Dan Patch line crossing Minnesota River

I went snooping around the Dan Patch line to the south side of the bridge crossing the Minnesota...previous info said the bridge, and line, had been mothballed since the mid-90's. Today I found men installing new piles at the place where the swing bridge would meet the south bank were it to be swung...the line/yard connecting the bridge on a south to east chord to the UP east-west line, parallel to Route 13, appeared in very good shape (4 lines reasonably worn, 2 lines hadn't been used for years, with rail dating at least from 1914 at 86 lbs). Does anyone know if this line will be used to cross the Minnesota now, and what kind of traffic is planned? Will the original Dan Patch line, crossing Rt. 13 on an old trestle, be used again? Thanks for any info! Sam

Semaphore Sam wrote:I went snooping around the Dan Patch line to the south side of the bridge crossing the Minnesota...previous info said the bridge, and line, had been mothballed since the mid-90's. Today I found men installing new piles at the place where the swing bridge would meet the south bank were it to be swung...the line/yard connecting the bridge on a south to east chord to the UP east-west line, parallel to Route 13, appeared in very good shape (4 lines reasonably worn, 2 lines hadn't been used for years, with rail dating at least from 1914 at 86 lbs). Does anyone know if this line will be used to cross the Minnesota now, and what kind of traffic is planned? Will the original Dan Patch line, crossing Rt. 13 on an old trestle, be used again? Thanks for any info! Sam

I believe that the Twin Cities & Western either owned or leased the bridge, and put it back in operation a few years ago. They have access to Port Cargill and the other ports over that line, but I don't think they really cross US 169. As far as I know, none of the rail companies operating on the old MN&S (CP, TC&W or PGR) use the line from Savage to Lakeville. I couldn't tell you whether there are any potential customers down there anyway.

Hi Mtuandrew
I am new in the area, and don't know where US 169 is...the trestle over Route 13 looks rickety, and I doubt traffic uses it, but, I've seen many apparently rickety-looking structures turn out as solid as a rock, so, I don't know. Google-earthing the route to Lakeville, there is a photo of a very overgrown track, which again leads me towards belief in the line's abandonment. The bridge over the Minnesota, I guess, is only for connection the the UP east-west line, and, as you say, ports along the river such as Port Cargill.

I have also been investigating lines around Mendota, further east, and have many questions concerning the rail bridge at Mendota, torn down, I guess, early in the 1900's. Different subject, I know, but, as I say, I'm new in the area, and would love to pick the brains of people familiar with the area. There seems to be a very rich history of rail here, and very little discussion or interest in these threads concerning this history...especially interesting would be what rail lines and terminals existed, and where, for the major lines in St. Paul and Minnie. Yes, I visited, and was fascinated, by the Milwaukee Road's Terminal, still extant in Minnie, but, like Chicago, say in 1937, these downtown areas must have been dominated by rail and steam to an extent undreamed by us modern folk. Thanks for the response, Mtuandrew! Sam

Semaphore Sam wrote:Hi Mtuandrew
I am new in the area, and don't know where US 169 is...the trestle over Route 13 looks rickety, and I doubt traffic uses it, but, I've seen many apparently rickety-looking structures turn out as solid as a rock, so, I don't know. Google-earthing the route to Lakeville, there is a photo of a very overgrown track, which again leads me towards belief in the line's abandonment. The bridge over the Minnesota, I guess, is only for connection the the UP east-west line, and, as you say, ports along the river such as Port Cargill.

I have also been investigating lines around Mendota, further east, and have many questions concerning the rail bridge at Mendota, torn down, I guess, early in the 1900's. Different subject, I know, but, as I say, I'm new in the area, and would love to pick the brains of people familiar with the area. There seems to be a very rich history of rail here, and very little discussion or interest in these threads concerning this history...especially interesting would be what rail lines and terminals existed, and where, for the major lines in St. Paul and Minnie. Yes, I visited, and was fascinated, by the Milwaukee Road's Terminal, still extant in Minnie, but, like Chicago, say in 1937, these downtown areas must have been dominated by rail and steam to an extent undreamed by us modern folk. Thanks for the response, Mtuandrew! Sam

Sorry, I meant to say MN 13 in my last post, not US 169. Highway 13 cuts south just before Highway 169 crosses the Minnesota River - it's easy to see on a map website.

As for the bridge, you're exactly right. The bridge over the river connects the grain terminals and the Union Pacific ex-Omaha Road line with the Twin Cities & Western. Past Highway 13, the line is unused until Lakeville, MN, and from there Progressive Rail operates to Northfield and a connection with CP Rail and UP. I don't believe the line between those points is abandoned per se, but CP Rail certainly hasn't done much with it for at least a decade.

I was just talking with user Minneapolitan about the Mendota line in a thread about the Milwaukee Road in the Grainger forum, so maybe you could see that one for more information. I'm definitely not the reigning expert, but I work near that line so I've studied it a bit. Short story: it lasted nearly 100 years, from being built in 1865 to being dismantled from Mendota to Minnehaha Park in... 1962, I believe. It's now a popular bike path from Minnehaha Park south, and the segment from Minnehaha Park to 29th St. still serves grain elevators.

The exMN&S Minnesota River bridge hasn't been used for a few years when the TC&W was using it to access the Savage grain ports. I think it's been out of service since about 2006. There was some recent bridge work reported on the MNRail chat group, but that it wasn't for the resumption of train traffic, but rather mandatory bridge maintenance (regardless of use). The bridge over highway 13 isn't used nowadays either, nor do I think it's been in use since the 90's. Interesting side note - I recall in the 80's there was a grade level crossing a few feet east of the bridge. Hard to imagine trying to stop traffic on 13... Anyway, customers in Lakeville are reached from the south end of the line in Northfield, but I don't there's any business north of the Air Line Industrial Park.

Hm, interesting. I should take a look down that way, to see the state of things from Auto Club Jct. to Lakeville. Aside from lack of customers, I wonder why CP Rail hasn't looked at reactivating the MN&S as a through route - no overhead traffic prospects from its ex-ICE nee-MILW connection in Northfield, bad grades and curvature, neighborhood opposition, or something else?

I'm not sure why CP doesn't use it, but I can speculate. Since PGR does the switching up the MNS from Northfield (and east to Cannon Falls), all CP has to do is bring cars to the Northfield yard & doesn't CP own that part of the Spine Line anyway? I always forget whose track was originally whose, but I don't think CP has to pay extra to run down the Spine or more likely whatever they pay is a better option than upgrading their own track. Considering that bridge over 13, I'd guess it'd need serious money if it was going to be used again. South of there, I really don't know what there's to be upgraded. Back in the early 90's when I went to school in the Twin Cities, I went down to St. Olaf a few times & recall seeing a manifest heading south through Savage - that's the only time I saw something on the currently unused part of the track. I know there's been some talk of a light rail corridor which might be why it's still intact to the degree it is. But I doubt it's very high on the list - I'd think something paralleling state highway 3 through Farmington would be more likely even without a good ROW option. All speculation, though, on what I consider a very interesting area in terms of RRing.

The Dan Patch Corridor was once in the running for rail transit, but the Minnesota legislature forbade spending state money on any studies or construction. It's still officially listed on the Mn/DOT website though, and has an entry on Wikipedia that's relatively accurate.

I believe you're right that CP still has at least a share in the Spine Line in Northfield, though only for a few miles south, and possibly from Northfield to Rosemount - it was originally MILW track, with Rock Island trackage rights. Assuming they haven't made a later agreement with UP or PGR, CP Rail ought to legally be able to run a through train from MNS Junction in Crystal to Mason City, IA, using the MN&S and the ex-MILW. It's another matter whether the traffic exists to do so.