The Quincy and Torch Lake Cog Railway is a half-mile long cog railway in Hancock, Michigan

Hancock, Michigan

Hancock is a city in Houghton County; the northernmost in the U.S. state of Michigan, located on the Keweenaw Peninsula, or, depending on terminology, Copper Island. The population was 4,634 at the 2010 census...

. It opened in May of 1997 to transport tourists to the adit

Adit

An adit is an entrance to an underground mine which is horizontal or nearly horizontal, by which the mine can be entered, drained of water, and ventilated.-Construction:...

 entrance of the Quincy Mine's

Quincy Mine

The Quincy Mine is an extensive set of copper mines located near Hancock, Michigan. The mine was owned by the Quincy Mining Company and operated between 1846 and 1945, although some activities continued through the 1970s. The Quincy Mine was known as "Old Reliable," as the Quincy Mine Company paid...

 Number 2 shaft. Its tram car has a capacity of 28 people and travels at a maximum grade of 35%. It is one of only a few rack railway

Rack railway

A rack-and-pinion railway is a railway with a toothed rack rail, usually between the running rails. The trains are fitted with one or more cog wheels or pinions that mesh with this rack rail...

s in the United States.

Mining Era

Prior to the creation of the current tourist tramway, there existed a tramway used by the Quincy Mine to transport ore down the hill to the Quincy Smelter

Quincy Smelter

The Quincy Smelter is the only remaining copper smelter remaining in the Lake Superior region. It is located north of the Portage Lake Lift Bridge in Ripley, Michigan. It was operated by the Quincy Mine until 1972 and processed ore from 13 local mines....

. It consisted of two tracks with tramcars in counterbalance. It was 2200 feet long with a 500 foot vertical drop.

Modern Era

Before the current tram was added, tourists were transported to the adit

Adit

An adit is an entrance to an underground mine which is horizontal or nearly horizontal, by which the mine can be entered, drained of water, and ventilated.-Construction:...

 entrance by van, an indirect and cumbersome method. The solution of a tram was suggested by the vice president of the Quincy Mine Hoist Association, James R. Vivian Sr. The U.S. Economic Development Administration

Economic Development Administration

The Economic Development Administration is an agency in the United States Department of Commerce that provides grants to economically distressed communities to generate new employment, help retain existing jobs and stimulate industrial and commercial growth.-History:The EDA was established under...

 provided $420,000 in funds with a matching $200,000 raised by the Hoist Association. Construction began on April 12, 1996, and was completed on November 11, 1996. The tramway opened for use in May of 1997.

The tramcar, designed by Phil Quenzi, was built by Royale Construction Inc. of Kearsarge, Michigan

Kearsarge, Michigan

Kearsarge is an unincorporated community in Calumet Township, Houghton County in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is approximately northeast of Calumet/Laurium on U.S. Route 41/M-26 at ....

 and the grading and tracking laying was carried out by MJO Construction of Hancock, Michigan. The project engineer was Robert D. Hitch, P.E. and the project manager was James R. Vivian Jr.

In the winter of 2009, the tram underwent a refurbishment, including new paint, new windows, and refurbished seats.

Details

The 165 horsepower diesel tramcar is 35 feet long, and 8 feet 6.75 inches wide. It has a passenger capacity of 28 with a top speed of 10 mph on shallow grades. It is made of red-painted steel, and has large windows on the sides and roof.

See Also

• List of rack railways

External links

• Quincy & Torch Lake Cog Railway Image of the tram and railway.