Rails to the North Star

The 2004 National Railway Historical Society National Convention

 

Photographs and Story By Dawn Holmberg

 

Doubleheaded steam, old and new traction, museums and diesel excursions were the highlights of the 2004 Rails to the Northstar NRHS convention.

 

The Northstar Chapter, based in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area, celebrated its 35th anniversary as a NRHS chapter by hosting the 2004 National Railway Historical Society convention in Minneapolis, MN.

 

Tuesday 

 

The convention began with registration (35k) the afternoon of Tuesday, June 29th at the Hilton Hotel in downtown Minneapolis.  The first event was an evening ride on the Minnesota Zephyr (37k) dinner train in Stillwater, Minnesota.  The five course dinner choices included a main course of roast beef, prime rib, salmon, or rock game hen.  The train (29k) consisted of Locomotive #787 (ex-BN 9756; neeSP&S 804), an ex-Southern Pacific Grand dome, table cars Lake Winds, Stillwater and Northern Winds, the St. Croix Dome Club car, and locomotive #788 (ex C&NW 4082A).  The train went from Stillwater to Duluth Junction and return, about a 12 mile round-trip.  The food and ride were reported to be excellent. 

 

Wednesday

 

Wednesday involved a motor coach ride to the Lake Superior Railroad Museum in Duluth, Mn. and a ride on the North Shore Scenic Railroad excursion train to Two Harbors.  The museum has a large number of significant artifacts on display.  They include the St. Paul & Pacific’s (predecessor to the Great Northern Railroad) ‘William Crooks’ (31k), the first locomotive to run in Minnesota, Milwaukee Road electric locomotive #10200, and Duluth, Missabe and Iron Range #227, a mallet steam locomotive.   Participants were able to tour the museum for a time, before picking up their box lunch (38k) and boarding the train. Most of the motor coaches were delayed in arriving at the Hilton to pick up participants by a rush-hour freeway accident. The buses were able to arrive at the Duluth depot in time to make the 12:30 pm departure of the excursion train.  The train consist was locomotives Erie Mining F-9  #4211 (44k) and  Soo Line FP-7 #2500 (34k), dining car Great Northern 1250, “Lake of the Isles”, a GN baggage/power/concession car, coach GN 1115 ‘Liz Prebich’, coach GN 1116, coach Duluth & Iron Range #33, combination car Duluth, Missabe & Iron Range #W-24, and Duluth, Missabe & Northern business car “Missabe” (44k). 

 

Participants were able to take part in a photo run-by (35k) at the Knife River depot.  After reboarding the train, the excursion continued on to Two Harbors, MN, where the train went through the Canadian National (former DM&IR) rail yard to the end of the line at the depot.  Passengers detrained at Two Harbors to view and photograph the engines being run around to the other end of the train. They were also able to view the old DM&I (Duluth & Iron Range) station, the ore docks and the railroad equipment on display.  On display are the DM&IR Yellowstone #229 with tender, the Duluth & Iron Range #3 with tender, and various other equipment.  Participants were also able to visit the museum gift shop in the station.  They were also able to see in the harbor the Edna G, (43k) a DM&IR tugboat built in 1896, the last coal-fired steam tugboat in operation on the Great Lakes.

 

A summer storm rolled in while we were in Two Harbors.  By the time all had reboarded and the train had started to return to Duluth, the clouds opened up and it poured (21k). The brakeman got very wet when throwing the switch to leave Two Harbors.  The rain finally stopped for the last photo run-by of the day at Palmers (31k).  The sun came out just in time to make it a memorable shot with storm clouds in the background over Lake Superior. After reboarding, the train continued back to Duluth. Participants were given time to see the museum and to pick up a boxed snack provided for the return trip back to Minneapolis.

 

An alternative event available on Wednesday was the Twin Cities railfan sites tour.  Participants traveled by motor coach from the Hilton to the James J. Hill house, the Twin Cities Model Railroad club layout in St. Paul, and the restored Milwaukee Road Depot in Minneapolis.  The Hill house was built in 1891for James J Hill, president of the Great Northern Railway, and at one time was the largest house in the state. The Minnesota Historical Society currently owns and operates the facility. The Twin Cities Model Railroad Club has its layout, built to represent 1940’s Minneapolis-St. Paul, in Bandana Square, the former Burlington Northern (originally Northern Pacific) car shops. On the way back to Minneapolis the tour viewed the James J. Hill Stone Arch Bridge over the Mississippi River. It reportedly is the only structure Mr. Hill ever allowed to be named after him. The final stop of the tour was the Milwaukee Road Station in downtown Minneapolis, which is now a hotel.  Participants toured the building and had a picnic lunch under the train shed where Milwaukee Road, Soo Line and Rock Island passenger trains once stopped.

 

Thursday 

 

The next day was Thursday, Minnesota Transportation Museum (MTM) day.  Participants were able to tour the MTM’s museum at the Jackson Street Roundhouse in St. Paul, MN.  On display were Northern Pacific steam engines # 328, and 2156 which were in the process of restoration, diesel electric locomotive Dan Patch Electric Lines 100, Minneapolis, Northfield and Southern Business car Gopher, as well as many other pieces of equipment.  Rides on GN #400 Hustle Muscle (45k) — the Great Northern Railway Historical Society’s SD45, a speeder (52k) and a hand car (44k) were offered.

 

Another part of the tour was a visit to the MTM’s Como-Harriet streetcar line. People could view the car barn and passenger station and ride the line (43k) .  Three street cars were running: Twin Cities Rapid Transit Company #1300 (52k) , (built by the TCRT’s shops in Saint Paul) and TCRT’s PCC #322 (45k) and Duluth Street Railway #265 (52k) , (also built by the Twin City Rapid Transit Company).

 

The third event of the day was a tour the new Hiawatha light rail shops (35k), and a ride on the newly opened line. They traveled from the Hilton to the shops on MTM’s vintage 1955 transit buses (38k), which were a big hit with both riders and bystanders. The light rail shops are built on the site of the former Milwaukee Road passenger car shops in South Minneapolis. After the shop tour, participants rode the 12 mile portion (26k) of the line that was open, from downtown Minneapolis to Fort Snelling and back. The afternoon tour saw firsthand the heavy patronage (39k) by Minnesota Twins baseball fans.

 

The Meet the Officers social hour was held at the Hilton’s Carvers meeting room.  It was well attended.

 

The MTM also hosted the night photo session.  Participants rode MTM’s vintage buses to Jackson Street Roundhouse in St. Paul.  There were 5 scenes. The two were of the GN #400 Hustle Muscle (18k) engine in different positions on the turntable. The other scenes were of the Dan Patch locomotive #100, Lake Superior Terminal & Transfer #101 EMD switch engine and SL-SF boxcars (31k). The finale for the night was three steam tenders (36k) in the open roundhouse doorways with a workman (MTM and Northstar Chapter member Richard Kasseth) giving hand signals. The scene looked very much like in steam days.

 

Friday 

 

Friday July 2nd turned out to be one of the hottest days of the summer.  Luckily, the convention’s events were the seminars, flea market, Board of Directors’ and annual membership meetings, and the banquet, all held indoors at the Hilton. There were four seminars.  Donald Hofsommer, Professor of History at St. Cloud State University, spoke on ‘History of Minnesota Railroads and Environs’. Patrick Dorin, well-known author, spoke on ‘Railroads of Minnesota’s Iron Mining Industry’.  James Scribbins, another well-known author, spoke on ‘High Speed Passenger Train Competition between the Twin Cities and Chicago’.  Aaron and George Isaacs with author Russell Olson spoke on ‘Minnesota’s Electric Railways--Past and Present’.

 

Andrew Selden, president of the Minnesota Association of Railroad Passengers, was the banquet speaker. He had an intriguing presentation about Amtrak’s financial results over the years. He also gave some innovative ideas about what might be done to correct the Amtrak “problem”.

 

Saturday

 

Saturday was a big doubleheaded stream excursion.  Canadian Pacific #2816 and Milwaukee Road #261 (41k) were the stars of the show, along with #261’s and a CP auxiliary tenders, Amtrak engines #135 and 123, and many private cars including two Northstar Rail cars, Union Pacific ‘Echo Canyon’, Southern Pacific ‘Golden Sand’, Sante Fe ‘Tolani’, two Amtrak horizon coaches, California Zephyr ‘Silver Larch’, Pennsylvanian ‘Henry Hudson’, Sante Fe ‘Mohave’, Northstar Rail’s parlor car ‘Wisconsin Valley’, a Lancaster and Chester car and the ‘J. Pinckney Henderson’, ‘Caritas’, Northstar Rail’s business cars ‘Montana’ and ‘Lamberts Point’, dome ‘Sierra Hotel’ and the famous skytop observation lounge car ‘Cedar Rapids’, among others.  A few years ago the Northstar chapter had helped to secure a grant from the NRHS to repaint a portion of the Cedar Rapids.  It has since been fully repainted, and the car looked great.

 

 The train ran from St. Paul down the west side of the Mississippi River on Canadian Pacific tracks. A stop was made in Red Wing, MN (47k) to service the locomotives.  The train also stopped briefly in Winona, MN (32k) to drop off those passengers who wanted to see the train, and to pick up box lunches (39k) for NRHS passengers, before continuing south to wye the train at La Crescent, MN.  Upon returning to Winona, the train briefly stopped again to pick up passengers.  The weather started out nice, but by the time the train had departed Winona on the return trip it was pouring rain that didn’t let up until after its arrival in St. Paul.

 

Sunday

 

Sunday offered a ride on the MTM’s Osceola and St. Croix Valley Railway excursion train.  Passengers rode a motor coach to Withrow, MN, where they boarded the train at Withrow, about 15 miles northeast of Minneapolis. Withrow is the junction of the former Soo Line’s Barron Sub and New Richmond Sub.  The first few miles are not usually part of MTM’s excursion operation, so there was a bit of rare mileage included in the day’s ride.  The power was GP-7 “Soo #559” (ex-Rock Island #1223) and baggage car GN 265, coaches Rock Island 2608, GN 1213,  GN 1097, and business car GN A-11.  The train crossed over the St. Croix River drawbridge (which has not been opened in 85 years) into Wisconsin, where there was a photo runby (41k) soon after crossing the river.  The trip continued on to Osceola, WI, where the MTM maintains its ticket office in the former Soo Line stone depot. A brief stop was made to water the engine due to a leaky radiator hose. The trip continued on to Dresser, WI, the end of the line.  Passengers detrained at the old wooden Soo Line depot and walked two blocks down the street to the Town Hall for lunch.  While passengers ate, the train crew and museum volunteers worked to replace the leaking hose (43k).  This unexpected complication had the potential to end the trip at Dresser, but the crew was able to locate a replacement hose on a holiday Sunday, so this was avoided.  The delay meant that the last photo runby was of the train being wyed at Dresser (37k).  After reboarding the train (40k), the trip ran back to Osceola, where passengers were allowed to detrain and tour the restored depot (33k), and watch the mail catch (33k) as the regularly scheduled museum train went on its way to Dresser.  Passengers reboarded for the trip back to the motor coaches at Withrow. We arrived at the busses about 15 minutes late and all passengers who needed to make flights at the airport made it with plenty of time to spare. 

 

The "Crew" (25k)

 

Many thanks to Dan Meyer, Convention chairman, H. Martin Swan, assistant Convention chairman and Hotel chairman, Russ Isbrandt, who wrote the Convention timetable and trip brochures and was Bus chairman, John Goodman, Rail trip chairman, Doug Johnson, Secretary and Treasurer, De Smith Lindeen, Volunteer coordinator and registration room manager, Jim George who set up the financial accounting system, Dick Fish for ticketing and data processing, Ben Pressnall, Minnesota Zephyr trip chairman, Kurt Peterson, Seminar chairman, and  to all the volunteers who helped at the registration desk, the photography and the bus hosts, among other duties.  Also many thanks to the National Convention Committee:  Carl Jensen, Mia Mather, Al Howe, Joe Williams, and Ed Graham for all of their valuable assistance and counsel.  What a memorable 35th year for the Northstar Chapter!

 

Postscript: 

 

On October 24th 2004 at the NRHS Fall Board of Directors meeting, Dan Meyer presented (29k) President Greg Molloy a check for $5,000 as a payment to the National from convention proceeds.  A final accounting is expected sometime in the Spring of 2005.

 

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 Story and photographs copyright 2005 by Dawn Holmberg. All Rights Reserved