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| Carl Venzke posted The caption to this photo said "Rail Yard, Detroit" no other information. Would this have been near or at the Marathon refinery? Marv Hall I looked at google maps this appears to be at Detroit salt looking southwest towards the marathon refinery thats on the southeast side of the tracks. The covered hoppers would be heading into Detroit salt. The storage oil tanks straight ahead are part of the refinery . I will post a map picture from google. |
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| Michigan Field Guide posted, cropped The Detroit Salt Mine sits 1,200 feet below the city, and most people have no idea it's there. While you're stuck in traffic on I-94 or grabbing a Coney dog downtown, there's an entire industrial operation happening deep underground that's been running for over a century. The mine was discovered in 1895 when drillers were searching for coal and instead hit a massive salt deposit. They started mining in 1910, and it's been going ever since. The Detroit Salt Company pulls about 1,400 tons of salt out of the ground every day, and the mine covers roughly 1,500 acres under the city. That's more than 100 miles of underground roads and tunnels carved out of pure rock salt. The salt itself is ancient. It was formed about 400 million years ago when Michigan was covered by a shallow sea. As the water evaporated over millions of years, it left behind thick layers of salt that eventually got buried under sediment and rock. The Detroit salt deposit is part of a much larger formation that runs under most of the Great Lakes region, but Detroit's mine is one of the largest and most productive. Here's what makes it wild: the mine is so deep and so stable that the temperature stays around 55 degrees year-round. No heating, no cooling. Just consistent conditions that make it ideal for long-term storage. The mine has been used to store everything from historical documents to film reels to natural gas reserves. During Prohibition, rumor has it that some tunnels were used for smuggling, though that's never been officially confirmed. The salt mined here isn't the kind you put on your dinner table. Most of it gets used for road de-icing, which makes sense given how much snow Michigan gets. Some of it goes to industrial uses like water softening and chemical manufacturing. The mining process uses a room-and-pillar method, where they carve out large rooms and leave pillars of salt behind to support the ceiling. It's efficient, and it's safe. The mine has an excellent safety record, and the structure is so solid that it's expected to last for centuries. Tours of the Detroit Salt Mine are extremely rare. It's an active industrial site, so public access is almost nonexistent. Occasionally, the company will allow small groups down for educational purposes, but for most people, the mine remains a hidden piece of Detroit's infrastructure. You can live your entire life in the city and never see it, even though it's right beneath your feet. The mine employs around 100 people who work in shifts, operating heavy machinery, drilling, blasting, and hauling salt to the surface. It's hard work, but it's also one of the most unique jobs in Michigan. These workers spend their days in a vast underground world that most people will never experience. The Detroit Salt Mine is a reminder that Michigan's industrial history runs deep, literally. It's not flashy. It doesn't get the attention that the auto industry does. But it's been quietly operating for over a hundred years, pulling resources out of the earth and keeping the region running. It's one of those things that makes you realize how much is happening in this state that people don't see or think about. If you ever get the chance to go down there, take it. It's one of the most surreal experiences you can have in Michigan. |
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| Detroitisit posted Did you know that beneath the iconic cityscape of #Detroit lies a vast subterranean wonder? This salt deposit is over 400 million years old, older than the dinosaurs! 🦖 The Detroit Salt Mine stretches over 1,500 acres and plunges over 1,160 feet below the surface under the north end of Allen Park. Operational for more than a century, this hidden gem has played a vital role in providing much-needed salt for our nation. The next time you're driving through the area, remember the wonders that lie just beneath your feet. 🧂 PC: Atlas Obscura |
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| Detroitisit posted #DidYouKnow that beneath Detroit lies an ancient wonder? The Detroit Salt Mine, over 400 million years old, spans 1,500 acres and plunges 1,160 feet deep. Formed 400 million years ago, the Michigan Basin’s salt deposits emerged as ancient bodies of water receded and evaporated. Discovered in 1895, the Detroit Salt Mine began production in 1910. By 1914, it was producing 8,000 tons of rock salt monthly. Technological advancements boosted productivity, and a second shaft was added in 1922. Operations ceased in 1983 but resumed in 1998. Today, the mine provides North America with various ice melter products, using modern and safe mining techniques. The next time you’re in the area, remember the incredible wonders beneath your feet. 🧂 PC: Atlas Obscura |
Bernice Conner-Glass posted three photos with the comment: "THE CITY OF DETROIT SITS ON TOP OF A WORKING SALT MINE, AND THAT THE MINE HAS PROVIDED ROAD SALT FOR MOST OF NORTH AMERICA SINCE 1910!"
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| Heather R miller commented on Bernice's post I too took a tour of the salt mines. It’s like 2 miles under ground. I have a large chunk of salt from there that I have on display in my home. |
The mainline track corridor between the two has the NS/Wabash route on the north side and the CRSA/PRR route on the south side. A little to the west is a NS/Wabash railyard, which is still a rather big classification yard. There is a little intermodal activity in the southeast side of the yard. Further south is a CRSA/PRR railyard. But many of the tracks have been removed from this yard. There is also a vehicle loading facility in this area.
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| Craig Hensley Photography posted Detroit Salt Company Did you know that there is a salt mine underneath Detroit? In 1910 the Detroit Salt Company completed the first 1,060-foot deep mining shaft to access the salt beds that formed some 400 million years ago. The mining operation was producing around 8000 tons of rock salt a month by 1914. A second mining shaft was created in 1922 to allow even more production and access to a second salt bed and production doubled. Due to the shafts size all equipment is required to be disassembled piece by piece and lowered down and reassembled by a machine shop at the bottom. The rock salt is primarily used as a ice melter products, ranging from bulk rock salt to bagged rock salt and premium blended formulations. Detroit, MI - June 2023 Chris Paciocco: I used to do business with this place about a decade ago. Unless things have drastically changed, Detroit Salt has a pretty big rail car fleet of 400-600 covered hoppers from previous owners BNSF, Conrail, NS, and even former PC hoppers that (as of 2012) still had the PC logo and paint showing very clearly. Prior to the track mobile, they had an extremely beat-up SW switcher still in Conrail paint and logo that would stage the cars and Conrail or NS would switch the lead. Most of the salt ships to Chicago and beyond. Nolan Skip Raspbury LaFramboise II: Our neighbor in River Rouge was the mine General Manager in the 1970s. He took a few of us who hung out at a local business down into the mines a couple of times. It was very informal, like, show up at Sam's place at this time and we'll drive over. As cool as it was, yes, I enjoyed it, I was young and more interested in other stuff. It closed as one entity in the 1990s. For all I knew, that was it, it was done. Then, in the late 1990s, I was traveling from my then home in San Francisco to visit Detroit. I met a young man on a shuttle bus. I don't know how we got on the subject, but he said the mines were open again. I disputed his account. I made it a point to visit my friend Pete at Gonellas and walk over to the mines. Sure enough, they'd reopened and were operating with a new shaft tower. I believe I have photos of the switcher, sitting all alone in the corner near the former Oakwood Bakery, that Chris Paciocco referred to above. Now, if I can only find them. |
Nolan found three photos and added them to Craig's post.
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| 1 [Some comments noted the old shaft equipment in the background.] |
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| 2 This appears to be the old shaft house which was demolished in the 1990s. That's a guess. I have too long of a window to remember exact time frames. |
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| 3 The new shaft house from a few years ago. I was unable to catapult (ha ha ha) the fence. or climb it for that matter. I believe this one was built about the late 1990s. |
Nathan Leindecker posted two photos with the comment: "The Newest Vessel on the Great Lakes the Ontario Venture loads Salt at the Detroit Salt Dock on a busy section of the Rouge River. 5-12-2026"
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