Anyone have a map showing the RR lines in Spring Valley Minnesota? I know it was the Milwaukee Road going east-west and CGW coming from Racine to the north, but I don’t know where it went to. I do remember a junk yard in town where some tracks went next to. I’m guessing the Milwaukee and CGW interchanged? Anyone know what businesses were served and when each line was removed?
This 1965 USGS map shows the CGW passing over the CMSP&P, and there is no sign of an interchange.
http://terraserver-usa.com/image.aspx?T=2&S=12&Z=15&X=686&Y=6046&W=1&qs=|Spring+Valley||
I believe the Milwaukee Road line was abandoned in 1976, and the C&NW/CGW in 1977.
Matt (Nordique) likely can add something when he sees this.
Dale is right- there was not an interchange between the MILW and CGW at Spring Valley. Since Austin was just down the tracks to the east where the MILW and CGW also crossed- interchange was handled there. Other MILW and CGW interchanges in the area included Lyle, Leroy, Faribault and Mankato. Since Spring Valley was on the CGW’s Rochester branch and not the main line(s) from the south, it is more likely that cars bound for interchange between the MILW and the CGW in the area would more likely be handled at Austin. Given that other interchange points between the MILW and CGW also existed at Winona and Red Wing- it makes it clearer as to why they didn’t have a track at Spring Valley.
Boyd,
The CGW and MILW had no connection in Spring Valley. The CGW passed ‘over’ the MILW line on it’s way south to the Iowa state line. I am not sure when the lines were removed, but the late 70’s/early 80’s seems right. I had railfanned both lines in the early 70’s, and by they time I moved to Rochester in 1984, both lines were gone. The Milwaukee went east/west through Spring Valley and had 2-3 tracks in town(including that junk yard and a couple of elevators). The CGW had a house track and a spur off of the house track. I am not sure what industries were there as they were no longer rail served.
The CGW and MILW did have an interchange south of Spring Valley at LeRoy. The CGW had a spur out of Ostrander that served iron mines. The ore was transferred to the MILW at LeRoy at times. This was the MILW line between Calmer, IA and Austin, MN. Spring Valley was on the MILW line between IM&D Jct(south of La Crescent, MN) and Austin, MN. All of these lines were gone by the eary 80’s. Part of the Spring Valley line is now the Root River Bike Trail.
Jim Bernier