Western Railroad Discussion > Downtown Bismarck Today

Earlier I explained to a TO member how difficult it was for me to get away from work on Wednesdays as they are usually very busy days. I finally did get away for lunch around 1:15 and heard on the scanner that a coal train had completed their bad-order set-outs and was ready to depart Mandan eastward. I tried for the bridge but was too late so I shot downtown on Main. Because of the sun I needed to get on the south side of the tracks and get into position for a shot from my bucket list. I was able to cross at 3rd street and get in position just before the gates came down. Made it!

1. The BNSF 5993 East passes the well-preserved NP 2164 as it enters the no-horn zone https://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?1,4627505,4627505#msg-4627505
2. Crossing South 3rd St. with the historic, former NP Bismarck Depot ahead. The Spanish-mission style is really unusual for the Northern Plains although it would be right at home on the Santa Fe or Southern Pacific. The depot was built in 1901 and currently houses the upscale Edwinton Brewery. [scratch another shot off the bucket list]
3. The coal train was immediately followed by the BNSF 2795 approaching the South 5th Street crossing with the local carrying cars for interchange with the DMVW.

Thanks for joining me today.

BB

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When I was working for Northwest Airlines, I used to bid trips with long bismark layovers.  Took lots of pix and video of trains going across the bridge, and some downtown.  Lots of traffic, single track with siding switches cab controlled.  Remnants of the old SOO (now DMVW) around....

Nice series Bill! Interesting shots!

Larry
 

Very nice.  I remember my first trip through Bismarck on the NP Mainstreeter in December, 1966 coming from Montana and being perplexed by that Spanish depot design which certainly was unlike any other depot I had seen in the part of the country I grew up in (primarily NP, Milwaukee and GN depots).  And of course this was only a few minutes after the long station and servicing stop in Mandan which featured its equally unique (for this part of the country) Colonial style depot.

The old NP depot in Bismarck is an awesome structure.

Bob Krieger
Cheyenne, WY

How about a good picture of just the depot??

Nice catches--the late lunch time netted some fine results.  Nice looking depot.
Brian Stevens

Fantastic images  there.  Great seeing the depot..

Keep them coming,

Pat

Google Street View has a rather uncluttered look at the depot.
Go

Gonut1 Wrote:
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> Google Street View has a rather uncluttered look
> at the depot.
> Go

Depends when they went down Main St. The land owner leases the parking spaces to downtown workers so the lot is mostly full on weekdays. The old Sears store is directly west (now a furniture store) and former hotels to the north and east. I any case I ALWAYS welcome suggestions and visitors to our city.

BB