Nostalgia & History > Changes on the CNW Huron Line

When cousin Gary (Shoptonfan) moved to Rochester, MN in 1980 or thereabouts, we both knew what that meant. ALCOS!!! Located on the CNW's
Winona Subdivision across southern Minnesota, Rochester had its own switch engine, was home base for the Plainview Branch Local which
diverged from the Main 12 miles east of town in addition to daily freights #495 and #482 (alpha symbols ADRCA/RCADA) between Adams, WI and
Rapid City, SD.
By the time I got to visit Rochester, the Alcos were all gone; replaced by EMD power. Here are a couple of "then and then" shots
from the Huron Line.

1) Before I got there, here is westbound freight 495 leaving Rochester, MN with two Alcos and a Geep. Maybe the geep is the handwriting
on the wall.
Photo by Brian Herbstreit
April 12, 1981.

2) Here is 495 again, 2 years later leaving Rochester, MN. Although the Alcos are gone, what I wouldn't give to shoot a consist like
this today. A dynamic brakeless SD40 with two high nose Geeps.
Ausust 12, 1983

Thanks for looking.

Bob Helling
PRose

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As you noted, Bob, the changes were well underway in the first shot.
The two Alco's have been renumbered into the 4200 series, and would
soon be transfered to Green Bay. Everything in the first photo is
four axle, but none of the Century slug sets which were normal power
for this train east of Huron, with RSD4/5 kickers. Often, the switch
engines were ex-CGW RS2's that had no mu.

We should note here for historical accuracy, that the Alco line technically
ended in Pierre, SD. Here, Alco power would be routinely change to GP7's
out of the Chadron pool, and turn back to Huron. When I lived in Pierre
in the mid 60's, 405, 1613 and 1624, the two re-engined RS's, were the
usual power, while any one of the Chadron based GP7's would show up on
the PRC Division. For a while in the early 70's, the Alco's would run
through to Rapid City, but although the MIC there was familiar with Alco's,
no one else was, so CNW went to turning them back at Pierre.

As to why I don't post pictures of this; two reasons. One, I don't have a
working scanner at the moment. Two, I didn't have a camera in those days.
It would be another five years before I could get a good camera and start
my serious rail photography. But that's another story. I'm working on the
scanner.

Thanks for posting these.

Nick Tharalson,
Marion, IA

After the purge of the RS2, RS3, RSD4 and RSD5 models, the two C425 slug sets, ten RS32s, plus the 405 (RS36), 1613(RS3m) and 4251(RS11) were transferred to Green Bay in the spring of 1981. What a treat that was for us here in Wisconsin! The RS32s were commonly used as yard engines at Green Bay, Kaukauna and Appleton.

401-405 were renumbered to 4255-4259 and 1613 became 4250 in May of 1982.

Dennis