Minnesota Northern Railroad

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Minnesota Northern Railroad
Logo
Reporting marks MNN
Locale Northwest Minnesota
Dates of operation –present
Track gauge 4 ft 8½ in (1435 mm) (standard gauge)
Headquarters Crookston, Minnesota

The Minnesota Northern Railroad (AAR reporting mark MNN) is a Class III short line railroad that operates over 224 miles (394 kilometres) of track in northwest Minnesota. The railroad is co-owned by KBN Incorporated and Independent Locomotive Service and is headquartered in Crookston, Minnesota.

As of 2006, the Minnesota Northern Railroad employed 11 people and handled approximately 11,000 carloads per year. The primary commodities hauled included grain, seeds, sugar and sugar by-products, coal, animal feeds, and fertilizers.

The Minnesota Northern Railroad interchanges with both the BNSF Railway and the Canadian Pacific Railway.

Contents

[edit] History

The Minnesota Northern Railroad was created in December 1996 when the railroad’s former owner, Railamerica Incorporated, purchased 204 miles (328 kilometres) of track from the newly-created BNSF Railway. Also included in the sale were 64 miles (103 kilometres) of trackage rights on the BNSF's Grand Forks Subdivision from Crookston, Minnesota to Erskine, Minnesota and the Canadian Pacific's Detroit Lakes Subdivision from Erskine, Minnesota to Thief River Falls, Minnesota.

The 204 miles (328 kilometres) of track initially sold to the Minnesota Northern Railroad consisted of:

Shortly after the Minnesota Northern Railroad acquired track from the BNSF Railway, it abandoned the dilapidated Fertile Subdivision and a portion of the spur from Tilden Junction to Red Lake Falls. In addition, it also acquired approximately 2 miles of trackage rights over the BNSF Railway near Erskine, Minnesota. On August 16, 2006, the Minnesota Northern Railroad filed to abandon a portion of the Ada Subdivision from Beltrami, Minnesota to Ada, Minnesota.

Prior to coming under the control of the BNSF Railway, the 204 miles (328 kilometres) of track initially purchased by the Minnesota Northern Railroad belonged to the Burlington Northern Railroad. Before being owned by the Burlington Northern Railroad, the P Line, Ada, and Warroad Subdivisions were owned by the Great Northern Railway. The Fertile Subdivision and spur from Tilden Junction to Red Lake Falls, meanwhile, had been owned by the Northern Pacific Railway.

The portion of the Fertile Subdivision sold to the Minnesota Northern Railroad was once a part of the Northern Pacific Railway’s 250 mile (402 kilometre) mainline from Hawley, Minnesota to Winnipeg, Manitoba. Though the line was an important route for passenger and freight trains to and from Winnipeg in its heyday, currently only a few portions have been spared from abandonment.

Ownership of the Minnesota Northern Railroad was turned over from Railamerica Incorporated to KBN Incorporated and Independent Locomotive Service in 2001. Both companies are based in Minnesota and also co-own two other short line railroads: the St. Croix Valley Railroad in eastern Minnesota and the Dakota Northern Railroad in eastern North Dakota.

[edit] Locomotive and Freight Car Fleet

Minnesota Northern Railroad co-owner Independent Locomotive Service supplies the railroad with a fleet of various locomotives, primarily rebuilt four-axle "general purpose" locomotives and switchers from EMD. The locomotives are sent from an Independent Locomotive Service shop in either Bethel, Minnesota or Thief River Falls, Minnesota.

The majority of the Minnesota Northern Railroad’s locomotives contain maroon paint with gold lettering. The colors are reminiscent of the school colors used at the University of Minnesota.

Besides possessing locomotives, the Minnesota Northern Railroad also leases 80 covered hoppers. All other freight cars used on the railroad are supplied by both the BNSF and Canadian Pacific railways.

[edit] Stations on the Minnesota Northern Railroad

The Minnesota Northern Railroad owns track that goes through the following communities:

[edit] References

[edit] External links