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This page covers a lot of things that other pages do but without going into as much detail. The idea behind this page is to offer an easy way to gain information about the TC&W without having to weed through the more in depth information. You can find much more in depth information on the appropiate pages.
History
The TC&W was born on paper on July 26th, 1991 and the first train ran one day later on the 27th. Before that time, it was operated by the SOO Line railroad, which became the Canadian Pacific Railway (CP) and even before that it was operated by the Milwaukee Road as apart of their "Pacific Connection" that reached the west coast. The line was originally apart of the Hastings & Dakota and was built between 1892 and 1897. The Milwaukee Road later went bankrupt and was acquired by the SOO Line in 1985 and Milwaukee Road was officially a fallen flag on January 1st, 1986. It was then the SOO Line classified the "Ortonville Line" as a branch line and owned trackage all the to the Minnesota-South Dakota state line. West of the state line the state of South Dakota owned the line with the Burlington Northern being the operator. The BNSF now owns the line and operates it as a secondary mainline handling mostly grain and coal.
During SOO Line ownership the line was ABS between Humboldt Ave. (Minneapolis) and Glencoe and was 40MPH west of Tower E-14. Between Glencoe and Stateline a combination of CTC ABS was in use. The signal system was left in place by the SOO because the Burlington Northern Columbia (COLX) coal trains used the line as part of an agreement with the SOO to deliver them to a coal plant just east of Portage, WI. The coal trains ran for a little bit with the TC&W but not long, only until October of 1991. The coal trains ran a few different routes including the CP Paynesville Subdivision but now normally run on the BNSF Staples Subdivision. The CTC west of Glencoe was removed sometime before 1991 but the ABS was still intact from Humboldt Ave. to MP 472.7 (ESS Glencoe) when the TC&W took ownership. The rest of what is now the TC&W was TWC. By the mid 1990s the ABS was removed and the entire line is now TWC run at 30 MPH.
In 1990 the Canadian Pacific purchased the remaining shares of the SOO Line (they owned 56% prior) and gained control of the SOO Line. Once the acquisition was complete, the CP began downsizing and selling off lines that were considered apart of their core system. The Ortonville Line was included in this and the CP began taking bids for line. There were two main candidates from the bidding. One, a shortline operator that was based out of Montevideo called RailTex. The second was three Twin Cities businessmen who owned Oakes Development. The winner thankfully was Oakes Development, the same businessmen that started the Red River Valley & Western Railroad in North Dakota.
Since startup the TC&W has seen healthy growth and annual carloads have more than doubled since startup. Being a mainly agricultural railroad, traffic heavily relies on the weather and current market for grains. However, with all of the new traffic from the ethanol plants, this has become less and less true. Between 1991 and 2005 $22 million was spent on freight cars, locomotives and track maintenance/improvements.
Locomotives & Freight Cars
The TC&W currently operates a total of eleven locomotives, plus two GP15Cs for the MPL. Four of which are GP20Cs (2004, 2008, 3516 RRVW 2053), three are GP30Cs (4300, 4301, 4302) both rated at 2000HP and one CF7 (302) which was converted into a road slug. All engines, except for the 302, are rebuilt Caterpillar engines that were done by Zeigler. Due to current high traffic levels, the ex-TCWR (now lettered RRVW) GP10s 404 and 406 are out of storage and operating. An ex-Milwaukee Road SW1200 no. 1206 was leased in 2007 to be used as the switcher for the ethanol plant in Winthrop. An ex-RBMN CF7 and two ex-NS slugs are stored at Glencoe.
All Caterpillar powered engines were purchased from Ziegler in 2007 for $1 million. Additional locomotives are brought onto the railroad when needed, including the ILSX 1389 in 2007.
Two RRVW GP15Cs numbered 4105 and 4106 were brought over from the RRVW in 2003 to operate on the MPL. The GP15Cs roam both the TC&W and MPL system. Common power on the MPL is the TCWR 2008 and 302 but all power is sent to where it's needed on both railroads.
Currently, the TC&W owns/leases around 600 railcars. The majority of the cars are covered hoppers for grain service. The TC&W also owns 47 RBL boxcars that are used for the ex-Green Giant plant in Glencoe, Minnesota. There are also 16 airslide boxcars, 5 sidedump gondolas and other MOW cars. Foreign railcars are brought on the TC&W system as well. Mainly the Sisseton & Milbank (SMRR) covered hoppers, UTLX/TILX/NATX tank cars (ethanol), TILX covered hoppers (DDGs), BNSF covered hoppers (Sugar), DME hoppers (limestone) and lumber cars (center beams and boxcars) and SCKX coal cars for Ruebel among many others. Additional equipment is leased when needed, usually from the CP.
Traffic Base
The TC&W's traffic base is largely made up of grain products (corn, grain, wheat, barely). Large amounts of soybeans, sugar, molasses, coal, lumber, and fertilizer (in various forms) are also shipped as well as an increasing amount of ethanol and DDGs (Dried Distilled Grains), a by product of ethanol.
Operations
The TC&W operates 229 miles of track from St. Paul, Minnesota to Milbank, South Dakota. Trains normally operate six days per week (Mon-Sat) from St. Paul to Ruebel and four days a week west of Reubel. Operations sometimes reach up to seven days a week when demand is at its peek during the summer and fall.
Glencoe is the headquarters and is the location of the engine house. There are three home terminals on the railroad: Hopkins, Glencoe and Montevideo. Tie up points include the home terminals plus St. Paul, Milbank, Ortonville and Shoreham (Minneapolis).
The TC&W system is broken up into five different core trains. In addition to the five core trains, there is a Utility Job based out of Glencoe that does any work that needs to be done around the Glencoe area and heads west to later change crews with Ruebel Turn. There is also the Savage Turn which originates out of Hopkins and the NSI train that run between Montevideo and Shoreham.
Going from the East to the West, we begin with the St. Paul Turn which usually goes on duty at 0700 at Hopkins. The train is a transfer that runs east from Hopkins into the Twin Cities to CP's St. Paul Yard to drop off and pick up cars. The St. Paul Turn also drops off cars at the Minnesota Commerical's Midway Yard on its way to St. Paul and then makes another stop on the way back to Hopkins to pick up the outbound train. Additional stops are made at the Union Pacific's Western Ave. Yard in St. Paul when needed.
The next train is the Glencoe Turn that is based out of Hopkins and is basically a continuation of the St. Paul Turn using the same power. The crew typically goes on duty at 1900 and if their train is already prepared by the St. Paul Turn, they can be headed west before 2000. If need be, the Glencoe Turn dogcatches the Ruebel Turn from that afternoon and brings it into Glencoe and then takes their train back to Hopkins for that mornings St. Paul Turn.
During the warmer months when the Minnesota River is open a Savage Turn runs when needed to Savage with grains transloaded onto barges to head south. The train uses trackage rights on the CP's MN&S line to reach Savage. This crew typically goes on duty around 0530 at Hopkins and gets their cars from the Glencoe Turn. Empties go west on the Glencoe Turn.
Back out in Glencoe, there is the Utility Job. This train is based out of Glencoe and goes on duty at 0700. The Utility Job switches any customers that need it and service the locomotives. Once everything is taken care of in Glencoe, the Utility Job takes the train west and normally changes crews with the Ruebel Turn at Bird Island.
After taking over from the Utility Job, the Ruebel Turn continues to do work along the line with the usual turning point at Ruebel. Normally the Ruebel Turn meets the Milbank Turn in Ruebel or Renville where they exchange cars. When needed, the Ruebel Turn goes west to Sacred Heart or even all the way to Montevideo.
Between Renville and Milbank, SD is the territory of the Milbank Turn. The TC&W's ownership ends at Appleton, Minnesota but the Milbank Turn continues west on the BNSF via trackage rights into South Dakota to reach Milbank. The Milbank Turn is a one direction per day operation. The crew goes as far west a they can on their hours of service or until they reach Milbank. Once they reach Milbank they tie up and once they are rested they head back east for Montevideo and Ruebel. The train typically runs 2 or 3 three trips a week.
Railfanning
From the major cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul to the beautiful scenery in western Minnesota the TC&W has a lot to offer the railfan. The only train that can be hard to catch in daylight is the Glencoe Turn. Sometimes if they are running a little late you can get them coming into Hopkins in the morning. Also, sometimes on Sundays they run during the day with an on duty time of about 0900.
In the Twin Cities the train can be followed without too much hassle, but a map is needed if it's your first time. The train usually arrives at St. Paul between 1000 and 1200 and is back in Hopkins no earlier than 1530. Of course delays are abundant so these times can easily change.
Between Hopkins and Cologne following a train can be difficult as no road follows the tracks for more than a mile or two. At Cologne Highway 212 meets up with the tracks and parallels until Granite Falls. At Granite Falls 212 stays a few miles south of the tracks but keeps you headed in the right direction.
In Montevideo Highway 212 meets up with the tracks once again but west of Montevideo Highway 7 follows the tracks, not 212. Highway 7 will take you along the tracks all the way to Milbank.
Track speed is a modest 30MPH making chasing trains easy without testing the local authorities.
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