The first railroad to tap the iron ranges north of Lake Superior was built from this town. It was 66 miles long and completed around 1884. [RodneyOhebsion]
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| Brian Bergstrom, Aug 2020, cropped |
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| David Schauer posted A nice aerial of Two Harbors from 1974 before major changes due to the taconite stockpile and shiploader installation later in the 1970s. The roundhouse and shop complex are still standing too. At dock 1 is the Presque Isle and Governor Miller (sister to the Irvin). Basgen Photography David Wohlwill: Judging from the lack of a turn table and absence of tracks leading to the roundhouse, it appears that the roundhouse was no longer in use when the photo was taken. When did the DM & IR cease using the roundhouse? Tim Smith: Is that light colored building on the left the thaw shed? Kent Rengo: Tim Smith Correct. |
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| David Schauer posted The year 1966 marked a rebirth of Two Harbors as the DM&IR resumed shipping ore through the port after having shuttered the docks in 1963 due to falling ore shipments off the Vermilion Range. The growth of taconite production (Minntac) and easy access for ships made Two Harbors attractive, as it remains today. Note the row of commercial fish boathouses by the lighthouse. Some launching rails from those structures remain in the water today. Two Harbors, MN - May 25, 1966 - Basgen Photography Matt Frahm: Question: does all of the dumping happen in the shed in the middle of the year now? David Schauer: Matt Frahm Most, but not all. Direct dump on Dock 2 still happens in warmer weather. James N Buwalda: I seen on the news how the iron ore prices in China keeps falling does that have any effect on the ore price around the great lakes. Brian Bernard: James N Buwalda The falling iron ore prices in China reflects a buildup at their ports due to reduced demand for steel in that country. Steel demand is quite strong in the U.S., in fact, the weekly crude steel production ending March 9, 2024 was the highest so far this year, at 1,734,000 tons. Shane Anderson: Coal towers are in pic, came down in 91 I believe. |
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| Thom Skelding posted Keystone glass slide. Two Harbors between #2 and #3 ore dock. Best I could do hand held. Chris Winters: Thom what is a Keystone glass slide? I believe the vessel in the middle on the right is the ill-starred John B. Cowle, wrecked in Lake Superior in the summer of 1909. I'm doing some research for the Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society, and this image in this format is new to me. Thom Skelding: Chris Winters Google Keystone View Slide Company, founded 1892. |
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| Sam Carlson posted Dennis DeBruler shared |
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| David Schauer posted A chilly view at Two Harbors made on December 8, 1978, when the high temperature would only climb to 8F. Jean Basgen was hired by the DM&IR to photograph the loading of the Mesabi Miner, the first 1000-footer to use the new conveyor shiploader on the south side of Dock 2 that had been placed in service a couple months prior. Jean also was treated to a ride on the Edna G that day (far right by Dock 6). In this view you can see the railroad's massive concrete coal towers, shop complex, thawing shed and a pair of trains ready to depart around Pork City Hill for the Range. Enjoy this Friday flashback. 12/8/1978 Basgen Photography Elliot Courtney: Does most of the ore get unloaded via the dump shed or do they still unload the cars straight into the dock? Jeff Hanson: Most gets unloaded via the dump shed, but they are still unloading straight into the docks (both as of this last summer still) and into boats. Wyatt Hanson: When was the dock on the far right decommissioned? David Schauer: Wyatt Hanson It went inactive in 1963 when the entire port was shuttered due to low ore volumes. When ore started moving through the port again in 1966 only docks 1 and 2 were returned to service. David Hiett shared DM&IR Two Harbors 1978 |
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| David Schauer posted A Friday flashback to around this time [Nov 18] in 1959 when the shipping season ran late that year due to a long steelworkers strike earlier in the season. U.S. Steel laker Fairless is on the south side of Dock 1 while it appears a Bethlehem (?) laker is on the north side of Dock 2. A steam locomotive is on the end of Dock 2, likely in dock pocket slushing service. Two Harbors - Basgen Photography [The comments indicate the Bethlehem ship was the Edward Y. Townsend.] Bob Haworth: Interesting seeing a Bethlehem boat at Two Harbors. Most of the time they loaded in Superior, or Tac Harbor. Fred Bultman: Bob Haworth probably a spot cargo |
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| David Schauer posted Inland Steel's Joseph L Block loads Minorca pellets at Two Harbors on October 20, 1978, while Zenith Dredge works nearby. The first full boatload from the DM&IR's new conveyor shiploader was on September 13, 1978, into the Roger Blough. Basgen Photography Bob Haworth: She must be pretty far along in the load. Probably finishing out trim as she has one rig down and all the hatches aft of midship are in place. She probably departed not long after this was taken. David Pappas: That is amazing quality for 1979! |
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| Chris Mazzella posted D M Clemson unloading at the coal dock in Two Harbors. Brett Miller: The photo says Duluth, not two harbors. Al Miller: Brett Miller Not uncommon for this type of card from that era. It's definitely the Two Harbors coal dock. here's the same photo with Two Harbors in the caption. The publisher(s) of these cards routinely used photos from all over the lakes and labeled them with Duluth or Two Harbors, presumably to sell them as souvenirs in those cities. |
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| Dusty Bjornstad posted Unloading at the coal dock slip in Two Harbors, there was no info on the back of this picture I seen at a friends the other day. [Some comments identify the boat as US Steel Rogers City.] Ricky Clark: I remember when that happened. It was in the early Spring of 1975. That is the John G. Munson, of the United States Steel Pittsburgh Fleet. I know that it is the Munson because it is the ore vessel that has its self unloader in the front of the boat by the pilot house. I hold the single loading record on the Munson in August of 1993. 25, 500 tons of Minntac pellets in 2 hours and 50 minutes, at the Two HARBORS shiploader on the South of DOCK 2. The head of the GREAT LAKES Fleet was so impressed by that record load, he had a Fleet Captains hat sent to the Two HARBORS PORT Director and had him give it to me. I still have the hat. The reason why; they had the Munson dump a couple of boat loads of COAL at the old Two HARBORS coal DOCK, I don't know. |
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| Lake Superior Railroad Museum posted Found this amazing picture in the archives today! This picture has no information with it, but we are thinking it is Duluth, Missabe and Northern 1913-1914, building of Ore Dock 5, photo taken by L. R Gallagher. |
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| Shirley Miller commented on Lake Superior Railroad Museum's post Shirley Miller Based on the "American Bridge Company", lower right on the photo, would this be related? Refers to: August 1941. "Iron ore docks at Allouez, Wisconsin." Scrolling about halfway down, you find: BNSF/BN Dock #5 - with "A time-lapse video of the M/V Stewart J. Cort going to the BNSF dock. http://towns-and-nature.blogspot.com/.../superior-wi... Below is the last photo in the blog entry. Ronald Cretens: I believe that it is Burlington Northern ore dock 5 before the silo storage bins were built-out in Superior ( Allouise) WI |
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| Dusty Bjornstad posted Employee parking coal docks Two Harbors, Mn. No info on photo, any old car experts want to guess a date? [1940s] James Torgeson shared The long-gone DM&IR coal dock in Two Harbors on Lake Superior, back when the iron mines, railroad and nearly everything else needed copious amounts of coal. In the foreground is the Missabe steam tug Edna G., which is still moored in Two Harbors as a museum ship. |
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| David Schauer posted I came across this scan today of Two Harbors. I'm guessing it was made in 1974 as the new 1000-footer Presque Isle looks to be in its first full year of service. Also note the coal towers in the far lower right and a locomotive crane on the approach to Dock 6 (possibly removing chutes/spouts). This was a few years before the taconite pellet storage facility and shiploader were installed, greatly changing the look of DM&IR's Two Harbors facility. Also note the ore thawing shed and Edna G. Basgen Photography Jeff Klein shared |
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| Comments on David's post |
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| Dusty Bjornstad posted Almost a full house in Two Harbors. The Presque Isle had her self unloader up so she's probabably taking on a partial load at the gravity dock then will finish off at the shiploader, the Anderson is just waiting. Tony Robinson: Brian Becker Indiana Harbor on left, Presque Isle in middle and Arthur M Anderson on right. |
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| David Schauer posted A nice triple at CN Two Harbors yesterday as the Indiana Harbor loaded at the shuttle booms while the Anderson and Presque Isle waited for their turn. 10/26/2021 |
David Schauer posted two photos with the comment: "A CN switch crew (guessing 0800 job) shoves a string of empty cars around Pork City Hill and into the outgoing yard at Two Harbors. B&LE 904 and CN 6017 for power. 8/25/2020"
How many car loads can you fit into one of those ships?
Jay Exferd
Maybe 400 for this size.Donald Dunn shared
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I noticed that they are loading many hatches at the same time. Old videos of loading ore boats show them doing just a few at a time.
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| Interlake Steamship Company posted Our M/V James R. Barker loading at Two Harbors today! #shippingmatters  : Kevin Davis |
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| Terri Zee posted Burns Harbor in Two Harbors on 9/28/2021 |
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| David Schauer posted An aerial view on October 13, 1977, showing construction of the pellet stockpile and conveyor system at Two Harbors. During the conveyor tunnel work the railroad must have used the mainline for empty trains versus the Loop track. |
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| David Schauer posted The first footer to call at the DM&IR's new conveyor shiploader was Interlake's Mesabi Miner on December 8, 1978. Edna G was out that day as a photo prop and to take Jean Basgen on the water for close-up shots. Basgen Photography |
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| David Schauer posted Rare Load... A view looking at the Humbergracht being loaded at CN Two Harbors on October 18, 2022. The ocean vessel took on about 10,400 tons of screened/reclaimed taconite pellets for Iceland. Museum tug Edna G helps identify the location. Steve Harris: Screened/reclaimed? David Schauer: Steve Harris Pellets that have been salvaged from the tracks or derailments and cleaned of impurities such as rocks. Usually sold at a discount. |
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| David Schauer posted A look back to May 6, 1981, as the Roger Blough, Edgar B. Speer and Indiana Harbor load at DM&IR Two Harbors. The Blough is likely loading off the spouts/chutes on Dock 1 and will shift to the south side of that dock to continue loading after the Speer moves to where the Indy is. DM&IR image, Missabe Railroad Historical Society Collection |
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| Becky Haag posted Unfortunately, no one was in Two Harbors when I was there, but I thought this was an interesting shot. Does anyone know what they're doing on the gravity chute side? Taconite recovery? Dredging? [According to comments: the left side is Dock #2 and both sides are used, but primarily the conveyor side on the left. Dock #1 on the right is not used.] William Boyd: The sheeting along the shoot [chute] side started to fail and a sinkhole developed inside. They could be dredging up the washed out material. |
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| DavidSchauer posted Thanks to Dusty Bjornstad's timely post, I was able to get two American Steamship Company (Rand) footers at Dock 2 this afternoon, a fairly unusual occurrence, even more so with one being the Burns Harbor. Given the dust cloud, I'm guessing the Burns Harbor is loading Minorca pellets, which are notoriously dusty. There was just a hint of sunset color in the cloud deck, which added a nice touch. I have a soft spot for the American Spirit, so it was nice seeing her again with that sharp stack paint. Not a bad way to spend the winter solstice. Two Harbors, MN - December 21, 2023 Dean Hare: What is a Minorca pellet? How does it compare to a Taconite pellet? David Schauer: Dean Hare The name of the plant that the pellets came from. Stacey Green: Gorgeous shot. The Minorca pellets are flux pellets made with limestone so maybe that’s why they’re dustier..? David Schauer: Stacey Green Also, if they have been in stockpile they tend to be dusty. |
Two footers in town brings out the boat fans.
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| Hayes Scriven Photography posted Tight Fit On Thursday (Dec 21) The American Spirit was turning to dock into Two Harbors. It was an impressive maneuver for this 1000 footer to go into this tight spot. Two Harbors has been busy lately and I love how this image captured the Burns Harbor and the Historic Edna G Tugboat. Hayes Scriven shared Tight Fit |
Scott's Canal Captures posted eight photos with the comment:
Anderson waiting at Two Harbors...It's always a pleasure to visit my friend Dan on his boat! Myself, Dave, and Gus visited him while the Anderson was waiting to load at Two Harbors on the north side of Dock #2 last Saturday. I'm sure Dan and many others around the lakes are excited to get some time off! (January 6th, 2024)
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| David Schauer posted After photographing the Burns Harbor and H. Lee White, I noticed the Saginaw lifted anchor and went to the Dock 2 shiploader at CN Two Harbors with fleetmate Michipicoten already there. It was an easy decision to make the short drive. The jade green water hue was neat. Two Harbors, MN - March 30, 2024 Maxwell Crosby: Never noticed the Michipicoten was longer. Saginaw has that impression that she’s a lot bigger then what she actually is. Pat Hopkins: Does the color of the water change, once the wind is calm? David Schauer: Pat Hopkins Cloud cover more than wind. Jon Kindschi: Why can’t the load both or use the other dock and load two more? 🤷♂️ Eric Holst: Jon Kindschi They could, but don't often do so. Best guess that outside observers have been able to formulate, that best matches available observations, is that the company that runs the docks isn't usually willing to pay the cost of a dock crew to operate the gravity chute berths. |
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