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[quote]QUOTE: Originally posted by jhugart I'm planning on modelling the copper mining region of the upper peninsula of Michigan. I've visited the museum at the site of one of the larger mines, and acquired a book showing maps of the surface plant over time. One thing I can't determine from the book is whether or not the mines would re-use empty coal cars as copper ore cars.[/quote]The railroads of the UP formed closed loops between the mines and the concentrators/smelters. Once the oar was processed it would be too valuable and too perishable to be further shipped in open cars. Since most of the smelters were located lakeside, most of the refined metal was shipped by boat to the industrial cities with the facilities for further processing. Indeed, the Coal to fuel the mining and smelting machinery came from other places, but the hoppers would return empty. A lot of information on the UP copper industry can be found in older issues of Narrow Gage and Shortline Gazette.
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