A free-moN version of the WBTR

[Missaberoad]

Good to know.... Does the builder make two stops in Minneapolis/St paul, or do they bypass Midway now?

edit: found the answer Midway was closed in 2014
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Midway_station_%28Minnesota%29

[soo]

Ryan,

I have brain overload now,, thanks!!!

Great job on the research,, wow. I need a warehouse now

what do I do,, what do I do???

Adios, Wyatt

[Rossford Yard]

Ryan,

I will be back in MSP in three weeks.  Despite going there for years on biz, your guide showed me stuff I didn't already see, some of it very close to the airport. Thanks for the info, it will be used!

BTW, since Minnesota has a tax for everything - for instance, I note they tax my frequent flier miles, adding $0.05 to my rental car bill - will I be taxed for rail fanning?  LOL, I think.....

[BOK]

I worked for the Commerical in the late 90s as conductor/engineer/yardmaster and remember switching the Hiawatha many times. Somewhere I even have switching/track, diagrams which I made up to help us figure out how to switch the mills when we took it over from the CP.

One interesting feature which was most frustrating to us crews, was the fact that though the two, flour mills were only a city block apart they would occasionally ship cars back and forth to each other which entailed a run around move on each end and often a day's delay in movement because they had to make a trip to the wash track before spotting. Fun for modelers...not so much for the crews.

Barry

[mcjaco]

We've got a guy in Modutrak that's a big MC fan.  He knows the crews, etc. and railfans the line frequently.  Very cool little operation.

They still have a GBW Alco on the roster as well.  I think 316.

[BOK]

i see someone already posted my switching diagrams from a presentation I gave years ago in the Cities.

Another interesting thing about the MNNR was the turntable which when I worked there could only rotate about 80 degrees ...just short of being able to turn a piece of equipment but enough to reach all the roundhouse stalls. There was a heavy chain and lock placed over the pit rail as a stop to prevent movement of the table past poor pit rail ties. I also recall one hot summer day and not being able to put our unit in the house because one of the big,heavy, Alcos (six wheeler) had crashed through rotted turntable, bridge decking and fallen towards the pit blocking all movements. I am guessing that little problem has since been resolved with better maintainence.

Barry,   

[wcfn100]

For some inspiration, I took a few shot along the corridor a few years ago.










I have a few more if needed.




Jason

[Missaberoad]

Wyatt:
I worried it would be overloading, twin cities have a little bit of a Chicago spider web thing going on.  and its no where near as bad as it was before the 1970s

Very much looking forward to seeing this develop!

Rossford Yard:

Thanks, and glad you took something from it
I'm going to assume you've visited Scale Model Supply in Minneapolis, always a fun store to visit.
I wish I could suggest visiting the N shop as well but its been closed for years. It was always an experience visiting the "hairball"

Barry:

I'm assuming you gave a presentation at the convention in 1999?
I have the handouts from it that I found on a now defunct website, was early inspiration for my interest in the MNNR
Thanks a bunch and love the anecdotes...

Jason:

Nice shots! I would be very much interested in seeing any pics you're willing to share of the Hiawatha district, a top candidate for a layout subject for me

[wcfn100]

Jason:

Nice shots! I would be very much interested in seeing any pics you're willing to share of the Hiawatha district, a top candidate for a layout subject for me

Try this link.  My first time using Google Photos for what's it's made for.

https://goo.gl/photos/gqdScRxjpPPg2gc2A


Jason

[Missaberoad]

Thanks again! Very drool worthy inspiration 

[soo]

Man you guys are just a wealth of info.

I just need to figure out what to deal with.

1. I could use the commercial from New Brighton south the roundhouse.

2. The SOO from Humbolt to Cardigan Jct. Ryan had mentioned I could even throw in the " rocky Transfer" for some CRIP love.

All of this has me thinking,, do I stay with the 18" sections,, or do I up the anty to 24". The wife agreed to a 18" shelf,, not 24". So that would make the 18" set in stone,, ( well atleast wood and foam)

Ryan had also mentioned the SOO option is what Bob  Rivard's HO scale SOO layout focuses on,,, and it is one HECK OF A FINE one.

Man this is tough,,, what do I ,, what do I do?????. In my dream world,, " the layout" was going to have transfer runs and heavy industry. So that sounds like a mix between the commercial and the SOO,,  ,,, what in the heck do I do?

Adios ,Y-it

Adios, Wyatt

[Missaberoad]

Taking a closer look at your Soo Idea I was able to find some opportunities for industrial switching. No where near what the commercial would have but enough to keep a crew busy and more then will fit on your sections

Keep in mind the names of industries are right off google maps and were likely different in the 1980s. Not to mention there would likely be more industry!

Just west of Cardigan Jct. the Soo serves the Lexington ave industrial park.

I can count 4 industries including

- International Paper
- Northwestern foods (Labeled Tyson foods on the Rivard's 1978 layout)
- Powder Technology Inc
- Asdco Supply / API Distribution

There must have been more there in the 1970s/80s would be worth looking into.

Moving west to New Brighton There are at least a couple Industries on the south side of the Soo main west of the diamond. In addition the MNNR/Minnesota Transfer Interchange yard and adjacent Bell pole co. yard provide some operational interest.
It also looks like Soo line had more trackage on the south side of the tracks at one point in time.

Heading further west bypassing Shoreham brings us to Camden Jct There is a long Spur to the south that serves many industries along the west side of the Mississippi eventually winding up at the Star Tribune newspaper.

- Industrial lumber and supply
- GAF
- Northern Metal recycling
- Alliance Steel service
- Lafarge cement
- Re-alliance recycling
- Star Tribune

Many industries (and alot of evidence of past industries) with looks like a "Miami branch" kind of feel.


Moving west along the Soo main there is this former spur to a large warehouse.

Ending at Humboldt yardthere is;

- The large ADM elevator
- Owens corning roofing 
- Forest specialties

In addition to the MNS transfers and yard switching. you could also change the Rocky Soo to terminate in Humboldt instead of Shoreham to add some interest.

 

[Missaberoad]

A good book to get your hands on would be this one,
http://www.amazon.com/Soo-Line-1975-1992-Photo-Archive/dp/1882256689

Lots of B/W photos from the area you're interested in.

Another option could be an L shaped design focusing on New Brighton with one leg being Soo and the other leg being Minnesota transfer / commercial.

One thing that I'm not sure has been mentioned is Minnesota Commercial was Minnesota Transfer before 1987. and the interesting Roster of Alcos and GEs was a mid to late 90's thing... That being said I'm sure you could fudge reality a little and pull it back into the 1980s (I know I would  )

[Missaberoad]

A little inspiration,

Rock Island at Cardigan Jct.
http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=708165

More Cardigan Jct.
http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=363936&nseq=122

New Brighton.
http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=336611&nseq=131
http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=304424&nseq=150

Looking east at New Brighton.
http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=58888&nseq=852

WC coal train at New Brighton. (sitting on MNNR Interchange yard)
http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=138690&nseq=808

Soo and CRIP meet west of New Brighton.
http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=708158

Soo freights from Humbolt to Shoreham. (line to New Brighton is other leg of Wye)
http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=81250&nseq=114
http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=34103&nseq=356

Soo bridge over Northtown yard
http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=363876&nseq=121

Soo bridge over Mississippi.
http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=535140&nseq=396
http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=182051&nseq=461
http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=420975&nseq=856

Westbound freight at Camden Jct. (Note industrial spur to the right)
http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=471082&nseq=421

East end of Humboldt
http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=279548&nseq=642

West end of Humboldt Yard
http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=426873&nseq=405

[wcfn100]

One thing that I'm not sure has been mentioned is Minnesota Commercial was Minnesota Transfer before 1987. and the interesting Roster of Alcos and GEs was a mid to late 90's thing... That being said I'm sure you could fudge reality a little and pull it back into the 1980s (I know I would  )

If he's looking at a Rocky Soo transfer, then it would be 70's.  And the Minnesota Transfer was all Alco until the SW1500's came along in 1967.

The MT/MNNR has a ton of industrial trackage along the 280 going north that lends itself to a linear style layout like Free-moN.

And one note on the Rocky-Soo, that's probably more of a showcase for UP and other foreign equipment than RI as they would very often put foreign power on it. One of my favorites was RI SW1200 - UP GP30B - UP GP30.  And if you didn't know, it would have a SOO caboose. 

Jason