Back in the day, trains were a main source of transportation and they went everywhere around the U.P. Nowadays, though, they're more of a rare breed and are mostly used to transport cargo, not people here UP North. Danielle Adams and a friend were out and about in the Marquette area chasing down trains recently and she shares some shots from that adventure here today.

How exciting to be right there near the tracks as the train is coming…you can hear the clickety-clack on the rails and I imagine you can feel the ground rumbling as it roars on by with the smoke puffing into the air.

Danielle also snapped some shots of the tracks these trains run on, while waiting for more trains to pass by. Interesting to see the ore pellets filling in the one set of tracks, while the other one is how you normally see the tracks, with the railroad ties showing. So, not knowing much about trains and transporting ore pellets, is this excess that falls out of the cargo cars as they're moving along the tracks or is it put there on purpose, for a reason? It sure looks like a lot of pellets and Danielle said they're about 8 inches deep. Inquiring minds want to know…

FOOTNOTE: Yesterday's shots from Barb Bouwkamp were perfect for Flag Day. If you missed them, just click here: Tuesday, June 14th, to take a look at them!

Good question Mary! Hope someone knows!

I'll take "transporting ore pellets" for
$500, but they look like wild blueberries.

The pellets are most likely "leakage" from worn hopper doors on older ore cars. The nice mound down the center of the track is a pretty good indicator, the bottom hopper doors open at the center. Some may have bounced out over the top of cars that were over filled.

These photo's look to me like they were taken along the Rolling Mill Rd.

Nice shots. I used to love to walk balancing on the rails of the tracks. Tracks are usually in peaceful settings.

Mary,

Yes the ore sometimes falls over the edges or from the bottom.
That's how it gets on the tracks.

The second set of tracks you see isn't for an ore train. Those
are freight train tracks. You know the ones you see with logs,
box cars, flat cars etc.

would a big magnet pick up the pellets? Are they
magnetic?

Great pictures Danielle. I wish trains were still a big part of the American landscape. It won't be long and the 3:10 to Palmer will no longer be rolling.

Nice to still see some trains still around. Thanks 4 sharing.

Great pictures! I just love train pictures!!
Thanks for sharing!

Nice photos Danielle, it this anywhere close to the large gorge north of Marquette? We used to hike out there from US 41, good times.

Alex, those pellets are actually vitamins.... full of Iron! :=)

Ahhh, iron ore pellets, a commodity from the fabric of childhood dreams. Grandma's house outside of Iron Mountain was close to tracks that were filled in like this. Ultimate slingshot ammo that would detonate in a totally satisfying puff of blue/grey powder when shot against a brick wall. The utility poles along those tracks carried about 40 wires, and you could scoop up a handful of iron ore pellets and fling them in the general direction of the wires; you usually connected with at least one wire and it made a noise redolent of that haunting, echoing wail you get when you skip a rock across smooth clear ice. To this day, I keep a can of them handy and once every three years or so, I'll do a sapper run into my sister's bedroom and deposit a generous handful between the sheets down there at toe level. The haunting, echoing wail that generates never gets old. Thank you, Danielle!