CN is closing Escanaba's Ore Dock

(Satellite, Street View)

I've seen pictures of derelict ore docks before. We are going to lose another ore dock. Looking at the satellite image, it looks like they have already torn down some docks. They are closing the last dock that was in the town.

UpperPeninsula

Shipments have been low since Empire Mine closed last year. I wonder if it closed because it ran out of ore or because China has been dumping steel or both. 12 union employees are affected by the closure. CN plans to work on a redevelopment or reuse within the company for the property. The reuse plan could include other materials.

The Escanaba port allowed ore to be shipped earlier and later in the shipping seasons when the Soo Locks remained closed. It is also a vital alternative for ore shipments on the Great Lakes if the locks at Sault Ste. Marie were damaged or shutdown. [UpperPeninsula]

Update: Mark Hinsdale posted four photos with the comment:

Ore No More...With the sad announcement by Canadian National that they will close the former Chicago & North Western Ore Dock in Escanaba MI by the end of next month, I thought I post a couple of reminders of a happier time, when many of us flocked to Michigan's Upper Peninsula to watch C&NW's last FM's in the 70's, and then their big Alcos in the 80's, wheel the ore trains from Negaunee to Escanaba. It was always an intriguing operation to visit. Now, just another spike through the heart of the U.P. April, 1975 & June, 1985 photos by Mark Hinsdale

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[This photo has been moved to some notes about the C&NW Bridge in Escanaba.]

1932 Gladstone SE Quad @ 31,680 via Dennis DeBruler
The surviving ore dock was the C&NW docks. Milwaukee Road started sharing that dock in 1937 to save maintenance of its own dock.

I presume they are still in Winter layup.

Rod Burdick posted
Steamers Wilfred Sykes and Edward L. Ryerson at the Escanaba Ore dock - Spring 1997
Mark Seiler: Arguably, the two most beautiful lakers ever built…

Mike Patrick posted
C&NW Escanaba MI, 11-64, a little late in the season, but Lake Michigan froze over much later than Superior. Another shot with a crap camera, you could always come back later and shoot the ore dock, because it would always be there. Now there is no ore being shipped out of Escanaba and the C&NW is long gone

Gerrit Sutherland: What are CN’s plan for the former facility? Any likelihood that ore will ever be shipped again?

Kent Rengo: Gerrit Sutherland mothballed and will most likely not see use again.

The dock was changed to use conveyor belts rather than shove the ore cars up a trestle to the top of the dock. I could find only this end-on view of the dock.

Street View, Aug 2023

Note the lumber rack and hopper cars are empty. I presume the tank cars are also empty and most of the tracks in this yard are now used for car storage.

Satellite

This is the latest image I could find that has a ship at the dock. Note how the unloading boom is swung out of the way.  The 2011 image has large storage piles, but the 2013 image has just a few small piles. There are no piles in the 2020 image.

Google Earth, Aug 2006