Cuts, Fills, Trestles and Rails
The copper rock stored in the large holding bins here at the back of the Quincy Mill was delivered by train, courtesy the Quincy and Torch Lake Railroad. These trains travelled from the mine up atop Quincy Hill down along the ridge-line to the mill. At the mill the rails were elevated over the rock bins by means of a steel trestle, from which the rock cars dumped their copper rock straight down below them. While we found very little evidence of the rock bins themselves (besides the foundation wall), we were able to find remains of that trestle as seen above. Here the rails would run over our heads and out over the rock cars behind us. We decided to find out where those trains went from there.
Above is a map of the original Quincy Mill properties, taking a close look at the various feed lines to the mills. (The map is based off a diagram courtesy HAER, Library of Congress) While the majority of these lines are Q&TL lines as would be expected, there is also the curious addition of the Copper Range mainline which runs right smack dab in the middle of the whole mess. That Copper Range mainline is now the current snowmobile trail, while most of the Q&TL lines have been abandoned and overgrown. Also thrown in to confuse matters is the Quincy Creek Gorge, which we have explored previously. Because of the gorge and the Copper Range RR mainline, a plethora of cuts, fills, trestles and rails can all be found in up behind the mills. It all makes for some interesting exploring to be sure.
After crossing the Copper Range RR, the Q&TL takes a trip over a long trestle up to (and inside) the 1890 mill. A series of concrete foundations similar to this can be seen leading up to the mill remains. Along with the steel supports shown at the beginning of this post, these concrete foundations help up that trestle that crossed over here. Both the trestle, and most of the supports holding it have been removed for scrap.
From the first trestle, the Q&TL then entered the mill. Here the trestle sat over the large rock storage bins where the rock cars would dump their loads. From there the cars would then continue on, crossing a second trestle exiting the mill. This trestle crossed the remains of the Quincy Creek Gorge, supported by a wood framework as seen here on the opposite side. I say remains of the gorge, because most of the gorge was filled in here to make room for the Turbine building. Before that building was constructed, a large ravine one separated the two mills here.
While most of the gorge was filled, the creek itself was allowed to continue flowing through this concrete culvert. Here we are looking downstream, at the culvert that runs under the Turbine building. Just behind us in this picture is the culvert running under the Copper Range RR mainline where gorge is crossed by a fill instead of a trestle. Because of the abundance of cheep fill material (aka poor rock), fills are more common on the Keweenaw then trestles for crossing gorges and ravines. (Even when trestles are used they most likely were filled in with poor rock before long)
Making our way down into the gorge and back up the opposite side, we turned around to check out the view. From here we could see the remains of the mill addition in the foreground, the half sunken Quincy Dredge just behind it, and the large expanse of covered stamp sands beyond. While essentially a panoramic of an ecological disaster, I still found it oddly beautiful in its own perverted way. One mans ecological disaster….
Following the old right of way past the gorge, we come up to another old line joining us from the west. From here both lines head out over another removed trestle to service the second mill here. Before heading that way, we crawled our way down the steep emankment to take a look at the Copper Range Line nearby. Here sat two long and towering walls of concrete, kitty corner to each other across the snowmobile trail. When I first discovered these moss covered monoliths years ago I had though they were just a way to hold back the apparently unstable walls of a cut. Now I know they were used as supports to an overhead trestle which crossed the Copper Range line here. (these are marked with grey boxes on the map) These are used in both instances where the Q&TL crosses over the Copper Range.
Here is a closer look at one of those walls. At the top you can almost make out the lip used to support the steel bridge that once crossed here. This wall was used for the feeder line to the second mill. Another set of walls served the server line to the first mill. From here the Q&TL would next cross the Quincy Gorge via a steel trestle before making its way past an old turntable and up the hill to the mine. The turntable and trestle are gone and where the trestle once crossed the gorge you can now see a pair of steel barricades built from old rails used to keep ATV’s from driving off the edge.
Moving on…
One More Look…
Here’s another look at these rail lines behind and around the mill courtesy the Image Archives of the Historical Map & Chart Collection (Office of Coast Survey/National Ocean Service/NOAA). The map is a Nautical Chart from 1924 but also shows rail-lines along the shore. This one shows three lines in and around the mill: the DSS&A (bottom line), the Copper Range (Middle Lines) and the Q&TL (the upper line coming down the hill from the left). The line going straight up the hill to the top of the picture is the Arcadian extension of the DSS&A.
While exploring the RR ROWs in back of these two mills we discovered a line that was elevated on a fill (perhaps the spur to the trestle for Mill #1 (it’s been over 15 years now). Along this ROW there were plenty of old ties and there was the remains of a small cart vehicle with RR wheels. (I cannot recall the exact location, but a fellow explorer was taking notes for his Industrial Archealogy class). The thing was set off to the side of the tracks and basically rotted in place - the four wheels had all rusted and fallen off the axles and are just laying there. One of these days I need to return and document that thing, if I can still find it! BTW we found that Wye track that was used to turn the locomotives…It was not easy though as the trees are plentiful.
shawn | September 26, 2007
Shawn,
Besides the main track which now serves as the snowmobile trail most of the other Right-of-ways are covered up pretty good as you mention, so we didn’t get to much exploring around there. Didn’t find an old cart, but its most likely still there. One time to tried to find the remains of the old turntable, but with no luck either. (although in that case I later learned they removed it an placed the Wye instead as you mentioned). Its a fund place to look around though, the place must of been in much better shape 15 years ago however.
explorer | September 26, 2007
15 years ago it still looked derelict…perhaps the trees wern’t as tall, but it looked pretty messed up back then….I thought the national park was to take care of all of the decay LOL…actually I hope they do not as it will make it less fun to explore relics in a park like setting. keep up the good work - thanks!
shawn | September 26, 2007
Noticed a photo of the Quincy Mills with the railroad track and trestles on the MTU digitization site, I did spend the 5 bucks to get the big picture. http://digarch.lib.mtu.edu/showbib.aspx?bib_id=627532#
This photo sure does not look like the layout from the HAER, the only guess maybe the Hancock & Calumet serving the mills. Its has both mills in it but looks like the track is coming up from below. After looking at the Terraerver, I would say this is the Hancock & Calumet serving Quincy. Although when I zoom in, right behind the 2nd mill is a water tank that looks like the Quincy tank. But other than the side tracks for the two mills and the mainline, no other track exists. The mainline continues on out of site in the distance. I think when Quincy built there own railroad, the Hancock & Calumet/Mineral Range later Copper Range line was lowered and Quincy hooked there mills to there own track.
Gordy Schmitt | October 13, 2007
Gordy…
You guys keep finding photos at the Archives I miss (and you’re willing to pay the money to get the full versions). This one is great, and shows an interesting view of the mills.
You’re right, this photo doesn’t look a thing like the area behind the mills now. All the other buildings seem to be right so it is the Quincy Mills. But the two large cuts are missing, and the line in the picture seems to go directly to each mill. Weird.
So I decided to check out the accuracy of the HAER map, so I found another map of the rail-lines around the mills, this one from a 1924 Nautical Chart. I added it to the end of the post so you can take a look at. This account of the lines matches up with the HAER account perfectly, so I think they’re right. But it still doesn’t match that photo. But I have a theory.
My theory is that perhaps the Copper Range line (which I believe is the line shown in your photo) crossed the Q&TL originally at grade. I’m sure this caused some delays for the Copper Range line, so later a cut was dug so the CR could cross under the QTL? Just a thought, and I don’t know if stuff like that was ever done.
Either way, you got me thinking a little more about it all. I’ll have to return for a more detailed visit to the site to see what I can find on the ground.
explorer | October 14, 2007
Well had this all wrote out once, but thought a minute, I have the Old Reliable Book, has a nice map of the mill site, was drawn from a Quincy Map of 1902. Doesn’t match the photo either but……..
What I think about this photo, its pre 1902, Copper Range built there route to Calumet in 1902, this map in the Old Reliable book shows this.
The water tank I see in the photo was moved along with the turntable in 1899 to the location shown on the HAER map, so that moves the photo back to 1899. So I would guess this is the original layout after the second mill was built. I can see smoke out of the stack for the second mill, so the boilers were active at least, no cars visible. Also for info, the map does show a dam on that creek suppling water for the boilers
Gordy Schmitt | October 14, 2007
According to the HAER report the Hancock
and Calumet railroad transported the Quincy’s processed ore from the stamp mill to the Quincy smelter. The Quincy had to supply the standard gauge cars. They were purchase from Pressed Steel Car Company of Chicago in 1904. They purchased four 60,000 capacity cars.
Dave Freeze | October 18, 2007
Dave..
Well that cinches it then. The Copper Range was just passing through, while the Q&TL and DSS&A (Hancock and Calumet) did all the heavy lifting. I wonder what the Copper Range was doing down here along Torch Lake anyway. I know it served the Atlas Powder Company, but I wonder if it had another reason for coming down here.
explorer | October 18, 2007
From reading Clarence Monette’s book “The Copper Range Railroad”, it seems that the main reason for the Copper Range Railroad was to provide transportation to and from Freda Park. The park was only accesible by train.
Dave Freeze | October 19, 2007
Should be spelled accessible.
Dave Freeze | October 19, 2007
Dave, not sure if I’m mis-reading you, but the Copper Range railroad was definitely used for much more than just taking people to the park — that same railroad was used to transport quite a few different things, especially ore-bearing rock to the Champion mill.
dcclark | October 19, 2007
In its earlier days it also hauled rock for the Mohawk mine to Gay to the stamp mills there.
Might be the way Clarence wrote his book, although I didn’t get that take on it.
Copper Range was built more for the hauling the rock south of Houghton to the mills, but saw a chance to expand its business to the north and went for it. They had a spur for the Bosch Beer plant in Lake Linden. I think they also served Horner floors in Dollar Bay. They interchanged cars with the C&H above Lake Linden where C&H’s Calumet Line crossed over the Copper Range. I imagine wood was a large business on the north end, the line to Gay in the end was only wood traffic. I am sure they had less than carload service for most of the depots they served
Gordy Schmitt | October 19, 2007
I should have expanded my comment more than I did. Gordy’s comments pretty much covers the subject. A large portion of the traffic north of Houghton was passenger and freight to many businesses. The Copper Range connected to the Milwaukee Road at Mass Michigan.
Dave Freeze | October 19, 2007
Seeing that picture of the dredge reminded me that I ran across a very interesting picture of it on Flickr.
Thanks to someone’s lack of judgement (not mine) we can look at the inside of the Quincy dredge…
Jay Balliet | December 26, 2007
Been inside the dredge once or twice. As those pictures show its a very surreal place, with water apparently running up hill and all. Climbed my way up to the crow’s nest as well, but didn’t use it as a diving board as I’ve heard some people do. That was back in my college days and Its posted rather well now, so If I go back I’ll have to do so with permission.
explorer | December 26, 2007
http://digarch.lib.mtu.edu/showbib.aspx?bib_id=627532#
I posted a link for this photo last year. Now I have some doubts about it being the Q&TL railroad and the Quincy Mills due to a new book being out. Images of Rail, “Copper Country Rail”.
In the book they have this photo, its listed as being the Osceola and Tamarack Mills and the Hancock and Calumet Railroad. They also have a later view from the opposite direction, much different view with much more railroading going on. Other than the smoke stacks, the photos look like they are the same, since the water tank thats just barely visible in the background on the link above is also in the other photo.
Gordy Schmitt | November 17, 2008