Minn Western Bridge over GN

Name	Type	Comments	Date

Andy Shireman	General	Beautiful shot. This bridge has been removed now and replaced by a modern bike path bridge for the Luce Line State Trail.	2/21/2008 5:02:03 PM

Andy Shireman	General	This bridge was built in the 1880's and moved to this location when the line was constructed through here around 1912-1915 by the Electric Short Line, which became the Minnesota Western Railway (under Cargill and later MN&S management). The M&St.L acquired the Minnesota Western ("Luce Line") in 1956 from the MN&S and operated it as the Minneapolis Industrial Railway until C&NW acquired it in 11/1/1960.	2/27/2008 11:27:32 PM

Andy Shireman	General	C&NW owned and operated the 114-mile line from Minneapolis to Gluek as the Hutchinson Subdivision, which was trunkated to Hutchinson in 1969 and then to I-494 in Plymouth in 1972.	2/27/2008 11:29:00 PM

Andy Shireman	General	This view is looking east. The Great Northern mainline from the Twin Cities to Willmar can be seen passing under the bridge.	2/27/2008 11:30:00 PM

Andy Shireman	General	When we see that both the M&St.L and the MN&S were both owners of this line for a time, we can appreciate why there is a change in ownership today (in 2008) at the Glenwood Jct. switch in Golden Valley. The Union Pacific owns the track from the switch west about 6 or 7 miles to the industrial park in Plymouth by I-494. The Canadian Pacific, on the other hand, successor of the MN&S, owns about 3 miles of track extending east from Glenwood Jct. to I-394 in Minneapolis to serve Pioneer Paper off of Cedar Lake Road.	2/27/2008 11:33:03 PM

Andy Shireman	General	The UP-MIR Job, today's pallbearer for the remaining service on the old Minnesota Western line to Hutchinson and Gluek, actually uses trackage rights on the CP for about a mile to leave the BNSF Monticello Sub at "MW Jct." and enter its own line to Plymouth at Glenwood Jct in Golden Valley (by the Animal Humane Society). The UP-owned part of the line is known as the Golden Valley Industrial Lead and had welded rail installed in the summer of 2005. The CP-owned section is part of the MN&S Spur and has some very old jointed rail.	2/27/2008 11:37:06 PM

Andy Shireman	General	The CP-owned section of the old Luce Line/Minnesota Western line crosses the BNSF Monticello Subdivision on a gated diamond just below the Penn Avenue bridge north of I-394.	2/27/2008 11:38:33 PM

Andy Shireman	General	The name UP-MIR is a holdover name from the M&St.L-era of the line when MIR stood for the Minneapolis Industrial Railway. The MIR was owned wholly by the M&St.L and even had a caboose lettered M.I.R.	2/27/2008 11:39:52 PM

Tony Held	General	This bridge is intact, stored near it's old site. It will replace the old wooden trestle currently over old Highway 12. Not as cool as the original location, but still will be safe for posterity. Great shot of how it looked with tracks on it.	4/5/2008 8:29:30 PM

Minn Western Bridge over GN
Date: 12/31/1969	Location: Long Lake, MN Map	Views: 354	Collection Of: Vern Wigfield
			Author: Vern Wigfield

Picture Categories:		This picture is part of album: MN&S & Minnesota Western Vintage Photos

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