After receiving an e-mail from the Friends of the Milwaukee Road 261 in early April about two train trips on the Red River Valley and Western Railroad at a good price, I decided to ride these trips so bought my tickets. I then purchased my airline tickets and called Bill Compton to see if he wanted to go and his response was "Yes!" We would take care of the rental car and I would get our hotel rooms. I contacted some other smaller railroads to visit and ride and then 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. That morning we took the shuttle bus to Orange County Airport. We both we had TSA pre-screening which made it very easy for both of us 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. I finished the book 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 wanted for the trip. We left the airport and drove a short way to a train station that I had wanted to take pictures of for years.
Minnehaha Depot 6/1/2017Built in 1875 and referred to as the "Princess" because of its delicate gingerbread canopy, Minnehaha Depot stood on the first railroad line west of the Mississippi River to connect Minneapolis with Chicago.
The Minnehaha Depot.
The Minnehaha Depot historical sign. We left here and made our way south to Interstate 494 west where we fought traffic to MN 55 which we took west.
The Soo Line station in Buffalo built in 1953 which 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 headed west on MN 55.
Soo Line caboose 101, built by Pullman in 1886, as Minneapolis, Sault Ste. Marie and Atlantic Railway 50, 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 in 1989 by EMD. We took MN 28 north to Interstate 94 to Alexandria and a night at the Days Inn there.
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