Western Railroad Discussion > Heritage of UP's Twin Cities yards?

After reading Alco636's excellent coverage of the Twin Cities busiest yards (about 12 messages earlier), it caused me to wonder about the heritage of the four UP yards he visited. In spite of UP's modest operations in the area compared to CP or BNSF, UP, as a result of CNW acquisitions(M&STL, Omaha Road, CGW and CRIP) still has four distinct yards.

I assume Valley Park is the former Omaha Road facility as this yard dispatches manifests for N. Platte via the line to Omaha. But what about S. St. Paul which handles the bulk of the freight east to Chicago and south to Des Moines and KC. Is this former CRIP? Across the river is Hoffman Ave. near CP Pig's Eye. Was this CGW? Lastly E. Minneapolis yard where the NS Triple Crown traffic is assembled/disassembled. Was this the former yard for M&STL?

Given the expertise in the area I'm sure someone can clarify the heritage of UP in the Twin Cities.

Thanks in advance.

Mexrail

mexrail Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> After reading Alco636's excellent coverage of the
> Twin Cities busiest yards (about 12 messages
> earlier), it caused me to wonder about the
> heritage of the four UP yards he visited. In
> spite of UP's modest operations in the area
> compared to CP or BNSF, UP, as a result of CNW
> acquisitions(M&STL, Omaha Road, CGW and CRIP)
> still has four distinct yards.
>
> I assume Valley Park is the former Omaha Road
> facility as this yard dispatches manifests for N.
> Platte via the line to Omaha. But what about S.
> St. Paul which handles the bulk of the freight
> east to Chicago and south to Des Moines and KC.
> Is this former CRIP? Across the river is Hoffman
> Ave. near CP Pig's Eye. Was this CGW? Lastly E.
> Minneapolis yard where the NS Triple Crown traffic
> is assembled/disassembled. Was this the former
> yard for M&STL?
>
> Given the expertise in the area I'm sure someone
> can clarify the heritage of UP in the Twin
> Cities.
>
> Thanks in advance.
>
> Mexrail


Valley Park is the former Omaha Road. The other three are former C&NW proper, although if you really want to get technical, Hoffman Ave is the former St. Paul Belt & Terminal. South St. Paul was built to serve the very large stockyards, which no longer exist. At one time pre- C&NW takeover of the CRI&P, East Minneapolis was the most important yard for the C&NW. In the WW2 era there must have been at least 40 significant railroad yards in the Twin Cities with one or more resident switch engines.

The Louie's main yard was Cedar Lake Yard and Shops, which were on the south side of BNSF's Willmar Sub, TC&W uses a bit of that line to enter the Twin Cities past the former site of Cedar Lake Yard. CGW's main yard was State Street, one or two tracks remain, between South St. Paul Yard and the Robert St. lift bridge. The Rock Island's main yard was Inver Grove Yard, a mile or so south of South St. Paul Yard.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/10/10 10:34 by SOO6617.

SOO6617 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------

>
> Valley Park is the former Omaha Road. The other
> three are former C&NW proper, although if you
> really want to get technical, Hoffman Ave is the
> former St. Paul Belt & Terminal. South St. Paul
> was built to serve the very large stockyards,
> which no longer exist. At one time pre- C&NW
> takeover of the CRI&P, East Minneapolis was the
> most important yard for the C&NW. In the WW2 era
> there must have been at least 40 significant
> railroad yards in the Twin Cities with one or more
> resident switch engines.
>
> The Louie's main yard was Cedar Lake Yard and
> Shops, which were on the south side of BNSF's
> Willmar Sub, TC&W uses a bit of that line to enter
> the Twin Cities past the former site of Cedar Lake
> Yard. CGW's main yard was State Street, one or two
> tracks remain, between South St. Paul Yard and the
> Robert St. lift bridge. The Rock Island's main
> yard was Inver Grove Yard, a mile or so south of
> South St. Paul Yard.

Thanks for the great info.

Mexrail

South St. Paul was CGW. The RI yard was Inver Grove, very close by (adjacent?).

Before CNW took over CGW, I am wondering if CNW had much to do with Hoffman Ave. or if it was just for interchange between CGW and other roads.

CGW also had a yard on Boom Island (long gone) and I believe at one time their freight power tied up adjacent to GN's Union Ave Yard.

E. St. Paul (east of Westminster) was the most important CNW proper yard. Not in Alco636's marathon tour.

Chestnut St. is another CNW/Omaha Road Yard also not in Alco636's marathion tour. Still has adjacent auto unloader and grain elevator that are active.

As posted, E. Minneapolis was an important yard for CNW. Nowadays the Triple Crown terminal occupies part of the space.

At one time there were even more interchange and grain yards than the yards cited so far.

In my opinion, UP still has way too many terminals in the Twin Cities area, and it takes carload traffic way too long to get where it is going.

Best regards,

Rob L.

Ahem. I wish to dissent. The CNW proper never got to the
Twin Cities. ALL former CNW trackage, exlcuding the CGW and
M&Stl trackage, is ex-Omaha. Remember, the "Omaha's" true
name is Chicago, Minneapolis, St Paul & Omaha. West of
Wyeville, via Eau Clair is Omaha. Via LaCrosse is CNW.

The CRIP's Inver Grove Yard was in Inver Grove, south of
the CGW in South St. Paul.

The St. Paul Bridge and Terminal was a CGW subsididary. I don't
know if it was a transfer point or not, but after the CNW-CGW
merger, there were many transfer runs to there from other CNW
yards after State Street in St. Paul was shut down. Hoffman
Avenue towermen hated them because the switch to the Belt was
the furthest away from the tower and was very difficut to throw.

Is the Omaha's North Minneapolis Yard still in service, or did it
go the way of Cedar Lake.

The rest, as far as I can tell, are correct. But then, I've been
wrong before.

Nick Tharalson,
Marion, IA

Rob, thank you for the information. I was unaware about the Chestnut St. Yard. Plus I recall it being called "Western Avenue". I'll hit it next time. It would save me a trip up and over the hills of Mendota Heights!

Al Seever
Minneapolis, MN


rob_l Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> South St. Paul was CGW. The RI yard was Inver
> Grove, very close by (adjacent?).
>
> Before CNW took over CGW, I am wondering if CNW
> had much to do with Hoffman Ave. or if it was just
> for interchange between CGW and other roads.
>
> CGW also had a yard on Boom Island (long gone) and
> I believe at one time their freight power tied up
> adjacent to GN's Union Ave Yard.
>
> E. St. Paul (east of Westminster) was the most
> important CNW proper yard. Not in Alco636's
> marathon tour.
>
> Chestnut St. is another CNW/Omaha Road Yard also
> not in Alco636's marathion tour. Still has
> adjacent auto unloader and grain elevator that are
> active.
>
> As posted, E. Minneapolis was an important yard
> for CNW. Nowadays the Triple Crown terminal
> occupies part of the space.
>
> At one time there were even more interchange and
> grain yards than the yards cited so far.
>
> In my opinion, UP still has way too many terminals
> in the Twin Cities area, and it takes carload
> traffic way too long to get where it is going.
>
> Best regards,
>
> Rob L.

Nick is of course correct that C&NW proper did not have any yards in the Twin Cities until they began merging predecessors out of existence. What is called East Minneapolis now was originally "New" Yard, a little further west were the side by side "Grain" and "Flour" yards. West Minneapolis Yard was tucked on the north side of the old GN mainline now the Willmar Sub just north of the site of the Minneapolis Union Depot. This yard and the C&NW's Coach yard were shoehorned into the space between the NP Passenger Main, and the west bank of the Mississippi River along with the CB&Q coach yard. What Dr. Leachmann remembers as Chestnut St. was the Omaha's Western Avenue Yard, now converted to Condos, the Auto unloading area is off a lead sandwiched in alongside the former MILW Ford Line to the St. Paul Ford plant. This was called the Randolph St. lead. This accessed an industrial area including the old Schmidt Brewery, and the old Randolph St. Shops of the Omaha (long closed). Western Avenue Yard is where Ed Burkhardt got his start in railroading. Other yards not mentioned are CGW's Southeast Minneapolis Yard and the Railway Transfer Yard.

Good thread.

Western Ave. still has a fair number of tracks albeit not as large as it once was.

Regards,

Rob Leachman

SOO6617 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Nick is of course correct that C&NW proper did not
> have any yards in the Twin Cities until they began
> merging predecessors out of existence. What is
> called East Minneapolis now was originally "New"
> Yard, a little further west were the side by side
> "Grain" and "Flour" yards. West Minneapolis Yard
> was tucked on the north side of the old GN
> mainline now the Willmar Sub just north of the
> site of the Minneapolis Union Depot. This yard and
> the C&NW's Coach yard were shoehorned into the
> space between the NP Passenger Main, and the west
> bank of the Mississippi River along with the CB&Q
> coach yard. What Dr. Leachmann remembers as
> Chestnut St. was the Omaha's Western Avenue Yard,
> now converted to Condos, the Auto unloading area
> is off a lead sandwiched in alongside the former
> MILW Ford Line to the St. Paul Ford plant. This
> was called the Randolph St. lead. This accessed an
> industrial area including the old Schmidt Brewery,
> and the old Randolph St. Shops of the Omaha (long
> closed). Western Avenue Yard is where Ed Burkhardt
> got his start in railroading. Other yards not
> mentioned are CGW's Southeast Minneapolis Yard and
> the Railway Transfer Yard.

SOO6617 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Other yards not
> mentioned are CGW's Southeast Minneapolis Yard and
> the Railway Transfer Yard.


To name a few more, Add:
MilW South Minneapolis (Garden, Old Light, & Harts Yards)
St Paul
GN Lyndale
Middle Yard, M&M (Old Minneapolis & Manitoba yard, two tracks still remain)

SOO6617 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Other yards not
> mentioned are CGW's Southeast Minneapolis Yard and
> the Railway Transfer Yard.


To name a few more, Add:
Milw South Minneapolis (Garden, Old Light, & Harts Yards)
East Side
Balcom
8th Street
Bass Lake
Gilmore
St Paul
GN Lyndale
Middle Yard
M&M (Old Minneapolis & Manitoba yard, two tracks still remain) at Raymond Ave
Hamline
Minneapolis Jct
Como Yard
Jackson Street
Hobo
Mississippi Street
Park Jct
NP At Raymond Ave
Mississippi Street
Grove Yard
Eustis Street
East Minneapolis
Southeast Minneapolis
SOO Jessamine Street
Minnesota Transfer - New Brighton
Pole Yard
Park Jct
Omaha Park Jct
CRI&P Rocket yard (Adjacent to Milwaukee's Garden)
CBQ Daytons Bluff
North Yard
Park Jct
M&StL Middle Yard

I biked past the location of the Milwaukee Road Bass Lake Yard too.

Al Seever
Minneapolis, MN