Boatnerd Discussion Forum

When I lived in Charlevoix back in the late 1980's, I believe I remember the Calcite II slowly navigating the Pine River channel (between Lake Michigan and Lake Charlevoix) to make a delivery of coal to the Wolverine Power Co. power plant in Advance, MI (just west of Boyne City). Back in the early 1980's, I obtained a calendar from American Steamship Co. that had a great aerial photo of one of their older ships in Round Lake (between Lake Michigan and Lake Charlevoix). The illusion is that it looks like a big ship in a small pond. I assume the ASC ship was delivering coal to the Advance power plant. The power plant was torn down in 2005 and replaced by a condo development.

Pet coke/coal to Alpena/Lafarge on the Myron C Taylor. Pet coke/coal as well to Charlevoix/Medusa/St. Marys Cement. On Lake Charlavoix to Acme near Boyne city on the George A Sloan and Myron C Taylor. Early 90's for those ports.

what boats went to Charlevoix and Boyne City and Advance?

A few questions about delivering coal to Alpena… I’m assuming you’re talking about by ship? Did you sail up the river to the Fletcher paper mill? If so, which boats were they, and when did that end? No one around here seems to remember… Thanks, and Happy 4th!

Quick answer #2. Average weight per rail car is 110-115 tons per car multiply by 130 cars, the average number per train about 15,000 tons per train load. The PRT average 60,000 tons per trip give or take. Four train loads per boat load to deliver to St. Clair and or Monroe. The number of power plants using coal is in the single digits compared to 1990's. I have delivered coal to Buffalo, Dunkirk NY, Erie PA, Conneaut OH (also loaded there), Ashtabula OH, Cleveland, Lorain, Huron OH, Monroe, Detroit, St Clair, Harbor Beach, Saginaw Bay ports Essexville, Alpena, Rogers City, Cheboygan, the Soo just above the locks, Charlavoix, Boyne City Acme, Manistee, Ludington, Muskegon, Grand Haven, Holland, St. Joeseph, Burns Harbor, Gary IN, Calumet river, Port Washington, Waukegan, Milwaukee, Sheboygan, Manitowoc, Green Bay, Menominee Marinette, Escanaba, Gladstone, Munising, Marquette, Dollar Bay Houghton Hancock, Ontanoggin, Ashland, Superior and Duluth, Silver Bay,Taconite harbor just to name a few. 90% of those are gone. Quite the run we had!
Happy Fourth of July holiday to everyone!

Quick answer:

Not nearly as many as ten years ago.

In fact whatever the amount of trains that arrived at SMET during their peak shipping years, I would estimate it is 70% less.

Sorry I do not have an exact answer. Somebody should know...

There is some information at the DTE Energy website (parent of MERC and SMET). https://www.dteenergy.com/us/en/merc/company.html

How many coal trains service the SMET facility on a daily basis? With the number of footers loading there I would assume it would need to be quite a few.