• Thursday-What'sUP April 11 - 04:18 pm

Jeff Dennis shared today's photos with us, taken by his Dad, Mark Dennis. That's a Canadian National Train crossing the Falls River, in L'Anse. It's always a picturesque trestle to stop and snap a photo of, especially when there's still snow along the river's edge, but to capture a train crossing it, is the ultimate in perfect timing.

Mark also snapped a shot of it as it was traveling the tracks alongside the road. You can see a few more of the railway cars the CN engine is pulling behind, in that second photo. I'm not sure what it was here to transport. Looks like it might be logs in that first open car. Perhaps someone knowledgeable in the comings and goings of trains around these parts, can chime in with some additional information. Thanks in advance!

I love pictures of trains! Thanks so much for sharing these!

Trains! Canadian National formerly the Illinois Central. Love them, so many of my relatives worked for railroads back in the day! As I grew up train tracks were always fun to walk about.

Some men are searching for the Holy Grail
But there ain't nothin sweeter than ridin the rails

-- Tom Waits

Ahhh, love them ol' trains!!:)

Trains and ships....gotta love 'em. Great shot! This one can't be going too far, they tore up the tracks north of Baraga for a road project.

Sometimes I miss the trains! I grew up with trains running through the woods, near Lake Linden, where i wandered. The pictures today are very beautiful!

I forget, wasn't it a Soo Line route before CN?

MrBill, probably so in the UP, but most was the Ill. Central in the midwest.

I remember a lot of Soo Line trains too.

That line was the Duluth, South Shore, & Atlantic a subsidiary of the Canadian Pacific. D.S.S.& A., M.StP. & S.S.M (old Soo Line), and the old Wisconsin Central merged in 1961 and took the name Soo Line. The three were all subsidiaries of the Canadian Pacific. So it went for many years until CP decided to shed its less than profitable lines. Long story short, a new Wisconsin Central emerged and took over most of the old Soo Line and the D.S.S.& A.. The new Soo Line eventually was merged into the Canadian Pacific. Canadian National, Canada's "government road", started expanding into the US. It took over the new Wisconsin Central, and eventually almost all the Upper Peninsula lines that are left. Canadian National also ate the Illinois Central which gives it an all rail route from Hudson's Bay and the St. Lawrence to the Gulf of Mexico. All of Canadian National's previous US subsidiaries now carry the CN name. If this is confusing enough, I'll sign off. Nice photos, I've always wished I coud catch a train on that bridge.

Thanks Paul for the rail history. The old abandon lines that are now for recreation purposes make the best ATV/Snowmobile trails!! Wide and well maintained!!

I am a train nut. Wonderful pictures. Yes, Paul it is confusing enough. I like pictures from the "Soo Line" period. Good to see the railroad still operating in the UP. I agree Janie T, if not still active then glad to see them become Rail Trails.

Beautiful photos today, I love seeing trains!

One of the nicest abandon rail line for recreation purposes, ATV/snowmobile, is Corridor #2 the former Burlington Northern that runs from Superior, Wi. to Ashland, Wi. 65 miles of wilderness wonder!

Love that train! Good 2 b back. My computer was in the repair shop the last few days.

We have been there and have seen the trains. I do belive they are coming in for this reason;

http://www.whitepineep.com/Lanse.html

Great pictures, Mark.

Welcome back, Thomas.:)
Looks like there are a lot of us who can't get our fill of trains!;>
My daddy spent all of his working days around trains...L&N, and Pullman Co. in Nashville.

Does anyone remember the Copper Range rail line? It delivered coal to my dad in Copper City and then continued on to Gay to pick up pulp wood.

I always get a kick when hear the name "Duluth, South Shore, and Atlantic". As a kid we called it "•••• Slow Service, and Abuse". Several years ago I found a coffee cup with DSSA logo on it in a railroad theme store in Laughlin, AZ. No one in the shop knew what it meant.

I remember the trains in the Copper country, My uncle worked at the coal company in Copper City (Larry Yowell) I remember a shovel of coal weighed 32 pounds. My uncle Larry was putting some tar on the roof of the building, and my brother and I helped him in new yellow outfits my mom put us in, needless to say the yellow outfits were not in very good condition. Ah the memories!!!!!!!!