Railroads
Copper Country Heritage Guide - TypesCopper Mining is a very segmented process, involving three separate and distinct steps in production. Each step was constrained by several geographical conditions, which precipitated where it had to be located. A mine of course had to exists along a rich ore body. The mills had to be placed near large bodies of water, required by the stamps and necessary for the elimination of waste. A mines smelter and docks had to be located along a navigable water way – for a time the only method of getting materials to and from the region. All there of these were almost mutually exclusive, often separated by several miles of wilderness.
Connecting all these various stages of production was the railroad. While some mines were large enough to afford the construction and operation of their own short-line railroad, many relied on regional carriers which served several mines and mills at once. The demand was great, and with it came the establishment of more than a dozen railroads which criss-crossed the peninsula in a spider-of tracks and bridges.
Click on an image below for more information.
Ahmeek Streetcar Station
Ahmeek – Serving the community of Ahmeek and neighboring mine location, this two story structure was the interurban line’s second to last stop.
Albion Streetcar Station
Calumet – The Albion Station was the interurban’s busiest, serving as the line’s main interchange between its Laurium, Calumet, and northern lines.
Atlantic and Lake Superior Railroad
Redridge – A portion of the old Atlantic and Lake Superior Railroad serves as the right-of-way for a narrow road that now makes its way through an arboreal tunnel.
C&H Roundhouse
Calumet – This massive stone roundhouse served C&H’s own short line railroad and features 15 locomotive stalls along with three additional maintenance bays.
C&H Trestle
Calumet – This small trestle carried the C&H Railroad’s Red Jacket spur over the Mineral Range Railroad’s main line.
Copper Range Coal Dock
Houghton – This sprawling field of pilings that once supported the Copper Range’s coal dock are now home to an 800 foot long boardwalk.
Copper Range Depot (Houghton)
Houghton – In addition to its passenger depot, this massive brick building was also home to the Copper Range Railroad’s administrative offices.
Copper Range Depot
Painesdale – This small rural depot was the last stop for the Copper Range’s school train, which would deliver students from all across the company’s mill and mining communities to its high school at Painesdale.
Copper Range Depot
South Range – Set within the center of South Range’s commercial district, this small depot was one of the Copper Range Railroads most highly used stations.
Electric Park
Calumet – Owned and operated by the same interurban railway that served it, this remote park featured picnic grounds along with a large pavilion complete with nightly live music.
Hungarian Gorge Trestle
Tamarack City – Originally built to carry the Copper Range railroad over the Hungarian Gorge, this soaring trestle was recently rebuilt to allow snowmobiles and ATVs to cross the same gorge.
Interurban Car Barn
Hancock – This large building housed the Houghton County Traction Company’s main offices as well as its fleet of interurban trolley cars when the line was out of service.
Isle Royale Locomotive House
Houghton – This concrete building was built in 1917 to house the locomotives of the Isle Royale Railroad, a five mile long short line that connected the Isle Royale shafts with its mill down at the mouth of the Pilgrim River.
Mineral Range Depot (Calumet)
Calumet – Home to the Mineral Range Railroad’s main offices and the region’s busiest passenger depot, this large brick building provided Calumet residents with rail service to Chicago and all points in between.
Mineral Range Depot (Houghton)
Houghton – Built to compete with the Copper Range Railroad’s impressive Houghton station, this petite passenger depot serving the Mineral Range Railroad is easily one of the region’s finest.
Mineral Range Oil House
Calumet – This small cement building is all that remains of the Mineral Range’s sprawling Calumet rail yards, that originally included a 16 stall roundhouse and machine shop.
Old Mill Hill Trestle
Houghton – A series massive partially collapsed concrete pillars are all that remain of this soaring trestle that carried the Copper Range railroad over Old Mill Hill road.
Pt. Mills Junction
Dollar Bay – Just this large concrete abutment remains of the trestle which once carried the Arcadian Branch of the Mineral Range railroad over the Copper Range tracks and adjacent highway.
Quincy Roundhouse
Hancock – This rock walled locomotive house – complete with four stalls and maintenance area – served the Quincy Mine’s own short line railroad running between its mill and mine.
Russell Snow Plow
Calumet – A necessary part for any Copper Country railroad, this rolling snow plow was pushed by a locomotive to clear tracks of the region’s 300 inches of yearly snowfall.


















