Eastern Railroad Discussion > Carmeuse Mining Railroads in MI - any other similar private RRs?

Hey all,

I've been checking out Carmeuse's mining railroads in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan (Port Inland and Port Dolomite). These are pretty cool in that they're totally private and captive. The Port Dolomite rail doesn't interchange with any other rail but they're still up there running totally isolated every day of the summer. There are some neat videos on YouTube with their unique equipment if you search for "Carmeuse Railroad". 

My question for the community is if anyone knows any similar examples of any other mining or totally isolated railroads that are still in operation like these Carmeuse lines? Would love to check them out. Thanks!



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 06/21/22 10:28 by untruckit.

untruckit Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Hey all,
>
> I've been checking out Carmeuse's mining railroads
> in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan (Port Inland
> and Port Dolomite). These are pretty cool in that
> they're totally private and captive. The Port
> Dolomite rail doesn't interchange with any other
> rail but they're still up there running totally
> isolated every day of the summer. There are some
> neat videos on YouTube with their unique equipment
> if you search for "Carmeuse Railroad". 
>
> My question for the community is if anyone knows
> any similar examples of any other mining or
> totally isolated railroads that are still in
> operation like these Carmeuse lines? Would love to
> check them out. Thanks!

US Steel's Cumberland Mine Railroad in southwest Pennsylvania and the Quebec Cartier Mining (now part of ArcelorMittal) and Quebec Iron & Titanium operations in far eastern Quebec are other examples of completely isolated, private railroads in North America.

 

Two more valid examples are the Deseret Power Railroad between a mine near Dinosaur, Colo., and a power plant near Bonanza, Utah, and the Navajo Mine Railroad in northwestern New Mexico.

The Black Mesa & Lake Powell in Arizona was comparable but it shut down in 2019 when the Navajo Generating Station was about to be decommissioned.

The Port Inland operation s not completely isolated, there is an interchange with the CN.

You want the "king" of the isolateds, US Gyspum line near El Centro CA. 22 miles long, 3 foot narrow gauge, MLW diesels.
Does end at the plant across from a standard gauge line but certainly does not connect.

Out