CN West Duluth Ore Dock

[Bigboat]

Red circle is observation platform. Blue oval is sailor parking lot. Yellow is road took to my boat watching spot.

[garbear]

Went over to Superior this a.m. and on my way home I detoured out to the West Duluth ore docks. The observation platform is still there and has a chain across the stairway with a sign on it that says "No Admittance". It looks like there hasn't been maintenance on the platform in years and there are lots of dried, dead weeds that go up thru the steps. There's also a wooden box on the platform. No idea what that would be for.

[Bigboat]

Not like the old days when you could drive in the port terminal and actually walk up and touch the boats.

[Darryl]

This Winter in Duluth you can actually get pretty close to the boats that are laid up. If you drive to the Port Terminal, you can pull over to the side of the road right at the Clarke's stern. Ahead of her and across the slip are two 1000 footers. Across the bridge in Superior at the shipyard, you can drive out a road that parallels the two Interlake former steamers. I think you can get fairly close to some of the others, too.

[Bigboat]

I used to make the trip to Duluth several times a year before they fenced everything off and cut off all access to the boats. Back then I would drive thru the parking lot where the guys who worked on the boats would park their cars which was located just below the observation platform. At the end of the lot I would take a left and head towards the lake. I would drive right up to the railroad tracks, park and eat a pizza before heading home. That was one of my favorite spots.

[garbear]

Is the steel observation Deck still open up buy the C N dock garbear?

Brett-Don't have a good answer on that one. When I still could get around without a walker and was still beating around the docks, the last time I was there it was closed. There was a bar welded that wouldn't allow use. Since then I've seen photos posted online that look like they've been taken from the deck. Wish I had a better answer for you.

[amherst1]

Yes, the observation deck is still there, but the last time I was there it was chained off and the brush growth is so high, you couldn't get any photo's from it if it weren't chained off!.

[mn brett]

Is the steel observation Deck still open up buy the C N dock garbear?

[garbear]

It does sound good there garbear but, still sad and a shame that the Anderson won't be fitting out and sailing this season! I have not seen her since the 2013 season and even then I only saw her just one time only. Hopefully things continue to pick up this year and maybe with some luck they might find some cargoes for her to warrant bringing her back out. Hey one can hope and dream right? Afterall, the Anderson has always been on of my favorite ships.

Denny-Didn't get a lot of time to look because no place to really stop on I-35, but I did get a glimpse of the Anderson stern first into East of #6. Would be nice to see her run this season.

[Denny]

It does sound good there garbear but, still sad and a shame that the Anderson won't be fitting out and sailing this season! I have not seen her since the 2013 season and even then I only saw her just one time only. Hopefully things continue to pick up this year and maybe with some luck they might find some cargoes for her to warrant bringing her back out. Hey one can hope and dream right? Afterall, the Anderson has always been on of my favorite ships.

[garbear]

Had to go out of town for awhile this morning. There are already 3 stockpiles of pellets with space for a lot more at the West Duluth ore docks. Was actually surprised to see that many pellets already there. Hopefully it bodes well for the upcoming shipping season.