Eastern Railroad Discussion > What has happened on the Escanaba and Lake Superior ?

I just heard that the owners (or stock holders) have removed the E&LS management and some long time employees.
It has something to do with the condition of the track and equipment.  I don't know if this is just a rumor or not.
There is a lot of knowledgeable people on Trainorders.  Maybe someone can help.

Tom Paris    St. Augustine FL

Watching the video's of the E&LS it seems that the only servicable unit currently is one of the SD-9's . They cut up a number of the Baldwin units and are pulling up track for scrap. To me it looks like they are slowly cannablizing themselves  into non existance. The Sharks are safe it seems. They have a GP-38 and some SD-40's that are out of service and some really bad class 1 track in a number of locations . They seem to have a steady customer base with Smart Siding , scrap steel ( not theirs ) pulpwood , car storage and others. Shame to see it go slowly downhill . --- Ken 



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 08/28/26 21:12 by Kemacprr.

That company has been slowly dying for a good 20 years now as the paper industry has dwindled. Way too many track miles for too little traffic. The original post sounds as if (even if not the intent) the employees were let go for letting the railroad fall apart. That's on no one but the owner and he's been letting it happen for years. If what I hear is true he can't afford to pay those people anymore, so likely got rid of his "most expensive" people.

The actions being taken now to liquidate some assets (out of service tracks and locomotives that haven't run in decades) are too late and should have been done years ago. So it's down to drastic measures now.

Posted from Android

So if this is true, how are the owners (if there is only one person) or shareholders doing anything about the railroad?  Sounds like thius isn't a real stroy.  Yeah the employees may have ben let go, but how can you surmise anything ?  

ShortlinesUSA Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> That company has been slowly dying for a good 20
> years now as the paper industry has dwindled. Way
> too many track miles for too little traffic. The
> original post sounds as if (even if not the
> intent) the employees were let go for letting the
> railroad fall apart. That's on no one but the
> owner and he's been letting it happen for years.
> If what I hear is true he can't afford to pay
> those people anymore, so likely got rid of his
> "most expensive" people.
>
> The actions being taken now to liquidate some
> assets (out of service tracks and locomotives that
> haven't run in decades) are too late and should
> have been done years ago. So it's down to drastic
> measures now.
>
> Posted from Android

I was getting information earlier this year from Mike Koprowicz, a former Amtrak conductor based out of Toledo, Ohio, who has long been a fan of the E&LS. Unfortunately, as I detailed elsewhere recently, Mike was fired after a colleague, Ryan Fitzpatrick, engineered a fake story about him in retaliation for allowing a passenger with a service dog that he had three times denied boarding in Chicago to get on Amtrak train 48 in the spring. Though Amtrak did offer his job back thanks to his union, he moved on to a new career and is suing them. In the aftermath, the relationship I had with him degraded due to his disrespecting me as a knock on effect of the stress he was going through, and I’m no longer talking to him. 

This is the last bit of information that I know from his long-standing connections before I walked away from him. 

First, the owner of the railroad is John Larkin. He’s very old and reportedly is in a nursing home and nearing the end of his life. For a while, he was not involved in the operation of the railroad, and that led to Frontline employees and management being left to fend for themselves operating it.

Operational power is down to one SD9, an SD40 I think and one Geep (400?) and Baldwin 300 in Wells. As has been reported the long abandoned line between Wells and Channing from the original railroad has been ripped up and the worst of the Baldwins scrapped. Three were being held for possible sale (serious offers only) but I don’t know what the current status of those are. The sharks and several steam locomotives in cold storage (CIC 2-6-2 6 and J. Neils Shay 5) are so far unaffected.  

The lines in and around Wells and Escanaba and the ex-MILW line from Channing South are all that’s in service. The line south of Pembine, Wisconsin is out of service at the moment and interchange for the remaining customers it’s being done with CN at Pembine. Larkin supposedly is involved again in some form but I can’t confirm this. They are open to a sale and Watco’s name has been thrown around.

 This is all I know and it’s entirely possible this info is already wildly out of date. I don’t have Facebook anymore and I don’t plan to get it ever again but those that do have it should look for the Michigan Railfans group. I understand some updates have been posted there. Members of railroadfail (fan) may also find information there. Due to heavy AI scraping it was made members only this summer so no lurkers can read it anymore. 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/29/26 13:43 by GP40.

Two SD9s run
the GPs are down
the SD40s as well.

They haven't applied for any grants since the new management arrived I was told. 
Accountant has had issues before. They are married......
The Pembine line still has plenty of business but needs some money injected to make it work.

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This is the one video's a great deal by Jasin(sp) up there and seen on Utube. Videos don't show a lot of track (covered by weeds) but obviously in bad shape showing derailments and especially by wildly rocking cars. 'Stand back and use the zoom feature)

Posted from Android

Jason Asselin on his You Tube channel covers this line quite a bit.

Pulpwood markets in much of the USA have been in deep trouble for several years. If E&LS is relying on pulp for profits, they are looking into a deep pit.

There's an article in last week's Wall Street Journal about the collapse of the pulpwood industry in the US. In some southern and midwestern markets, land owners have to pay to have trees taken down for thinning. In Georgia, some owners have lost money on pulpwood for several years. They're getting by on hunting rights, etc. 

International Paper closed two large facilities in the Savannah  GA area which has rattled the prices in the market and forced some growers to look farther afield. Or hunker down and wait for better prices.