Bismarck, Washburn and Great Falls Railway

Bismarck, Washburn and Great Falls Railway
Locale North Dakota
Dates of operation 1899–1904
Successor Minneapolis, St. Paul and Sault Ste. Marie Railway
Track gauge 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Length 58 miles (93 kilometres)
Headquarters Bismarck, North Dakota

The Bismarck, Washburn and Great Falls Railway (BW&GF) was a railroad that was organized in North Dakota on May 12, 1899. Its offices were located in Bismarck, North Dakota.

History

The BW&GF started as the Bismarck, Washburn & Fort Buford Railroad in 1889 by General William D. Washburn, a U.S. Senator and Surveyor-General from Minnesota. He was the main owner of the Washburn-Crosby Flour Mills. By 1903, the railroad ran from Bismarck to Washburn, a distance of 44.81 miles.[1] In 1904, the road was extended to Underwood.[2]

The railroad primarily carried passengers, mail, coal, and grain.[3] It also included a steamboat operation.[4]

In 1903, the railroad owned 3 steam engines, 2 passenger cars, 34 freight cars, and 1 caboose.[5] In 1901, the BW&GF was one of the first US railroads to roster the Mikado 2-8-2 steam engine design.[6]

The railroad was purchased by the Minneapolis, St. Paul and Sault Ste. Marie Railway in 1904.[7]

References

  1. ↑ "Fourteenth Annual Report (1903)". North Dakota Public Service Commission.
  2. ↑ "ICC Valuations".
  3. ↑ "Fourteenth Annual Report (1903)". North Dakota Public Service Commission.
  4. ↑ "Steamers Washburn and Expansion at boat landing". State Historical Society of North Dakota. Retrieved 20 April 2013.
  5. ↑ "Fourteenth Annual Report (1903)". North Dakota Public Service Commission.
  6. ↑ "First Mikado type locomotive built in the United States". State Historical Society of North Dakota. Retrieved 20 April 2013.
  7. ↑ "A 100-year Timeline History of The Soo Line Railroad and it's Predecessors". www.kohlin.com. Retrieved 20 April 2013.