Draft:St. Paul Southern Electric Railway: Difference between revisions
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==History== |
==History== |
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The St. Paul Southern Electric Railway Company was created April 5, 1913. But for two years prior the Interurban Construction Company had been promoting and acquiring franchises for an electric interurban between St. Paul and [[Rochester, Minnesota]]. The goal of promoters what to create a direct rail connection between the home of the [[Mayo Clinic]] and the state capitol, an idea still pursued today by proposals such as [[Zip Rail]]. |
The St. Paul Southern Electric Railway Company was created April 5, 1913. But for two years prior the Interurban Construction Company had been promoting and acquiring franchises for an electric interurban between St. Paul and [[Rochester, Minnesota]]. The goal of promoters what to create a direct rail connection between the home of the [[Mayo Clinic]] and the state capitol, an idea still pursued today by proposals such as [[Zip Rail]]. |
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In 1923 the Chicago Great Western's "Red Bird" line began making the journey in two hours and 20 minutes. |
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==Route== |
==Route== |
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Revision as of 06:38, 3 June 2024
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| Overview | |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | Hastings, Minnesota |
| Locale | Minnesota |
| Dates of operation | 1914–1928 |
| Technical | |
| Track gauge | 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge |
| Electrification | 600 V DC |
| Length | 25 miles (40 km) |
The St. Paul Southern Electric Railway is a defunct railroad that operated between Saint Paul, Minnesota and Hastings, Minnesota. It is distinct for being one of the least successful electric interurbans in the country.
History
The St. Paul Southern Electric Railway Company was created April 5, 1913. But for two years prior the Interurban Construction Company had been promoting and acquiring franchises for an electric interurban between St. Paul and Rochester, Minnesota. The goal of promoters what to create a direct rail connection between the home of the Mayo Clinic and the state capitol, an idea still pursued today by proposals such as Zip Rail.
In 1923 the Chicago Great Western's "Red Bird" line began making the journey in two hours and 20 minutes.
Route
The Southern operated on 18 miles of its own track and seven miles of Twin City Rapid Transit Company track, operating along side it's "South St. Paul-Inver Grove" line. Starting in downtown St. Paul, the line circulated on downtown streetcar loop before leaving downtown via Robert Street, then turning south on Concord Street. On Concord Street the line travelled through the rest of St. Paul and South St. Paul before switching onto the companies own tracks at the border of South St. Paul and Inver Grove at Linden Street. In Inver Grove the line continued to parallel Concord on it's own right-of-way on the east side of the street. South of 66th Street the line began running just to the west of the CGW tracks. Further south, the line broke west to run parallel to Inver Grove Trail, proceeded under the CGW tracks, and continued south roughly alongside the path of today's Highway 55 through Pine Bend and rural Rosemount. The line then travelled northeast along today's Mississippi River Trail before soon heading due east at Spring Lake Cemetery. Traveling through open country the line eventually entered Hastings on 5th Street West, turned north on today's Highway 61, and east on 2nd Street East before wying out at Tyler Street.