The Minnesota Northwestern Electric Railway was an interurban gasoline-electric railway which operated passenger and freight service between

Thief River Falls Thief River Falls, sometimes referred to as Thief River or abbreviated as TRF, is a city in Pennington County in the northwest portion of the U.S. state of Minnesota. The population was 8,749 at the 2020 census. Thief River Falls is the county ...

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 ...

and

Goodridge, Minnesota Goodridge is a small city in Pennington County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 112 at the 2020 census. The city is located within Goodridge Township, but is politically independent. History A post office called Goodridge has b ...

, operating from 1914 to 1940. The railway also served Silverton Township and Mavie. There were several other stops along the way. The original plan was to extend the line all the way to

International Falls, Minnesota International Falls (sometimes referred to as I-Falls) is a city in and the county seat of Koochiching County, Minnesota. The population was 5,802 at the time of the 2020 census. International Falls is located on the Rainy River directly acro ...

, however due to poor finances, the line never extended beyond Goodridge. The line was acquired by the Minneapolis, St. Paul and Sault Ste. Marie Railway ("Soo Line") in 1915, and then leased back to the original management. The railway continued to operate with its only piece of motive power – a

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 energ ...

gas-electric A hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) is a type of hybrid vehicle that combines a conventional internal combustion engine (ICE) system with an electric propulsion system (hybrid vehicle drivetrain). The presence of the electric powertrain is intended ...

interurban The Interurban (or radial railway in Europe and Canada) is a type of electric railway, with streetcar-like electric self-propelled rail cars which run within and between cities or towns. They were very prevalent in North America between 1900 a ...

car numbered 101 until it ceased operation on March 15, 1940. The tracks were removed and now the grade is used as the

Wapiti Trail The elk (''Cervus canadensis''), also known as the wapiti, is one of the Largest cervids, largest species within the deer family, Cervidae, and one of the largest terrestrial mammals in its native range of North America and Central Asia, Cen ...

which is a snowmobile trail connecting Thief River Falls, Goodridge, and Fourtown.

Footnotes

References

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External links

Postcard at Pennington County Historical SocietyDepot in Goodridge
Predecessors of the Minneapolis, St. Paul and Sault Ste. Marie Railroad Railway companies established in 1914 Railway companies disestablished in 1940 Defunct Minnesota railroads Pennington County, Minnesota Interurban railways in Minnesota 1914 establishments in Minnesota 1940 disestablishments in Minnesota {{Minnesota-transport-stub