I’m going to be spending four days in Rapid City, SD next week while my wife attends a historical conference. Any train-watching opportunities in Rapid City or the surrounding areas?
Thanks for any comments.
Any trains? Well sure … there’s a few…
My in-laws live in the Black Hills area and I’ve spent a quite a few vacations out there. Both my father in law like to railfan, so I’ve had some practice.
RIght in Rapid City, you only have the Dakota, Minnesota and Eastern RR. However, DM&E has 3 lines running out of Rapid. The line East goes out through New Underwood, Box Elder, Wasta, and then up the grade to Wall. From Wall it heads east all the way to the Mississippi at Winona MN. There’s a turn that runs between Rapid and Wall. Seems to run every weekday. The climb to Wall is pretty cool. Along I-90.
Going West from Rapid is the line to Colony WY. There are Bentonite clay mines at Colony which sustains the line. A turn leaves Belle Fourche (Pronounced Bell Foosh) each weekday morning about 10 am. It runs through St. Onge, Whitewood, Sturgis (home of the cycle rally), then along I-90 to Rapid. At Rapid, the crew turns around back to Belle Fourche. The train usually gets back to Belle Fourche around 5-6PM. You can pace the track well from Belle Fourche to Sturgis. From Sturgis to Rapid, you can run i-90 and catch the train at exit ramps. (The tracks follow I-90 closely.)
Going South from Rapid, there is a line down to Crawford NE which parallels Hwy 79 and 385 most of the way. Look on the map for towns like Fairburn, Hermosa, Oral and Buffalo Gap. These are small towns along the route. Not sure how often that train runs South.
DM&E has a yard in Rapid City. If you look on Mapquest, note where Hwy 79 and Maple cross. The old round house is just east of there. The yard is about 1/2 mile futher east along 79. (find where Campbell merges into 79. The yard is right there.)
In Rapid, check out Who’s Hobbies. Good train shop. http://www.whoshobby.com/main.html
Up at Keystone and Hill City is the Black Hills Central RR tourist line. They have saddle tank, articulated 2-6-6-2 that they use on t
Hey, by the way, some evening while you’re there, take the 40 minute drive up to Deadwood and take in the sights. Below is a link to a photo of main street. Very cool place to stroll on a summer evening. My father in law restored the hotel at the left of the photo (Bullock Hotel). Kevin Costner owns the Midnight Star. The old Fremont and Elkhorn Valley Depot has been restored and is a visitor center. The old CB&Q freight house is a bank and the old Q engine house is the bike shop mentioned in my post above. http://www.deadwood.org/Classlibrary/Page/PhotoAlbum/PhotoAlbumBlank.cfm?PhotoAlbumInfoId=251&PageRegionID=2381