The Manistique and Lake Superior Railroad (M&LS) was an American

Class III railroad Railroad classes are the system by which freight railroads are designated in the United States. Railroads are assigned to Class I, II or III according to annual revenue criteria originally set by the Surface Transportation Board in 1992. With a ...

serving the

Upper Peninsula of Michigan The Upper Peninsula of Michigan—also known as Upper Michigan or colloquially the U.P. or Yoop—is the northern and more elevated of the two major landmasses that make up the U.S. state of Michigan; it is separated from the Lower Peninsula of ...

from 1909 to 1968. It provided service from

Manistique, Michigan Manistique ( ') is the only city and county seat of Schoolcraft County, Michigan, Schoolcraft County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the city population was 2,828. The city borders the adjacent ...

to a junction with the

Duluth, South Shore and Atlantic Railway The Duluth, South Shore and Atlantic Railway (DSS&A; ) was an American railroad serving the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and the Lake Superior shoreline of Wisconsin. It provided service from Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, and St. Ignace, Michigan, w ...

at Doty, Michigan, southeast of

Munising, Michigan Munising ( ') is a city in the Upper Peninsula of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is the county seat of Alger County, Michigan. The population was 1,986 at the 2020 census. The city is partially surrounded by Munising Township, but the two are a ...

. Its nickname was ''The Haywire''. The M&LS was chartered in 1909 to penetrate what was then a booming

lumber Lumber is wood that has been processed into uniform and useful sizes (dimensional lumber), including beams and planks or boards. Lumber is mainly used for construction framing, as well as finishing (floors, wall panels, window frames). ...

and pulpwood region of the central Upper Peninsula. Almost from the start, it served as an affiliate of the Ann Arbor Railroad and was connected with the larger railroad's northwestern terminus at

Elberta, Michigan Elberta ( ) is a village in Benzie County, Michigan, United States. The population was 329 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Located in Gilmore Township, Benzie County, Michigan, Gilmore Township, Elberta overlooks Lake Michigan and ...

, by Ann Arbor Railroad car ferry. The Elberta-Manistique run was one of the longest regularly scheduled railroad car ferry runs operated in North America. The M&LS connected with the

in Shingleton, just east of Munising, and with the

Lake Superior and Ishpeming Railroad The Lake Superior and Ishpeming Railroad , is a Class iii railroad, Class III railroad U.S. railroad offering service from Marquette, Michigan, to nearby locations in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. It began operations in 1896. The LS&I continues to ...

at Doty, as well as with the Soo Line in its headquarters of Manistique. After the old-growth timber of the central U.P. had been harvested, the transportation needs of the local area served by the Manistique & Lake Superior declined. While the cold, swampy region continued to yield pulpwood, the construction of

M-94 The M-94 was a piece of cryptographic equipment used by the United States Army, consisting of several lettered discs arranged as a cylinder. It was also employed by the US Navy, under the name CSP 488. The device was conceived by Colonel Parke ...

generally parallel to the M&LS

right-of-way A right of way (also right-of-way) is a specific route that people, animals, vehicles, watercraft, or utility lines travel, or the legal status that gives them the right to do so. Rights-of-way in the physical sense include controlled-access h ...

further reduced the need for the little railroad. By the 1960s, the Manistique & Lake Superior had been reduced to only one working

locomotive A locomotive is a rail transport, rail vehicle that provides the motive power for a train. Traditionally, locomotives pulled trains from the front. However, Push–pull train, push–pull operation has become common, and in the pursuit for ...

. The railroad and its car ferry ceased operations in July 1968.

Current status

In 1970, the abandoned railroad grade was adapted to serve as the Haywire Grade Rail Trail, one of Michigan's first

rail trail A rail trail or railway walk is a shared-use path on a Right of way#Rail right of way, railway right of way. Rail trails are typically constructed after a railway has been abandoned and the track has been removed but may also share the rail corr ...

s. The 32-mile-long Haywire Trail follows most of the former railroad's right-of-way from Manistique to Shingleton. A graded, unpaved trail, the Haywire is adapted for

snowmobile A snowmobile, also known as a snowmachine (chiefly Alaskan), motor sled (chiefly Canadian), motor sledge, skimobile, snow scooter, or simply a sled is a motorized vehicle designed for winter travel and recreation on snow. Their engines normally ...

s and hikers, and is sub-standard for bicycle use. In 2017, mile markers were installed.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Manistique Lake Superior Railroad Defunct Michigan railroads Railway companies established in 1909 Railway companies disestablished in 1968 Predecessors of the Ann Arbor Railroad Defunct companies based in Michigan Transportation in Alger County, Michigan Transportation in Schoolcraft County, Michigan