love to see this. It is very interesting. I guess that the tires were low pressure and the weight of the car kept the tires on the tracks.
Thank you for this wonderful trip down memory lane, very well done! I really enjoyed your video and commentary. From London, Ontario, Canada.
Thank you for the comments. I was glad to get Greg to come along to provide his insight.
Thanks for the video of some Yooper land. Woodticks, pine snakes, blood suckers and mosquitoes make up most of the inhabitants in these areas. I marvel when I think of the steam engines using these lines. I don’t know how many water and coal facilities were around for the engines. I can only imagine what it would look like if all of the log rail lines were still active.
Between the log lines and the mining lines, it was quite a network up there once.
Thank you for this informative tour of the original Escanaba & Lake Superior Railroad trackage from Channing, Michigan to Wells, Michigan. I enjoy videos that give me historical information about railroads. (Posted 19 July 2024 at 0032 CDT.)
Well then I will try to accommodate with some more like this. All I need is time....
This is great. I’ve driven the route you took many times. Good to see Greg out and about.
It was an enjoyable day with him explaining the line.
A buddy of mine and myself drove this in the mid-1990s and already it was getting that inactive look. It was a real eye opener to see a line with so little population and accordingly so little business. Greatly appreciate seeing the pictures and the helpful Maps. It's hard to envision the occasional truck cranes from Harnishfeger in Wells with the blocking around the tires slogging over this right of way. I remember seeing them in the late 1970s as the Milwaukee Green Bay line went past my employer. Nice and concise and a real help in research. Thank you for sharing
It is almost a little creepy driving along the line today. Dead towns like Watson, the dirt road, the inactive railroad with trees between the rails...
@@killerbee6310 Speaking of Watson, it was interesting to see the IGA in the background.
Thank you for the history of the locations on the line. Fascinating and sad at the same time.
I agree. "Melancholy" as I expressed to another commenter.
This is great hope you make more videos
I appreciate your comments and yes, I can think of more lines to do.
@@killerbee6310 by the way I became a subscriber
That could be turned into a beautiful rail trail.
Greg & KillerBee, thank you so much for this. I feel that it is important to remember the infrastructure that made our countries great.
It was fun to do and more to come once the vegetation dies off.
Those abandoned tracks all look much better than the ones they currently use, minus the overgrowth of course.
Technically I don't believe they are abandoned - just inactive.
Awesome video, love the ELS
It does have its own unique charm
Thanks. Very informative.
Glad you thought so. More to come...eventually!
Love the local history and the birds that I hear in the background. I live in town in a bird dead zone and miss that so much.
I was wondering if anybody was going to comment on the birds. They were NOT dubbed in - that was all actual background.
A bygone era of the UP. It sounds like these rail lines serviced the logging industry. Once logging ended on these lines so did the trains. You have documented this very well. Who knows what will happen new here. It’s a very nice area off the beaten path. I have read that current logging output (in the Keweenaw) is moved by trucks which is expensive because it’s a long trip and they only carry a cash paying load one way.
Yes, there is a log loading yard at L'Anse that used to do a lot of rail but the rates went up enough the usage of rail has greatly declined.
If people planted trees, then would it be possible to start up a logging industry again?
@@eugenetswong They are planting trees, Mede Paper Co owns vast sections of land and rotates the harvest. Trees grow slowly and the new trees never get very big before they get cut. I’m not sure where the trees end up but it’s split between pulp for paper, chips for wood products and lumber like the twisted framing lumber at Lowe’s or Home Depot. There are wood processing operations in the L’Anse and Escanaba and I’m sure a few more in the UP.
@@trep53 Thanks for that info. It's unfortunate that they don't use those specific tracks.
Excellent content thanks for sharing 👍
Glad you enjoyed it and took the time to comment. It was fun making it.
Good video, glad to see you got our relic out and about for a day!😂😂
Ya, it was a good outing.
Always fun to research an old abandon railroad.
especially in person.
Thank you for taking the time and effort to make the video. Interesting to see the old E&LS.
It was like a journey back in time. But not a single piece of equipment left behind.
Great video! I love videos that take you back in history along an old railroad.
You and a lot of others so thank you for the validation
Great views once again.
So thank you once again!
Great job!
Thank you !!
Also, love the map...I spent my younger years drawing maps like this of every place I went. Still don't rely on google!
Thanks. I didn't want to run into any copyright infringement issues so figured safest route was just make my own.
Great video and very informative.
Appreciate you taking the time to let me know !!
Excellent video, thanks for making this! I still remember an old VHS on the E&LS that had Jim Boyd as the narrator and him saying RALPH, where the heck is Ralph, MI?
OMG - this would be a classic to see. Now I am curious-that would be cool to see.
@@killerbee6310 Looked it up, it's called Alco, Iron Ore & More by Mark I video. Has E&LS train at Ralph.
Well done!
Wow - you're right on it! Thank you.
great videos and comments thanks
Thank you for taking time to coment.
That was wondeful! I enjoy following along your videos, pausing, finding where you are in Google Maps, and seeing if the elements you're pointing out are visible in the satellite view. Do you mind sharing where the ELF building is? I learned about the program recently when studying my E.E. degree and found it fascinating! There is a fair amount of information available on it within web searches, but not much on the ancillary buildings like what you showed. It's amazing they built that infrastructure in such rural locales with a demand for a very real amount of energy.
The interweaving of the older pictures is a great feature (as in your other videos too).
I've really enjoyed all of your videos and have found them delightfully educational -- thank you!
please send me an email and I'll reply back. brianbuchanan2032@gmail.com
This is probably pretty close to the Republic area location of Project ELF.
www.google.com/maps/place/Charlie+Lakes+Trail,+Forsyth+Township,+MI+49841/@46.2721766,-87.5952106,2212m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m6!3m5!1s0x4d51fa0a0349b08b:0xe875cd726ad7a330!8m2!3d46.2744222!4d-87.5897258!16s%2Fg%2F1tvw4knw?entry=ttu
Great video. New subscriber!
Ah, music to my ears. Thank you very much.
I enjoyed the history
Thank you. I find it interesting all the comments on enjoying the history...glad I could accommodate.
I get a kick out the Crivitz to Menominee branch of the ELS has been out of service for quite a while. Looking back, when the ELS purchased the Ontonagon to almost Green Bay from the Milwaukee Road, they really had to fight the Milwaukee Road to purchase and took it to court where ELS won and purchased the Crivitz to Menominee line. Now it just sits idle full of overgrowth and looks to have a very bleak future!
Ya, they cut a deal with CN to haul their business from Green Bay up to Marinette and negated the need to use the Crivitz to Marinette line.
@@killerbee6310 I frequently drive scrap paper loads to Resolute mill in Menominee Mi. and I can say that the E&LS track back there is in very poor condition. VERY poor.
Thanks for the ride in the 19:01 best season, spring before everything turns green and all hidden.
On Google Earth there is a good bunch of cars in storage after the mill. Same close to
Channing. So the track isn´t completely dead.
Track to Floodwood is also a long time parking. But lot of action in Channing.
Sad that "borrowed" switchstand. At least it won´t be send to foundry....well i hope.
60 pounds rails you said. Ouch, those are really rare these days.
Didn't stop the ticks from being out, however.
And there was another switch stand I did not show so no one would take it.
i fucking love model trains
Awesome
Thanks !!
Wonderful video Thanks for Showcasing this line for SHIPPERS AND RECEIVERS looking for TRANSLOADS FACILITIES Sotes many God. PRAYERS THAT YOUR NEXT VIDEOS SHOWS A NEW CUSTOMERS 😊😅😮😢🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉😂❤❤❤❤❤
Well, I don't think it will be on this line, unfortunately.
EXCELLENT video Bee!! It was enjoyable to watch. Any chance you guys could cover parts of the line west of Channing and toward Ontanogan(sp?) ?
If I can talk Greg into it, I certainly will.
ELS is still around it's a shadow of it's former self but they still operate out of escanaba
I was under the impression that this main line was mostly removed. I guess not! The Wisconsin road map shows the rail from Channing running east is cut off at just east of Ralph.
And on Google Maps the railroad disappears from Northland to Mashek.
Thank you for the great tour. Q please: What year was the original rail laid? I think around 1895--1900 would be close.
Greg Bunce tells me The railroad from Watson to Channing was finished in 1901. From Wells to Watson in 1899.
Very good video. I just look at all that scrap iron laying in the woods. Just money laying there. Lol
Yep, although it all depends if the price of scrap is currently high or low to make salvaging it worth it now or not.
It's interesting but sad to explore old lines. In my county, Sheboygan, WI., a CNW line that was inactive but never abandoned, was rebuilt after nearly 30 years. Wisconsin Southern operates the line but the state owns the line from Plymouth to Kohler. If you're interested, I wrote a book about the rebuilding of the line including the history of the line dating back to the civil war.
I'll look for the book. And yes, it is very melancholy.
I'm surprised that none of the rails were scraped out. Why are they just left there?
Inertia?
I wish you looked more at this 'Elf building' (I assume it was an auxiliary purpose since it doesn't look like the actual ELF site on google maps). Cold War era facilities make me curious (what was a typical day at a BFE site in CONUS?).
I was a little curious too but as it was we had a full day just covering the railroad
The Milwaukee had a communication lineman headquartered at green Bay that was assigned aotor car.
Far Out!
Cool !!
great video.....I have a question? Why do the railroads not reuse or recycle the rails on some abandoned rail lines? If they do, can they use them again? I don't know if the rails have any value, but if they did, you might think that some people would rip them up and take them to a scrap yard for money. Just curious about these things and maybe has some insight into these questions.
Many branch lines have rail laid a long time ago so it is too light to be reused. Many branch lines are 90-pound rail - to lite to reuse elsewhere. I saw a line the other day that was 80-lb !! Plus it is often old - 100 years is not unusual - and worn. So why isn't it scrapped out? Inertia. Or price of scrap may be too low. Or the cost to dismantle the line may be greater then the value of the scrap generated. Or the line may still have a valuation "on the books". Scrap yards are not suppose to accept railroad track scrap from non railroads, but that doesn't stop some harvesting of idle track materials.
Love those Pasties with gravy, eh!!!!
Yes - it is my treat every time I go to da u.p.
I wonder if any of this trackage would work for rail carting?
Must been a busy line years ago..
Ya, I wonder on a daily basis how much traffic all those logging branch lines fed into the main line.
Need a speeder to go over it…
or a Jordan Spreader
Seems like ELS hasnt taken care of their tracks in a long time, to this day parts of the line are really bad.
Yes, that would be a correct assessment, unfortunately.
The guy who runs the Neo Wilson Railway / Liberty Farms is probably the destination for the missing switch stands as he has a few that popped up in his collection, obviously stolen. Sad.
Ya, like stealing from a museum.
Very cool. Well done
Thank you. That was the goal !!