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NP2626
Guest
Thanks for the map; although it is greatly simplified!
Even though it (the predicessor Minneapolis, St. Paul, Rochester & Dubuque) was originally designed for passenger service, I understood the MNS interchanged freight with six railroads. I am only finding 5 on the map. I wonder if that information is from pre-1970 BN days such that the Great Northern and the Northern Pacific were the other two?Here's a map of the MNS, courtesy of the St. Louis Park Historical Society, to help with your story.
I think that is just because he was a trotter and not a "thoroughbred racer". The thoroughbred racing get all the attention outside of the horse community. I mean everyone knows what the Kentucky Derby, Preakness, and Belmont Stakes are. I am guessing almost no one outside the horse community knows what the Hambletonian is.Dan patch wasn't as famous as Secretariat, Stewball or many other race horses; but, in his day...
A bit more digging around, I found that the MNS interchanged with the Chicago Great Western during world war II. So now I'm going to look for CGW maps and see if I can locate the connection.
Why don't we talk about this Shortline, here, instead of my Curmudgeon thread.
I'm unsure how far North towards Minneapolis the MNS tracks used to run; but, now they end at 59th 1/2 street in South Minneapolis. From Minneapolis, they head straight South through Richfield and on into Bloomington, where I grew up. In Bloomington the tracks run straight North and South until the reach 92nd street where they make a long turn to the South West. Once the tracks cross I 35W there are several branches and spurs that service many manufacturing and other businesses needing rail service. In West Bloomington, the tracks more or less parallel Old Shakopee Road. Close to the edge of Western Bloomington there was a wye where the tracks headed down to the Minnesota river which makes up the southern boarder of Bloomington. This wye might have been a junction with another railroad and there was also a Yard on the West end of the wye where freight cars where stored. The MNS ran south to Savage Minnesota where it crossed the river. I will continue this discussion later, when I have time.
A bit more digging around, I found that the MNS interchanged with the Chicago Great Western during world war II. So now I'm going to look for CGW maps and see if I can locate the connection.
I'm just getting back into model railroading after a 50 year hiatus. Having grown up a couple blocks from the MNS in St Louis Park, I'm looking to repaint a couple of engines, and perhaps a few freight cars. My first issue is getting the MNS blue and red correct. Any photos online are subject to the idiosyncrasies of my monitor. Since you seem to have painted a few MNS locos, I'm curious what you used for the paint colors?MN&S built itself up by being a "bridge line" between the other railroads, allowing freight loads to skip waiting in the various yards of the Twin Cities (of which, yes there were six at minimum.)
The major names to be known which MNS did business with:
Both NP and GN, later BN of course
MILW
CRIP
GNW
CGW
SOO
Interesting to see this thread revived (Thanks GrandpaC!). I've just recently acquired John C Luecke's book about the MN&S, as well as a major MN railway maps bundle also from Luecke. (4000 maps!) AND, my two MN&S SD39's have just come home for detailing. They will soon be joined by MN&S switcher #31, of which I have acquired a well-done custom painted shell.
As I focus on railroading south of the Twin Cities, I consider MN&S to be my #2 railroad interest. About time I get around to showing that. I rock my SD39's as a pair, back-to-back, but in reality MN&S took one each and mated them with two switchers. The trains these lashups would drag through the river valleys are just astounding. The southbound transfer runs through Savage, MN over the Minnesota River were well-known to be big trains, and often required doubling to get everything out of the valley.
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I've asked some more seasoned MNS modelers the same. I've been told everything from MRL blue to Mopac blue and B&O blue. Basically, no one knows, and weathering won't really let us know. Pick a dark blue which looks best to you. (For reference, the Athearn paint on my MN&S locos is too bright)I'm just getting back into model railroading after a 50 year hiatus. Having grown up a couple blocks from the MNS in St Louis Park, I'm looking to repaint a couple of engines, and perhaps a few freight cars. My first issue is getting the MNS blue and red correct. Any photos online are subject to the idiosyncrasies of my monitor. Since you seem to have painted a few MNS locos, I'm curious what you used for the paint colors?
BillG