I’ve been researching Minnesota railroads since the 80’s. Growing up in Owatonna I’ve found a wealth of information on the W&St.P , Minnesota Central and Rock Island.. the 3 railroads that went through our town starting back in 1868. The old CGW R.o.W through Bear Creek . The very first locomotive in Minnesota was the Minnetonka which is on Display in Duluth. Some of my favorite cab rides were on the C&NW from Winona to Mankato. Enjoy your vid . The Arches have to be my favorite structure on the Alco line
This is a great history lesson my son Jay lives on the railroad bed across from John Deere in st-charles I will share this with him great job keep up the good work
This is fascinating! I lived in Winona and worked in Lewiston a few years ago. I am a historical and genealogical person so this program really spoke to me! Thank you for all of your work in looking at the fine details of the slides. I hope you do others! I am subscribing and hope to enjoy more of your work.
The three men on top of the railcars were probably brakemen. This was before the age of air brakes on trains. The brakemans' job was to apply the brakes on certain points of grade to control the train. They also provided the brakes to stop and slow the train. They used wooden clubs or sticks to wedge into the brake wheel to facilitate their work.
What an amazing find of those photographs. You could actually do a supplement video to this, taking comparisons pictures today showing what those old scenes look like now, that, by itself, would be interesting, Great 👍 share none the less 👌
Excellent video. When you were pointing out the various rough cut and irregular ties, I notice the rails were spiked with one spike per tie per rail (probably had matching spike on other side of each rail too) so 4 spikes/rail vs today usually 8/rail.. also no tie plates and sure was light rail compared to today. Can’t image how much manual labor to build railroads back then. Thanks for the effort you put forth to present this video. Bruce
Check your elevations! Milepost 12 is about 660' that is the start of the heavy grade for the W&St.P. heading to Fremont Street crossing in Lewiston which is 1210' above sea level. That 550' rise is made in just over 6 miles. "Lewiston Hill" was rebuilt in the 1930s by then owner Chicago and North Western. An engineer from Italy was the designer of the new "compensated" grade of 1.7 percent. A compensated grade means that the curved track is flattened, elevation is gained on tangent sections between curves. Because railroad axles are solid and the wheels are shrunk onto them, when negotiating a curve the inside wheel travels a shorter distance this causes sliding and increased resistance in curves. A compensated grade means that the drawbar force required to pull the train remains more constant than the grade originally built. My great-great grandfather had charge of this track shortly after the building of it. My great grandfather had it when the rebuilding occurred. Hope this helps to get the real story.
Thanks for the comments, it is nice to hear from people who care. When making the video, I did not have access to detailed railroad surveys, so I had to go off basic topographical maps. It sure would have been nice to have your family's local knowledge or pictures for the story!
What is even more fascinating is the C&GW line that climbed up from the Mississippi River farther north of that line. It even had switchbacks at one point before the route was altered. That line goes through private property and Minnesota rail fans who I have talked to online warn of the occasional rattle snakes along the Mississippi River bluffs.
What a treasure! In my earlier years, I've driven along those tracks (US HWY 14) and traversed them on foot. I cannot begin to think of how many picnic events I attended at The Arches (a.k.a. Farmers' Park) and how different the photos look then with the lack of mature tree growth (as you mentioned in your video)! Are you familiar with the Winona & Southwestern Railroad main line that ran through Rollingstone (on the south side) and continued west to Altura? The photo of the largest trestle may be, then again may be not, the trestle that was located in Bear Creek Valley just two miles southwest of Rollingstone (section 13, in Norton township at 3:17 video lapse). That photo is notably similar to photos that I have seen of that trestle. When my father was a boy, he would board the train in Minnesota City and, for a nickel, he would ride the train into Winona. Thank you so much for posting!!
Thanks for the comments! The park along that stretch of track is very beautiful. I don't think the trestle was from the Winona & Southwestern. This group of photos were all part of the same group, titled Winona & St. Peter. I really like this area, and the Winona & Southwestern might be a good topic too.
hi. can you direct me to a quality print of the scene of the train shown at about 5 minutes, 32 seconds point? or even if that plate has a title or some sort of identifier so i can find one?? thank you! lovely video.
I was also immediately struck by the lack of vegetation. I know in Colorado, where there are a lot of trees (today) in the mountains\, trees 140 years ago were scoured by miners for housing, and creating flumes and other support for mines. The old pictures looked just like this. I'm guessing something similar happened in Winona.
Mostly the prairies were maintained by buffalo grazing and Indians burning. Some valleys would grow up in trees, maybe more on the WI side, if there was a leeward and windward, dryer and wetter side of the bluffs, as there seems to be in places at least, Winona and Redwing being among the driest bluffs, or goat prairies.
I think railroad grade is just rise divided by run. A 1 foot rise in 100 feet is a 1% grade. A 100 foot rise in 26400 feet, or 5 miles, would be a grade of just over 0.3737%, less than half of 1%. Thx.
Yup. Pretty gradual slope. I wonder what kind of grades were involved when Central Pacific built the western portion of the 1st transcontinental route across the Sierras? My gues it wouldn’t have been much steeper as those old 440’s were pretty low HP. Bruce
Great video, your voice is really soothing.
I love love love seeing the old pictures compared with how it looks today. Thank you.
Awesome!
Thank you for sharing. Amazing research.
I’ve been researching Minnesota railroads since the 80’s. Growing up in Owatonna I’ve found a wealth of information on the W&St.P , Minnesota Central and Rock Island.. the 3 railroads that went through our town starting back in 1868. The old CGW R.o.W through Bear Creek . The very first locomotive in Minnesota was the Minnetonka which is on Display in Duluth. Some of my favorite cab rides were on the C&NW from Winona to Mankato. Enjoy your vid . The Arches have to be my favorite structure on the Alco line
This is a great history lesson my son Jay lives on the railroad bed across from John Deere in st-charles I will share this with him great job keep up the good work
This is fascinating! I lived in Winona and worked in Lewiston a few years ago. I am a historical and genealogical person so this program really spoke to me! Thank you for all of your work in looking at the fine details of the slides. I hope you do others! I am subscribing and hope to enjoy more of your work.
The three men on top of the railcars were probably brakemen. This was before the age of air brakes on trains. The brakemans' job was to apply the brakes on certain points of grade to control the train. They also provided the brakes to stop and slow the train. They used wooden clubs or sticks to wedge into the brake wheel to facilitate their work.
Which was a very dangerous job.
That's incredible
What an amazing find of those photographs.
You could actually do a supplement video to this, taking comparisons pictures today showing what those old scenes look like now, that, by itself, would be interesting,
Great 👍 share none the less 👌
Excellent video. When you were pointing out the various rough cut and irregular ties, I notice the rails were spiked with one spike per tie per rail (probably had matching spike on other side of each rail too) so 4 spikes/rail vs today usually 8/rail.. also no tie plates and sure was light rail compared to today. Can’t image how much manual labor to build railroads back then. Thanks for the effort you put forth to present this video. Bruce
Check your elevations! Milepost 12 is about 660' that is the start of the heavy grade for the W&St.P. heading to Fremont Street crossing in Lewiston which is 1210' above sea level. That 550' rise is made in just over 6 miles. "Lewiston Hill" was rebuilt in the 1930s by then owner Chicago and North Western. An engineer from Italy was the designer of the new "compensated" grade of 1.7 percent. A compensated grade means that the curved track is flattened, elevation is gained on tangent sections between curves. Because railroad axles are solid and the wheels are shrunk onto them, when negotiating a curve the inside wheel travels a shorter distance this causes sliding and increased resistance in curves. A compensated grade means that the drawbar force required to pull the train remains more constant than the grade originally built. My great-great grandfather had charge of this track shortly after the building of it. My great grandfather had it when the rebuilding occurred. Hope this helps to get the real story.
Thanks for the comments, it is nice to hear from people who care. When making the video, I did not have access to detailed railroad surveys, so I had to go off basic topographical maps. It sure would have been nice to have your family's local knowledge or pictures for the story!
What is even more fascinating is the C&GW line that climbed up from the Mississippi River farther north of that line. It even had switchbacks at one point before the route was altered. That line goes through private property and Minnesota rail fans who I have talked to online warn of the occasional rattle snakes along the Mississippi River bluffs.
Thank you, on one of my trips to Lacrosse and Trempealeau I'll have to check this out.
Nice history thank you
What a treasure!
In my earlier years, I've driven along those tracks (US HWY 14) and traversed them on foot.
I cannot begin to think of how many picnic events I attended at The Arches (a.k.a. Farmers' Park) and how different the photos look then with the lack of mature tree growth (as you mentioned in your video)!
Are you familiar with the Winona & Southwestern Railroad main line that ran through Rollingstone (on the south side) and continued west to Altura?
The photo of the largest trestle may be, then again may be not, the trestle that was located in Bear Creek Valley just two miles southwest of Rollingstone (section 13, in Norton township at 3:17 video lapse). That photo is notably similar to photos that I have seen of that trestle.
When my father was a boy, he would board the train in Minnesota City and, for a nickel, he would ride the train into Winona.
Thank you so much for posting!!
Thanks for the comments! The park along that stretch of track is very beautiful. I don't think the trestle was from the Winona & Southwestern. This group of photos were all part of the same group, titled Winona & St. Peter. I really like this area, and the Winona & Southwestern might be a good topic too.
Great video, thanks for all the research and detailed explanation.
Really cool. Keep it coming!
hi. can you direct me to a quality print of the scene of the train shown at about 5 minutes, 32 seconds point? or even if that plate has a title or some sort of identifier so i can find one?? thank you! lovely video.
1.8% grade today of a climb of seven miles. Many trains have stalled out on "Stockton Hill"
Even today the CP doesn't get their power right. Once in a while You will see it sitting stalled out below the arches.
For some reason I'm not able to select the notifications button to get all of your recent updates.😇
I was also immediately struck by the lack of vegetation. I know in Colorado, where there are a lot of trees (today) in the mountains\, trees 140 years ago were scoured by miners for housing, and creating flumes and other support for mines. The old pictures looked just like this. I'm guessing something similar happened in Winona.
Mostly the prairies were maintained by buffalo grazing and Indians burning. Some valleys would grow up in trees, maybe more on the WI side, if there was a leeward and windward, dryer and wetter side of the bluffs, as there seems to be in places at least, Winona and Redwing being among the driest bluffs, or goat prairies.
Music is perfect for this great video
I can see from the shape of the stack on that 4-4-0 locomotive that it used wood as a primary fuel source.
Value...
I think railroad grade is just rise divided by run. A 1 foot rise in 100 feet is a 1% grade. A 100 foot rise in 26400 feet, or 5 miles, would be a grade of just over 0.3737%, less than half of 1%. Thx.
Yup. Pretty gradual slope. I wonder what kind of grades were involved when Central Pacific built the western portion of the 1st transcontinental route across the Sierras? My gues it wouldn’t have been much steeper as those old 440’s were pretty low HP. Bruce
Are there other railroad artifacts in other states? Why dont you spand out?
There are interesting stories from any state. I am not entirely limited to Minnesota, but I only have so much time.