Nostalgia & History > Steam and Diesel Switchers, Minneapolis, Winter 1951

These photographs are from the Minnesota Historical Society's Online Collection. The caption on each is basically the same:

Milwaukee Road South Minneapolis rail yard, along Hiawatha Avenue near Twenty-sixth Street.
Creation Photographer: Minneapolis Star Tribune
Dates Creation: 02/08/1951
Content: 02/08/1951
ID Number 105093 and 105094


In 1951 the Milwaukee Road from Baldwin had VO600s and VO1000s and from EMD had NW2s and SW1s.

Enjoy,
Marty Bernard

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Neat shots. Wonder which of those cabs would be warmest on a day like that?

That's part of the South Minneapolis Yard Office buildings at the left of the first picture, looking southward. The steam engine is on the outbound track from the roundhouse. The Baldwin is VO1000 1680 or 1681, or VO660 1635, as they were the only ones with side mounted front radiators.

Standing in the same place the photographer turned northward for the second picture. The nearest steamer is also on the roundhouse outbound track on the other side of the floodlight standard. The inbound roundhouse track is between the Baldwin DS4-4-1000 and the light standard. Three main lines converged here. The Baldwin is on the I&M main, the NW2 is on the throat of the Garden Yard tracks. To the left of the NW2 are the eastbound and westbound H&D mains. To the right of the steamer are the eastbound and westbound "Short Line" to St. Paul, and behind that the coaches are in the Rock Islands coach yard.

There was no yard lead, per se, but rather the H&D mains were used to access all 15 Garden tracks.

The train order signal was controlled by the operator upstairs in the Yard Office Bldg., and lasted until the mid '60's.

Thanks for the memories!

-John



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/25/14 20:49 by LarryDoyle.

ChrisCampi Wrote:
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> Neat shots. Wonder which of those cabs would be
> warmest on a day like that?

Probably the switch tenders at the base of the light tower.

-John