THE LAND, MARCH 13, 2015
12 B
‘Minnesota Railroads’ tells of tracks big, small RAILROADS, from pg. 11B railroads during that time that Glischinski documents in that section of his book. Glischinski’s photo collection also records the hay days of Minnesota railroading during the 1940s and 1950s. That was the era when steam was giving way to diesel and even a few gas-electric trains. A 1947 photo, by Ronald V. Nixon, records the panorama of the Mississippi River Valley from the top of Barn Bluff as a steam-powered mail and express train heads toward Red Wing. Glischinski tells the reader about that train: “The steam locomotive is a streamlined 4-6-4-F7class Hudson. Designer Otto Kuhler styled the shrouding with orange and gray paint and silver wings. Six Hudsons were built by American Locomotive in 1938 for heavy high-speed passenger service.
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They once pulled glamour trains such as the Hiawathas, but by 1947 diesels had taken over many runs and the beautiful engines wound up on secondary trains such as this.” Each of the four photographic sections of Minnesota Railroads begins with a few pages of text that analyzes that period of railroad history. “The Revival and Revitalization, 1980-2000” text concludes with the following regarding that period’s final years: “There were fewer miles of track, but those that remained were well maintained and carried more traffic. The large railroads of 1980 Burlington Northern, Chicago & Northwestern, Milwaukee Road, and Soo Line had morphed into BNSF Railway, Canadian Pacific, and Union Pacific. Lines that once might have been abandoned were operated by short line and regional railroads. Railroads, once spurned by investors as a declining industry, had become an attractive investment.” Most Americans are familiar with the big railroad names, but Glischinski’s Revival and Revitalization section is full of photos of trains and names of companies that were created during those years. There are the Otter Tail Valley Railroad and the short line
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conglomerate RailAmerica. There are the Minnesota Commercial Railway, Twin Cities and Western, St. Croix Valley Railroad and others. These are the companies, along with the big familiar companies, that are moving freight, or not moving it, in the 21st century. There were 19 railroads operating in Minnesota in 2012, according to Glischinski. The longest was BNSF with 1,598 miles of track and the shortest was the Red River Valley & Western Railroad that operated on two miles of track. Glischinski’s photo collection presents a remarkable history of Minnesota railroading. Sometimes they are more than that. Many hint at or show a broader American history such as the 1949 photo of pistol toting mail workers sorting mail in a railway post office or Byron D. Olsen’s June 1961 photo of a train on Minneapolis’ Stone Arch Bridge which also shows the St. Anthony Falls Lock and Dam No. 1 under construction. Some photos, like William D. Middleton’s 1959 shot of the steward in the North Coast Limited dining car, are art and history combined. “Minnesota Railroads: A Photographic History, 1940-2012” is an entertaining and educational look into the state’s past and a thoughtful analysis of what the future may hold. It can be obtained directly from the University of Minnesota Press or from bookstores. ❖