The Electric Short Line Railway, also known as Luce Electric Lines, was a railroad that operated in
Minnesota
Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to ...
, originating in
Minneapolis
Minneapolis () is the largest city in Minnesota, United States, and the county seat of Hennepin County. The city is abundant in water, with thirteen lakes, wetlands, the Mississippi River, creeks and waterfalls. Minneapolis has its origins ...
and heading westward. The railroad owes its nickname to the fact it was operated by members of the Luce family. The railroad ultimately reached beyond
Clara City to Gluek. Today, the line has mostly been abandoned, but its former right-of-way now hosts the
Luce Line State Trail operated by the
Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, or Minnesota DNR, is the agency of the U.S. state of Minnesota charged with conserving and managing the state's natural resources. The agency maintains areas such as state parks, state forests, recr ...
. The
Luce Line Regional Trail operated by the
Three Rivers Park District
Three Rivers Park District is a special park district serving the suburban areas of the Twin Cities including suburban Hennepin, Carver, Dakota, Scott, and Ramsey counties. Three Rivers's mission is "To promote environmental stewardship through ...
connects to the state trail, but runs on roads and paths that roughly parallel what remains of the Luce Electric Lines.
The Electric Short Line Railway and the affiliated Electric Short Line Railroad (later renamed the Electric Short Line Terminal Co.) were incorporated in late 1908. Construction started in 1909, but it took until 1913 for the first 3.2 miles to be completed from 3rd Avenue and 7th Street North (construction was in various stages of completion for the next 30 miles, however). That spot was originally known as Boagen Green, then became Luce Line Junction when the
Dan Patch Line reached it. It eventually became known as Glenwood Junction. Rail east of that point was owned by the ESL Terminal Co., while rail to the west was owned by the ESL Railway. 17.8 miles were complete by mid-1914, 47.5 by mid-1915, and 70.9 miles by the end of 1917 (although some of this included double-tracking), reaching
Hutchinson.
Backers of the line had originally planned to reach
Brookings, South Dakota
Brookings is a city in Brookings County, South Dakota, United States. Brookings is South Dakota's fourth largest city, with a population of 23,377 at the 2020 census. It is the county seat of Brookings County, and home to South Dakota State Un ...
, and construction westward resumed in 1922 with completion to
Cosmos
The cosmos (, ) is another name for the Universe. Using the word ''cosmos'' implies viewing the universe as a complex and orderly system or entity.
The cosmos, and understandings of the reasons for its existence and significance, are studied in ...
and extension to
Lake Lillian the following year. However, the railroad fell into foreclosure in 1924, and the Electric Short Line Railway came under the control of the Minnesota Western Railroad (later known as the Minneapolis Industrial Railway), which had been formed by the ESL Railway's bondholders. The Luce family lost control of the company when it was purchased by
Minneapolis, Northfield & Southern in 1927. MN&S predecessor Dan Patch Lines had a very early relationship with the Luce Line having built a connection to the Luce Line from Auto Club in Bloomington to Glenwood Junction in Golden Valley in 1915, and had used the track from Glenwood Junction to the terminal in Minneapolis for many years. After Dan Patch ceased operations in 1916, the organization of the MN&S in 1918 helped secure the Luce Line profitability as MN&S became a very important beltline allowing inbound shipments to Minneapolis to avoid the crowded railyards between St Paul and Minneapolis.
Despite the "Electric Short Line" name, the railroad never operated
electric locomotive
An electric locomotive is a locomotive powered by electricity from overhead lines, a third rail or on-board energy storage such as a battery or a supercapacitor. Locomotives with on-board fuelled prime movers, such as diesel engines or g ...
s. Passenger service used gasoline-electric
railcar
A railcar (not to be confused with a railway car) is a self-propelled railway vehicle designed to transport passengers. The term "railcar" is usually used in reference to a train consisting of a single coach (carriage, car), with a dri ...
s manufactured by
General Electric
General Electric Company (GE) is an American multinational conglomerate founded in 1892, and incorporated in New York state and headquartered in Boston. The company operated in sectors including healthcare, aviation, power, renewable en ...
and
Wason Car Company
The Wason Manufacturing Company was a maker of railway passenger coaches and streetcars during the 19th and early 20th century. The company was founded in 1845 in Springfield, Massachusetts by Charles Wason (1816-1888) and Thomas Wason (1811-18 ...
, though one gasoline-mechanical
McKeen Motor Car Company
The McKeen Motor Car Company of Omaha, Nebraska, was a builder of internal combustion-engined railroad motor cars (railcars), constructing 152 between 1905 and 1917.
Founded by William McKeen, the Union Pacific Railroad's Superintendent of Motiv ...
railcar also saw use. The railcars often towed extra passenger cars as trailers. Freight trains were pulled by
steam locomotives.
The Minnesota Western Railway continued to operate passenger service into the late 1940s, but was reduced to just one passenger railcar by the end of 1942. Passenger service finally ended in 1947.
The Minnesota Western Railway was acquired by the
Minneapolis and St. Louis Railway in 1956 and was renamed the Minneapolis Industrial Railway in September of 1959. M&StL came under control of the
Chicago and North Western Railway
The Chicago and North Western was a Class I railroad in the Midwestern United States. It was also known as the "North Western". The railroad operated more than of track at the turn of the 20th century, and over of track in seven states befor ...
on November 1, 1960. The MW subesquently saw deferred maintenance and reduced service as the C&NW sought to abandon the line. In 1967, C&NW asked the Minnesota Railroad and Warehouse Commission for permission to abandon the Gluek to Hutchinson segment. Protests against abandonment were logged, but C&NW tore up the line almost immediately after the MRWC approved abandonment. Two years later, the C&NW was back before the MRWC to ask permission to abandon the line from Hutchinson to
Plymouth, Minnesota
Plymouth is a city in Hennepin County in the U.S. state of Minnesota. A suburb in the Minneapolis–Saint Paul metropolitan area, the city is about west of downtown Minneapolis.The population was 81,026 at the 2020 census, making it Minnesota' ...
. The MRWC approved the abandonment, and by mid-1970, 104 miles of the former Luce Line had been removed between Hutchinson and Plymouth. Chicago and North Western was merged into the
Union Pacific Railroad
The Union Pacific Railroad , legally Union Pacific Railroad Company and often called simply Union Pacific, is a freight-hauling railroad that operates 8,300 locomotives over routes in 23 U.S. states west of Chicago and New Orleans. Union Paci ...
in 1995, and the remnants of the Luce Line between
Interstate 494
Interstate 494 (I-494) is an auxiliary Interstate Highway making up part of a beltway of I-94, circling through the southern and western portions of the Minneapolis–Saint Paul metropolitan area in Minnesota. The road is coupled with ...
and downtown Minneapolis are now operated as the UP's
Golden Valley Industrial Lead
Golden Valley is a western and first-ring suburb of Minneapolis in Hennepin County, Minnesota, United States. The city is mostly residential and is bordered by U.S. Highway 12 (Interstate 394). Over 15% of the city is parks or nature reserves. ...
.
References
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{{Twin Cities Railroads
Interurban railways in Minnesota
Railway companies established in 1908
Railway companies established in 1924
Railway companies disestablished in 1955
Railway companies disestablished in 1956
Defunct Minnesota railroads
1908 establishments in Minnesota
1956 disestablishments in Minnesota
American companies established in 1924