I do not have any information on this abandoned route. If you know anything about this route, please feel free to leave a comment below.
Thank you!
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I am not sure when the track was in existence... My best guess would be sometime between 1880 and 1970. Kind of broad I know. It's tough to follow on a map at times due to the years of farming/development over some areas where the line ran.
Ajfox Little Falls, MN 8/14/2010
[A 1895 railroad map does show these tracks in place by the NP. —Greg Harrison]
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Little Falls, Flensburg, Sauk Center, Villard, Glenwood,
Starbuck Cyrus, Morris.
Those were of some of the stations. I worked as Station agent in a few of those places in the mid 1950's. Crossed GN at Sauk Center and The Soo Line at Glenwood. I cant remember when it was abandoned.
Walter Watland Blaine, MN 6/30/2011
I have plotted the route for this line, actually it was pretty easy to track. The way I do it is I find where it originates in one town, follow it til the trail ends then start from the other end. Also I vary the images from new to old sometimes you can see the paths this way. I will submit the file so it can be posted.
Richard Hendrickson Rochester, MN 12/21/2011
According to the info from a PDF obtained from BNSF Railway, the Abandonments took place:
1972: Little Falls to Villard
1981: Villard to Starbucks
1983: Starbucks to Morris.
Jason. t Ottertail, MN 1/15/2012
Started off as the Little Falls and Dakota Railroad Company in 1880-1881. It was Organized by local men and was Capitalized by County Bond Issues of the immediate Counties. Tracks started to be laid in June of 1882 and was completed to Morris in Oct. 1882. Trains started operation on Nov. 1st of 1882. Ortonville is said to have been the objective, but was never extended west of Morris.
Towns that were along the route were, Little Falls; Flensburg; Swanville; Burtrum; Grey Eagle; Ward Springs; Spaulding; Sauk Centre; Westport; Villard; Glenwood; Long Beach?; Starbuck; Cyrus; Morris.
I believe The Northern Pacific acquired the line in the early 1890's.
I know a gentleman who grew up in Little Falls in the Early 1960's and he stated that he did not ever see the tracks used and that they were in rough shape with the ties roting.
Some of the railroad bed can still be seen, but most is overgrown and/or destroyed from the adjacent property owners and developments. I am not aware of any tressels that still span any rivers or creeks. most if not all have been razed.
A.J. Little Falls, MN 3/12/2012