Nostalgia & History > Switcher Saturday, A Black Rock Island SW900

This guy would not make a Maroon Monday entry but Switcher Saturday seemed OK. This is CRI&P SW900 902 rolling by me in Invergrove, MN with some tank cars on June 3, 1964.

Marty Bernard



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/20/14 20:58 by MartyBernard.

---

---

MartyBernard Wrote:
> This guy would not make a Maroon Monday entry but....
> ..... on June 3, 1964.

When I started Maroon Monday I anticipated this exact situation, so I added the disclaimer: "...doesn't have to be maroon, just Rock Island"

BTW: 6-3-64 was my ninth birthday, so thank you very kindly for the photo-present! :^)

Posted from Android

Marty--how is it you were at this exact location to catch this switcher move. It does not appear to be on the main highways of America!

TomPlatten Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Marty--how is it you were at this exact location
> to catch this switcher move. It does not appear to
> be on the main highways of America!


Not totally true. Rock Island's Inver Grove yard was
located just north of Minnesota 100, which at one time
was planned to be a belt line around the Twin Cities,
similar to the 494/694 loop today. It crossed the
Mississippi River on a swing bridge with the Rock
on Top and MN100 on the lower level. And MN100 was
an important link between each side of the river at
this location. The Rock came off the west end of
the bridge into a wye; north to Inver Grove Yard, less
than a mile; south on the "Spine Line" to Manly.

The swing bridge was taken out of service many years
ago, and removed as a navigation hazard within the last five
years. Twin Cities area TO folk can probably come up
with better dates than I can.

Nick Tharalson,
Marion, IA