Minnesota Commercial Railway
Encyclopedia
The Minnesota Commercial Railway is a short line railroad in the United States
.
This railroad operates out of the St. Paul
area with service to Minneapolis
, Bayport
, Hugo
, Fridley
and New Brighton
. It is considered a terminal and switching line. It is based out of a roundhouse
on Cleveland Ave. in St. Paul just blocks south of the Amtrak
station and its main yard is just to the north of the station.
Its lines consist of one to Fridley, with an interchange with Canadian National Railway
and a small yard in New Brighton. The railroad also runs to Hugo and Bayport on trackage rights
. It interchanges with BNSF Railway
at Northtown yard. It also serves east Minneapolis' grain elevators by the University of Minnesota
as well as the grain elevators on Minnesota State Highway 55
adjacent to the Hiawatha Light Rail Line.
The Minnesota Commercial connects with all major railroads in the Twin Cities
including: Canadian National Railway
, BNSF Railway
, Canadian Pacific Railway
, Union Pacific Railway, Iowa, Chicago and Eastern Railroad
, and Twin Cities and Western Railroad
.
The MNNR's roster consists of mainly Alco
and GE
locomotives. With over two dozen locomotives, including one from Hamersley Iron
in Australia
, the roster is diverse and meets the switching and road freight needs. Most units wear a red paint scheme much like that of the GBW
.
The line was formerly known as the Minnesota Transfer Railroad.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
This railroad operates out of the St. Paul
Saint Paul, Minnesota
Saint Paul is the capital and second-most populous city of the U.S. state of Minnesota. The city lies mostly on the east bank of the Mississippi River in the area surrounding its point of confluence with the Minnesota River, and adjoins Minneapolis, the state's largest city...
area with service to Minneapolis
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Minneapolis , nicknamed "City of Lakes" and the "Mill City," is the county seat of Hennepin County, the largest city in the U.S. state of Minnesota, and the 48th largest in the United States...
, Bayport
Bayport, Minnesota
Bayport is a city in Washington County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 3,471 at the 2010 census.Bayport is located on the St. Croix River one mile south of Stillwater, Minnesota. It is the headquarters of the Andersen Corporation, a major manufacturer of windows...
, Hugo
Hugo, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 6,363 people, 2,125 households, and 1,742 families residing in the city. The population density was 187.2 people per square mile . There were 2,174 housing units at an average density of 64.0 per square mile...
, Fridley
Fridley, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 27,449 people, 11,328 households, and 7,317 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,701.3 people per square mile . There were 11,504 housing units at an average density of 1,132.1 per square mile...
and New Brighton
New Brighton, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 22,206 people, 9,013 households, and 5,903 families residing in the city. The population density was 3,343.9 people per square mile . There were 9,121 housing units at an average density of 1,373.5 per square mile...
. It is considered a terminal and switching line. It is based out of a roundhouse
Roundhouse
A roundhouse is a building used by railroads for servicing locomotives. Roundhouses are large, circular or semicircular structures that were traditionally located surrounding or adjacent to turntables...
on Cleveland Ave. in St. Paul just blocks south of the Amtrak
Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...
station and its main yard is just to the north of the station.
Its lines consist of one to Fridley, with an interchange with Canadian National Railway
Canadian National Railway
The Canadian National Railway Company is a Canadian Class I railway headquartered in Montreal, Quebec. CN's slogan is "North America's Railroad"....
and a small yard in New Brighton. The railroad also runs to Hugo and Bayport on trackage rights
Trackage rights
Trackage rights , running rights or running powers is an agreement whereby a railway company has the right to run its trains on tracks owned by another railway company....
. It interchanges with BNSF Railway
BNSF Railway
The BNSF Railway is a wholly owned subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway Inc., and is headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas. It is one of seven North American Class I railroads and the second largest freight railroad network in North America, second only to the Union Pacific Railroad, its primary...
at Northtown yard. It also serves east Minneapolis' grain elevators by the University of Minnesota
University of Minnesota
The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities is a public research university located in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, United States. It is the oldest and largest part of the University of Minnesota system and has the fourth-largest main campus student body in the United States, with 52,557...
as well as the grain elevators on Minnesota State Highway 55
Minnesota State Highway 55
Minnesota State Highway 55 is a highway in west-central, central, and east-central Minnesota, which runs from the North Dakota state line near Tenney and continues east and southeast to its eastern terminus at its intersection with U.S...
adjacent to the Hiawatha Light Rail Line.
The Minnesota Commercial connects with all major railroads in the Twin Cities
Twin cities
Twin cities are a special case of two cities or urban centres which are founded in close geographic proximity and then grow into each other over time...
including: Canadian National Railway
Canadian National Railway
The Canadian National Railway Company is a Canadian Class I railway headquartered in Montreal, Quebec. CN's slogan is "North America's Railroad"....
, BNSF Railway
BNSF Railway
The BNSF Railway is a wholly owned subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway Inc., and is headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas. It is one of seven North American Class I railroads and the second largest freight railroad network in North America, second only to the Union Pacific Railroad, its primary...
, Canadian Pacific Railway
Canadian Pacific Railway
The Canadian Pacific Railway , formerly also known as CP Rail between 1968 and 1996, is a historic Canadian Class I railway founded in 1881 and now operated by Canadian Pacific Railway Limited, which began operations as legal owner in a corporate restructuring in 2001...
, Union Pacific Railway, Iowa, Chicago and Eastern Railroad
Iowa, Chicago and Eastern Railroad
The Iowa, Chicago and Eastern Railroad was a Class II railroad operating in the north central United States. It has been controlled by the Canadian Pacific Railway and operated as a part of its system since October 30, 2008...
, and Twin Cities and Western Railroad
Twin Cities and Western Railroad
The Twin Cities and Western Railroad is a railroad operating in the U.S. state of Minnesota which started operations on July 27, 1991. Trackage includes the former Soo Line Railroad "Ortonville Line", originally built as the first part of the Pacific extension of the Milwaukee Road...
.
The MNNR's roster consists of mainly Alco
American Locomotive Company
The American Locomotive Company, often shortened to ALCO or Alco , was a builder of railroad locomotives in the United States.-Early history:...
and GE
GE Transportation Systems
GE Transportation, formerly known as GE Rail, is a division of General Electric. The organization manufactures equipment for the railroad, marine, mining, drilling and energy generation industries. It is based in Erie, Pennsylvania. Locomotives are assembled at the Erie plant, while engine...
locomotives. With over two dozen locomotives, including one from Hamersley Iron
Hamersley Iron
Pilbara Iron is a wholly owned subsidiary of the multinational Rio Tinto Group, that manages assets for Hamersley Iron Pty Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of Rio Tinto, and Robe River Iron Associates, an unincorporated joint venture between Rio and three Japanese steel companies Mitsui Iron Ore...
in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, the roster is diverse and meets the switching and road freight needs. Most units wear a red paint scheme much like that of the GBW
Green Bay and Western Railroad
The Green Bay and Western Railroad served the transportation and freight haulage needs of northern Wisconsin for almost 100 years before it was absorbed into the Wisconsin Central in 1993...
.
The line was formerly known as the Minnesota Transfer Railroad.