Post by emd16645 on Aug 16, 2013 9:20:11 GMT -5
I thought I would take a bit of time to introduce everyone here to my proto-freelance lines. As you may know, my primary modeling is of the Eastern Alaska & Yukon, a mainline road connecting Alaska to the lower 48. This post will discuss my Copper River and Mining Resources Co. (CMRC), which operates as an ore-hauling shortline. For starters, this post contains history regarding this railroad (WARNING: long post!). Further information will be discussed in follow-up posts.
The CMRC has its roots in the Copper River and Northwestern Railway (a real railroad in Alaska). The CRNW was built to haul copper ore from the mines surrounding Kennecott, Alaska to the port of Cordova on the southeastern corner of Prince William Sound. The following is the actual history of the CRNW.
In August 1900, two prospectors, Jack Smith and Clarence Warner, spotted a green patch of hillside that looked like good grazing for their pack horses. The green turned out to be part of a mountain of copper ore. They, together with nine friends, formed the Chitina Mining and Exploration Company. Shortly after this time, a U.S. Geological Survey geologist found a sample of ore that analyzed as containing 70% copper as well as silver and traces of gold. Stephen Birch, a mining engineer just out of school, was in Valdez when members of the Chitina Mining and Exploration Company arrived in the fall of 1900. Birch, who knew wealthy people in the northeastern United States, bought the prospectors' interest in the mine for $275,000. Within twenty years, the find proved to be the richest known concentration of copper in the world.
Development of the mines began immediately. Ore was taken out by pack horses on a trail to Valdez. Political battles over the mining and subsequent railroad were fought in the office of U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt between conservationists and those having a financial interest in the copper.
In 1903, additional financing for the mining came from the Guggenheim family and J.P. Morgan, who formed the Kennecott Copper Corporation in 1903. The corporation and company town were named after Kennicott Glacier in the valley below, which was named after Robert Kennicott, a naturalist who explored in Alaska in the mid-1800s. A mistake was purportedly made on some paperwork when Kennecott Mining Company was formed, forever spelling it with an "e". Today all the natural features of the area still carry the original Kennicott spelling with an "i", while man-made features associated with the old mining “camp” are spelled Kennecott. When the residents are collectively referred to, the spelling Kennicott is usually (and colloquially) used.
Kennecott had five mines: Bonanza, Jumbo, Mother Lode, Erie and Glacier. Glacier, which is really an ore extension of the Bonanza, was an open-pit mine and was only mined during the summer. Bonanza and Jumbo were on Bonanza Ridge about 5 km, (3 miles) from Kennecott. The Mother Lode mine was located on the east side of the ridge from Kennecott. The Bonanza, Jumbo, Mother Lode and Erie mines were connected by tunnels. The Erie mine was perched on the northwest end of Bonanza Ridge overlooking Root Glacier about 6 km (3.7 mi) up a glacial trail from Kennecott. Ore was hoisted to Kennecott via the trams which head-ended at Bonanza and Jumbo. From Kennecott the ore was hauled mostly in 140-pound sacks on steel flat cars to Cordova, 196 rail miles away on the Copper River and Northwestern Railway (CRNW). The railroad was built by thousands of workers, who laid tracks around glaciers, across canyons and through deep snow and avalanche areas. 129 bridges were built for the railway at a cost of U.S $2.5 million. The most expensive bridge was the Million Dollar Bridge, which cost $1.4 million. The total cost of the railway was $20 million. Telephone lines were strung at the same time as the rail lines.
On April 8, 1911, the first ore train hauled $250,000 of 70% copper ore. In 1916, the peak year for production, the mines produced copper ore valued at $32.4 million.
In 1925, a Kennecott geologist predicted that the end of the high-grade ore bodies was in sight. The highest grades of ore were largely depleted by the early 1930s. The Glacier Mine closed in 1929. The Mother Lode was next, closing at the end of July 1938. The final three, Erie, Jumbo and Bonanza, closed that September. The last train left Kennecott on November 10, 1938, leaving it a ghost town. In the 27 years of operation, except for 2½ years of shutdown, Kennecott produced 4.625 million tons of ore averaging 13 per cent copper valued at roughly $207,000,000 with an estimated profit of $100,000,000. In addition, the silver by-product from this operation brought in another 4½ to 9 million dollars in revenues.
Here we depart from history, and into the world of proto-freelancing.
After the Kennecott Mines were closed in 1938, the future of the CRNW was bleak. Therefore management shut down the railroad, coinciding the shutdown of the last mine. The railroad lay unused for several years. In 1942, as the United States entered World War II, the demand for mineral resources reached an unprecedented level. A group of Alaskan investors mounted an effort to locate additional mineral resources in the Copper River valley. In this, they were successful. Significant reserves of iron ore were located in Hayes and Delta Mountain ranges, some 150 miles north of Chitina, which is located at the junction of the Copper River and the defunct CRNW. With the discovery of the iron ore, the Copper River Mining and Resources Company was established early in 1943, and operations began later that year.
As operations began, the CRMC operated several leftover CRNW steam locomotives to haul trains. The CRMC also purchased two new Alco S-1 switchers and six Also RS-1 roadswitchers. As the CRMC expanded in the post-war years, so did the motive power roster. The CMRC returned to Alco in 1951 and purchased seven RSD-4s for ore train service. The arrival of the RSD-4s resulted in the retirement of the last remaining steam locomotives, with the exception of occasional back-up service.
During the 1950s, the CMRC worked hard to develop other industries in addition to iron ore. In 1954, the Glennallen Pulp and Paper mill opened, and the CMRC began hauling paper products to Cordova. In the late 1950s, a sawmill was established, and several logging branches were built to haul logs to the sawmill and paper mill. 1957 saw the beginning of the CMRC’s second generation of diesel power begin to arrive, with three RS-11s replacing a like number RS-1s, and three RSD-12s replacing a trio of RSD-4s lost in a landslide early that year.
As the 1960’s began, the CMRC was growing by leaps and bounds. Traffic levels continued to increase, and new power continued to flow from Alco. The last of the RS-1s were traded to Alco for four new RS-27s and six RSD-15s arrived for the increased ore traffic. These new units were supplemented with a pair of RS-36s in 1962. With iron ore loadings reaching an all-time high in 1963, the CMRC traded its remaining RSD-4s for a set of nine Alco C-628s, which arrived early in 1964. Car loading looked to be continuing to rise for the forseeable future and the railroad future looked secure. However, this was not to be the case. On Good Friday (March 27), disaster struck the south coast of Alaska in the form of the second largest earthquake ever recorded. The Good Friday Earthquake caused severe damage to the southern portions of the CMRC. A northbound empty ore train was caught in an earthquake triggered landslide, with the loss of the entire train and crew. The damage was so severe along the coast that the railroad now had to consider closing operations.
Fortunately, the CMRC could be saved. Late in 1964, the newly constructed Eastern Alaska & Yukon (EAY) line opened from Glennallen to Anchorage, and CMRC products now could reach the coast again. The CMRC abandoned its trackage south of Gulkona Junction, where it crossed the EAY. Much of the southern portions were donated to the state of Alaska, and many miles of roadbed were converted to state highways. However, the shutdown of 1964 had drastic effects of traffic levels. When the ore stopped flowing, many buyers located new suppliers and demand for CMRC dropped.
Fast forward to the year 2000, and you will find that the CMRC is continuing to soldier on. The last of the RS-11s and RSD-15s were retired in the early 1990’s, to worn out to continue on. As the new millennium begins, the CMRC’s prospects again look very positive. The demand for iron ore is once again high, and the world’s biggest mineral development companies are vying to enter the northwestern North American mining market. In 2005, the CMRC sold 49% of the company to BHP Billiton. As part of the sale, BHP was required to provide new ore train power, which arrived the following year in the form of a brand new sextuplet of SD70ACes.
I hope you have enjoyed reading this (lengthy) history. Comments are welcome, I always enjoy hearing what everyone has to say.
The CMRC has its roots in the Copper River and Northwestern Railway (a real railroad in Alaska). The CRNW was built to haul copper ore from the mines surrounding Kennecott, Alaska to the port of Cordova on the southeastern corner of Prince William Sound. The following is the actual history of the CRNW.
In August 1900, two prospectors, Jack Smith and Clarence Warner, spotted a green patch of hillside that looked like good grazing for their pack horses. The green turned out to be part of a mountain of copper ore. They, together with nine friends, formed the Chitina Mining and Exploration Company. Shortly after this time, a U.S. Geological Survey geologist found a sample of ore that analyzed as containing 70% copper as well as silver and traces of gold. Stephen Birch, a mining engineer just out of school, was in Valdez when members of the Chitina Mining and Exploration Company arrived in the fall of 1900. Birch, who knew wealthy people in the northeastern United States, bought the prospectors' interest in the mine for $275,000. Within twenty years, the find proved to be the richest known concentration of copper in the world.
Development of the mines began immediately. Ore was taken out by pack horses on a trail to Valdez. Political battles over the mining and subsequent railroad were fought in the office of U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt between conservationists and those having a financial interest in the copper.
In 1903, additional financing for the mining came from the Guggenheim family and J.P. Morgan, who formed the Kennecott Copper Corporation in 1903. The corporation and company town were named after Kennicott Glacier in the valley below, which was named after Robert Kennicott, a naturalist who explored in Alaska in the mid-1800s. A mistake was purportedly made on some paperwork when Kennecott Mining Company was formed, forever spelling it with an "e". Today all the natural features of the area still carry the original Kennicott spelling with an "i", while man-made features associated with the old mining “camp” are spelled Kennecott. When the residents are collectively referred to, the spelling Kennicott is usually (and colloquially) used.
Kennecott had five mines: Bonanza, Jumbo, Mother Lode, Erie and Glacier. Glacier, which is really an ore extension of the Bonanza, was an open-pit mine and was only mined during the summer. Bonanza and Jumbo were on Bonanza Ridge about 5 km, (3 miles) from Kennecott. The Mother Lode mine was located on the east side of the ridge from Kennecott. The Bonanza, Jumbo, Mother Lode and Erie mines were connected by tunnels. The Erie mine was perched on the northwest end of Bonanza Ridge overlooking Root Glacier about 6 km (3.7 mi) up a glacial trail from Kennecott. Ore was hoisted to Kennecott via the trams which head-ended at Bonanza and Jumbo. From Kennecott the ore was hauled mostly in 140-pound sacks on steel flat cars to Cordova, 196 rail miles away on the Copper River and Northwestern Railway (CRNW). The railroad was built by thousands of workers, who laid tracks around glaciers, across canyons and through deep snow and avalanche areas. 129 bridges were built for the railway at a cost of U.S $2.5 million. The most expensive bridge was the Million Dollar Bridge, which cost $1.4 million. The total cost of the railway was $20 million. Telephone lines were strung at the same time as the rail lines.
On April 8, 1911, the first ore train hauled $250,000 of 70% copper ore. In 1916, the peak year for production, the mines produced copper ore valued at $32.4 million.
In 1925, a Kennecott geologist predicted that the end of the high-grade ore bodies was in sight. The highest grades of ore were largely depleted by the early 1930s. The Glacier Mine closed in 1929. The Mother Lode was next, closing at the end of July 1938. The final three, Erie, Jumbo and Bonanza, closed that September. The last train left Kennecott on November 10, 1938, leaving it a ghost town. In the 27 years of operation, except for 2½ years of shutdown, Kennecott produced 4.625 million tons of ore averaging 13 per cent copper valued at roughly $207,000,000 with an estimated profit of $100,000,000. In addition, the silver by-product from this operation brought in another 4½ to 9 million dollars in revenues.
Here we depart from history, and into the world of proto-freelancing.
After the Kennecott Mines were closed in 1938, the future of the CRNW was bleak. Therefore management shut down the railroad, coinciding the shutdown of the last mine. The railroad lay unused for several years. In 1942, as the United States entered World War II, the demand for mineral resources reached an unprecedented level. A group of Alaskan investors mounted an effort to locate additional mineral resources in the Copper River valley. In this, they were successful. Significant reserves of iron ore were located in Hayes and Delta Mountain ranges, some 150 miles north of Chitina, which is located at the junction of the Copper River and the defunct CRNW. With the discovery of the iron ore, the Copper River Mining and Resources Company was established early in 1943, and operations began later that year.
As operations began, the CRMC operated several leftover CRNW steam locomotives to haul trains. The CRMC also purchased two new Alco S-1 switchers and six Also RS-1 roadswitchers. As the CRMC expanded in the post-war years, so did the motive power roster. The CMRC returned to Alco in 1951 and purchased seven RSD-4s for ore train service. The arrival of the RSD-4s resulted in the retirement of the last remaining steam locomotives, with the exception of occasional back-up service.
During the 1950s, the CMRC worked hard to develop other industries in addition to iron ore. In 1954, the Glennallen Pulp and Paper mill opened, and the CMRC began hauling paper products to Cordova. In the late 1950s, a sawmill was established, and several logging branches were built to haul logs to the sawmill and paper mill. 1957 saw the beginning of the CMRC’s second generation of diesel power begin to arrive, with three RS-11s replacing a like number RS-1s, and three RSD-12s replacing a trio of RSD-4s lost in a landslide early that year.
As the 1960’s began, the CMRC was growing by leaps and bounds. Traffic levels continued to increase, and new power continued to flow from Alco. The last of the RS-1s were traded to Alco for four new RS-27s and six RSD-15s arrived for the increased ore traffic. These new units were supplemented with a pair of RS-36s in 1962. With iron ore loadings reaching an all-time high in 1963, the CMRC traded its remaining RSD-4s for a set of nine Alco C-628s, which arrived early in 1964. Car loading looked to be continuing to rise for the forseeable future and the railroad future looked secure. However, this was not to be the case. On Good Friday (March 27), disaster struck the south coast of Alaska in the form of the second largest earthquake ever recorded. The Good Friday Earthquake caused severe damage to the southern portions of the CMRC. A northbound empty ore train was caught in an earthquake triggered landslide, with the loss of the entire train and crew. The damage was so severe along the coast that the railroad now had to consider closing operations.
Fortunately, the CMRC could be saved. Late in 1964, the newly constructed Eastern Alaska & Yukon (EAY) line opened from Glennallen to Anchorage, and CMRC products now could reach the coast again. The CMRC abandoned its trackage south of Gulkona Junction, where it crossed the EAY. Much of the southern portions were donated to the state of Alaska, and many miles of roadbed were converted to state highways. However, the shutdown of 1964 had drastic effects of traffic levels. When the ore stopped flowing, many buyers located new suppliers and demand for CMRC dropped.
Fast forward to the year 2000, and you will find that the CMRC is continuing to soldier on. The last of the RS-11s and RSD-15s were retired in the early 1990’s, to worn out to continue on. As the new millennium begins, the CMRC’s prospects again look very positive. The demand for iron ore is once again high, and the world’s biggest mineral development companies are vying to enter the northwestern North American mining market. In 2005, the CMRC sold 49% of the company to BHP Billiton. As part of the sale, BHP was required to provide new ore train power, which arrived the following year in the form of a brand new sextuplet of SD70ACes.
I hope you have enjoyed reading this (lengthy) history. Comments are welcome, I always enjoy hearing what everyone has to say.
