After receiving an e-mail from the Friends of the Milwaukee Road 261 in early April about two excursions on the Red River Valley and Western Railroad at a good price, I decided to attend so bought my tickets. I then purchased my airline tickets and called my friend Bill Compton to see if he wanted to accompany me and received an enthusiastic affirmative response. He would take care of the rental car and I would reserve our hotel rooms, as well as contacting some other smaller railroads to visit and ride and planned a great trip.
Bill picked me up at 6:30 AM and we parked in the long-term lot across from the airport north on Interstate 405 then rode the shuttle bus to Orange County Airport. We both we had TSA pre-screening which made it very easy at security, then waited for our flight.
Delta Airlines Flight 1884 6/1/2017The flight was a quick one to the Twin Cities as I read "Time" on the flight, the book we are reading in Mrs. Ortega's classroom at Heninger Elementary, finishing just as we were about to touch down at Minneapolis International Airport. Bill and I went to the tram that took us the Advantage Rental Car counter where Bill acquired the hybrid car he had chosen. We left the airport and drove a short way to Minnehaha.
The Minnehaha depot built in 1875 and referred to as the "Princess" because of its delicate gingerbread canopy. It stood on the first railroad line west of the Mississippi River to connect Minneapolis with Chicago.
The depot historical plaque. We made our way south to Interstate 494 West where we fought traffic to Minnesota Highway 55 and turned left.
The Soo Line station in Buffalo, built in 1953 and replaced the 1908 depot that burned down in 1953.
Canadian Pacific Railway 8568 east at Buffalo. We had dinner at Applebee's where I had a top sirloin and a baked potato, then continued west on Minnesota Highway 55.
Soo Line caboose 101 nee Minneapolis, Sault Ste. Marie and Atlantic Railway 50, built by Pullman in 1886 at Minnesota Pioneer Park in Annandale.
Soo Line Annandale station built in 1886.
The Soo Line Glenwood station built in 1902.
Canadian Pacific SD60 6239, nee SOO 6039, built by Electro-Motive Division in 1989. We drove Minnesota Highway 28 north to Interstate 94 to Alexandria and a night at the Days Inn there.
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