Milwaukee Road yard, Duluth MN

[TODD SCHULTZ]

I know the Milwaukee had trackage rights into Duluth on the NP Skally Line, and later switched to the NP's other mainline to South Superior. And finally under BN, the switched over to the former GN mainline.

But where was their yard? I always assumed they had their own, but I can't find any info. Did they use the NP yard at Rice's Point?

[beaulieu]

Yes, the Milwaukee used the former NP yard at Rice's Point.

[Kevin C. Smith]

beaulieu

Yes, the Milwaukee used the former NP yard at Rice's Point.

Which raises the question...how do you use someone else's yard? Did MILW do their own switching there? Did NP/BN include MILW trains in their daily classification switching? Or..?

[CSSHEGEWISCH]

It's not quite the same but consider Clearing Yard.  Wisconsin & Southern delivers to and originates from Clearing (no transfer runs) but BRC does all the switching.  The same applies to through trains of the six owner roads that originate or terminate at Clearing.

[NP Eddie]

My suggestion is to e-mail the MILW Historical Society for the information. I did see a picture of MILW power at the NP roundhouse in Duluth, which makes me believe that the NP did the MILW's switching in Duluth.

Ed Burns

Retired Clerk from Northtown.

[jrbernier]

  MILW power tied up at the NP Rices Point roundhouse.  The NP built the outbound train to St Paul on the Tri-Party yard tracks across from Duluth Union Depot IIRC...

[wjstix]

The trackage rights agreement, that was put in place in 1900 when NP bought the St.Paul & Duluth RR and the Milwaukee objected, didn't allow the Milwaukee to serve any industries (or run passenger trains) on NP trackage. As far as I know, the Milwaukee didn't have any trackage or customers in Duluth/Superior. They just ran freight up to Duluth and handed it off to the NP, and from Duluth back to St.Paul and beyond on the Milwaukee.

The benefit they got from the agreement is freight cars going to Duluth from Chicago or Milwaukee etc. (or vice versa) could go the whole way on Milwaukee Road trains. They didn't have to transfer the cars to another railroad in St.Paul to have the other railroad take the cars (and the revenue) to Duluth. This allowed the Milwaukee to better compete with the Soo Line and C&NW System, who had their own direct lines between Chicago and Duluth/Superior.