Passenger Trains between Minneapolis and Fargo.

[NP Eddie]

I love to talk about obscure routings, so here is another one for your enjoyment.

The August 1936 OG lists three railroads that served both Minneapolis, MN and Fargo, ND.

What were they and what were their routes with the proper junction.

Enjoy!

Ed Burns

Retired NP-BN-BNSF Clerk from Minneapolis. 

[Larry in Iowa]

Great Northern via Willmar Mn,  The Northern Pacific via Staples, Mn and the Milwaukee via Ortonville, Mn.

[NP Eddie]

WOW! 

I thought this would be tough, but Larry in Iowa WON the prize!!!

I don't know when the mixed train from Ortonville to Fargo was pulled off, but the line was abandoned about 1980 when floods finished this branch. I was working a key punch clerk job at Northtown and remember seeing waybills from the CNW Minneapolis MILW and an emergency ICC reroute crossing off the MILW and adding BN. As far as I can determine, the MILW served the south part of Fargo, but I don't know how many industries they had.

Always enjoying the talking about trains and routings.

Ed Burns

[jeffsauer1957]

Ed,

I just joined and was quite surprised to see this entry. When we moved from White Bear Lake to Moorhead in the Fall of 1966, our house was a newly built "loner" in the boondocks of the "new" Moorhead. The GN main was outside my bedroom window and did I get an eyefull I have a lifetime of memories and still think that the GN Big Sky SDP-45's are the biggest engines I ever saw!!! :- )

I know today's engines are monsters in comparison to all of the 2nd generation engines of that time, but the impressions left on a teenager are awfully hard to erase, huh?

Yes the Milwaukee served Fargo, but not only South Fargo, but they got all the way into downtown Fargo. They crossed the NP mainline a few blocks west of the NP Depot and... A few years ago there was a restoration effort in Fargo to save and refurbish the Milwaukee freight House, which did happen! At one time there was a web sight that was dedicated to the story. I'll go looking for it and report back.

Jeff