Western Railroad Discussion > Winona, MN & E. Winona, WI operations

I will soon be visiting some friends in Winona, MN, along the Mississippi River south of the Twin Cities. I'm generally aware of the mainline operations of CP and BNSF but I'm interesting in documenting a couple of the more obscure rail operations there. So a couple questions for anyone in the know:

Does UP still operate from Winona east to Adams, WI? This is a remnant of when this was a through route and in that CP operates the ex-CNW/ex-DME line and runs a through train on that line, perhaps there is little traffic left for UP. But as of a couple years ago I think this train (MWIAD/MADWI) was still running at least 2-3 times a week. Is it still? Last I saw it it ran with a caboose/shoving platform due to needing to back out of the UP yard onto the CP mainline. Is that still the case? If so, any regular days/times?

Across the river, is the interchange between the old GB&W line (now CN) and BNSF at East Winona still active? Last I knew BNSF would drop a few cars off and WC (now of course CN) would come in, pick them up and return east....I guess to Stevens Point? Anyway any updates on that operation if it still exists would be appreciated.

The UP still runs to Winona on Monday and Thursday and to Adams WI on Tuesdays and Fridays. They usually have 3 EMDS for power and an ex-MP caboose (Shoving platform) The BNSF rarely switches East Winona anymore and converted the siding to main line use. Still plenty of trains on the BNSF side and longer yet fewer trains on the CP side.

Thanks for the info. So does that mean that the ex-GB&W CN line into East Winona is basically no longer in service? I actually had assumed it would be busier than in the past due to all the frac sand coming out of the Badger Mine in Taylor. But I guess it must take a different route?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/14/18 15:02 by Soo715.

The Frac Sand runs from basically Independence WI to the east, Whitehall, Blair, Taylor, etc. The heavy welded rail ends in Independence and is stick rail to Arcadia shown in image CN 5767 and the CN 2020 is just east of Whitehall WI.

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Soo715 Wrote:
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> Thanks for the info. So does that mean that the
> ex-GB&W CN line into East Winona is basically no
> longer in service? I actually had assumed it would
> be busier than in the past due to all the frac
> sand coming out of the Badger Mine in Taylor. But
> I guess it must take a different route?

CN is not interested in short hauling itself by taking traffic off the old GB&W and giving it to BNSF at East Winona. It's been over 10 years since they did any interchange there. I don't think CN interchanges anything with the UP at Merrillan either. It goes to Wisconsin Rapids and Steven's Point and beyond via CN. But like many pieces of the WC that have no traffic I don't think there is any danger of abandonment...never know what traffic may materialize. BSB