I was looking at the DOT railroad map and see what I think was the Milwaukee line going west from Austin. I thought the entire line had been abandoned long ago.
That line is indeed a portion of the Milwaukee. Originally it left the Milwaukee’s main line at La Crescent MN and ran to Washington Springs, SD. The piece that remains is ICE (now CP) from Austin MN to Jackson MN. Further west, another piece is operated by the Minnesota Southern.
A small piece of it exists from Wentworth to Madison in South Dakota. The state kept that in place so Madison wouldn’t get cut off.
And it’s Wessington Springs.
You are correct, of course. My sincere apologies to the 1083 citizens of that fair city.
The Minnesota Southern does not operate any ex-Milwaukee Road lines. The MSWY operates on the former Chicago and North Western route from Worthington, MN to Sioux Falls, SD (though they only operate it from Worthington to just beyond Beaver Creek, Minnesota.) The ex-Milwaukee Road line ran further north from the CNW route and is abandoned through this area- the last runs west of Jackson occurred in 1980.