Hello Everyone,
Joined AU just today! Growing up in Vadnais Heights, Mn., aprox., 10mi north of St. Paul, the Minneapolis, Saint Paul and Sault Ste. Marie Railroad or SooLine, as it became known, ran at a NE/SW tack of our neighborhood out of MSP to Duluth, Mn., and/or down south to Chicago. The Dakota lines ran NW out of MSP. The SooLine was one of the last railroads to relinquish the steam engine. I could hear its whistle miles up the line and as a kid I ran about .5mi to watch it roar by - pretty much completely out of breath - but it was a thrill! The Northern Pacific Railroad, ran north and south out of MSP through White Bear Lake, Mn., and I loved hearing it's sombre whistle at the crossing points about 4 miles east. The Great Northern rain through the Twin Cities and I was able to travel on the Western Star and the Empire Builder when as a teenager we moved up to NoDak, NW of Minot, North Dakota and traveling between those two points.
Needless to say, this all turned me into a train-hound! I have loved trains all my life. I've taken the Empire Builder many time from Portland, Or., to MSP and the Cascades up and down the Oregon/Washington Coast. Once or twice I took the Pioneer, which was the Pax liner for the Union Pacific Railroad between Portland and Boise where I once lived as well - and which be making a comeback for those communities along its route from Seattle/Portland to and from Denver, Co. ..... hopefully ..... that's yet to be determined .....
I am glad to be here and looking forward to hearing more stories of railroads and railroad travels!
Joined AU just today! Growing up in Vadnais Heights, Mn., aprox., 10mi north of St. Paul, the Minneapolis, Saint Paul and Sault Ste. Marie Railroad or SooLine, as it became known, ran at a NE/SW tack of our neighborhood out of MSP to Duluth, Mn., and/or down south to Chicago. The Dakota lines ran NW out of MSP. The SooLine was one of the last railroads to relinquish the steam engine. I could hear its whistle miles up the line and as a kid I ran about .5mi to watch it roar by - pretty much completely out of breath - but it was a thrill! The Northern Pacific Railroad, ran north and south out of MSP through White Bear Lake, Mn., and I loved hearing it's sombre whistle at the crossing points about 4 miles east. The Great Northern rain through the Twin Cities and I was able to travel on the Western Star and the Empire Builder when as a teenager we moved up to NoDak, NW of Minot, North Dakota and traveling between those two points.
Needless to say, this all turned me into a train-hound! I have loved trains all my life. I've taken the Empire Builder many time from Portland, Or., to MSP and the Cascades up and down the Oregon/Washington Coast. Once or twice I took the Pioneer, which was the Pax liner for the Union Pacific Railroad between Portland and Boise where I once lived as well - and which be making a comeback for those communities along its route from Seattle/Portland to and from Denver, Co. ..... hopefully ..... that's yet to be determined .....
I am glad to be here and looking forward to hearing more stories of railroads and railroad travels!
