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South/West Terminal
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Description
Former CGW route between Red Wing and Mankato, Minnesota
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<p>In 1884, the Wisconsin, Minnesota and Pacific Railway Company (WM&P) began construction on a new railroad line between Red Wing, Minnesota and Mankato, Minnesota. 84 miles would be constructed in 1884, extending from Red Wing to Eagle Lake, Minnesota. An additional 10 miles to Mankato would be completed in 1887. In 1894, the WM&P would be reorganized as the Wisconsin, Minnesota and Pacific Railroad, and the railroad would again be reorganized in 1897, retaining the name. By 1901, the railroad would be leased by the Chicago Great Western Railway (CGW).</p><p>The CGW had constructed and leased a network of railroad lines in Minnesota, Iowa and Illinois. This line never developed beyond a secondary route, and the WM&P would be fully consolidated into the CGW by 1920. In 1968, the CGW would be purchased by the Chicago & North Western Railway (C&NW). The C&NW operated a parallel route which was in better condition. As a result, the first portion of this route to be abandoned was between Benning and Waterville in 1972. The Morristown to Faribault segment was also abandoned in 1972. The segment from Waterville to Morristown would be abandoned in 1976, and the segments from Faribault to Northfield and Cannon Falls to Red Wing abandoned in 1982. </p><p>The Faribault to Waterville segment would be purchased by the Minnesota DNR and converted to the Sakatah Singing Hills Trail, while the Cannon Falls to Red Wing segment would also be purchased by the Minnesota DNR and converted to the Cannon Valley State Trail. The C&NW retained operations over the Benning to Mankato portion of this route, and abandoned their parallel route. In 1982, the C&NW sold their mainline across southern Minnesota to the Dakota, Minnesota & Eastern Railroad (DM&E). In 1995, the C&NW was purchased by Union Pacific Railroad (UP). The DM&E would be purchased by the Canadian Pacific Railway (CP) in 2008, which in turn merged with Kansas City Southern Railway in 2023 to form CPKC. UP currently leases the Cannon Falls Industrial Lead to Progressive Rail, and CPKC currently operates a portion of the route as part of the Tracy Subdivision.<br></p><p><br></p>
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