The Tracy Subdivision or Tracy Sub is a

railway Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport that transfers passengers and goods on wheeled vehicles running on rails, which are incorporated in tracks. In contrast to road transport, where the vehicles run on a pre ...

line in southern

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 ...

owned and operated by the

Dakota, Minnesota and Eastern Railroad The Dakota, Minnesota and Eastern Railroad is a wholly owned U.S. subsidiary of the Canadian Pacific Railway. Before its purchase, it was the largest Class II railroad in the United States, operating across South Dakota and southern Minnesota in ...

(DM&E) subsidiary of

Canadian Pacific The Canadian Pacific Railway (french: Chemin de fer Canadien Pacifique) , also known simply as CPR or Canadian Pacific and formerly as CP Rail (1968–1996), is a Canadian Class I railway incorporated in 1881. The railway is owned by Canadi ...

. It begins at the end of the Waseca Subdivision in

Waseca, Minnesota Waseca () is a city in Waseca County, Minnesota, Waseca County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 9,410 at the 2010 United States Census, 2010 census. It is the county seat. Transportation U.S. Route 14 in Minnesota, U.S. Highway 14 a ...

in the east and runs approximately west to

Tracy, Minnesota Tracy is a city in Lyon County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 2,163 at the 2010 census. U.S. Route 14 serves as a main arterial route in the community. Geography According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a tota ...

. At Tracy, the rails continue as the

Huron Subdivision The Huron Subdivision or Huron Sub is a railway line owned and operated by the Rapid City, Pierre and Eastern Railroad (RCPE), a subsidiary of Genesee & Wyoming. The line stretches for across southwestern Minnesota and southeastern South Dakota, f ...

of the

Rapid City, Pierre and Eastern Railroad Rapid City, Pierre and Eastern Railroad is a Class II railroad operating across South Dakota and southern Minnesota in the northern plains of the United States. Portions of the railroad also extend into Wyoming and Nebraska. It is owned and opera ...

(RCPE).

U.S. Highway 14 U.S. Route 14 (abbreviated U.S. 14 or US 14), an east–west route, is one of the original United States highways of 1926. It currently has a length of 1,398 miles (2,250 km), but it had a peak length of 1,429 miles (2,300 km). For ...

closely follows the train route. The rail line had been built westward from Winona by the

Winona and St. Peter Railroad The Winona and St. Peter Railroad was a railroad in the Midwestern United States. It was founded in 1861 in Winona, Minnesota. The first from Winona to Stockton, Minnesota, were completed by the end of 1862, making the it the second operational ...

. 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 ...

had taken ownership of the W&StP in 1867, and continued building the line west, though the Winona and St. Peter continued to operate under the old name for a considerable time afterward. The Winona & St Peter Railroad Company was organized March 10, 1862, and completed its line from Winona to

Rochester, Minnesota Rochester is a city in the U.S. state of Minnesota and the county seat of Olmsted County. Located on rolling bluffs on the Zumbro River's south fork in Southeast Minnesota, the city is the home and birthplace of the renowned Mayo Clinic. Acco ...

, in 1864. In August it reached Owatonna. In 1867 the Chicago and Northwestern Railway Company purchased the controlling shares in the Winona and St Peter. Further railroad milestones were:

Janesville, Minnesota Janesville is a city in Waseca County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 2,256 at the 2010 census. U.S. Highway 14 serves as a main route in the community, running east–west, south of Janesville. County Road 3 runs north–south ...

, in 1870, St. Peter in 1871, New Ulm (via Nicollet and Courtland) in 1872, and the western boundary of the state in 1874. The Winona Mankato and New Ulm Railroad Company was organized in 1870 and a railroad was built from New Ulm to

Mankato Mankato ( ) is a city in Blue Earth, Nicollet, and Le Sueur counties in the state of Minnesota. The population was 44,488 according to the 2020 census, making it the 21st-largest city in Minnesota, and the 5th-largest outside of the Minnea ...

and afterwards acquired by the Winona and St Peter. The first branch line was completed in 1878 from Sleepy Eye to

Redwood Falls, Minnesota Redwood Falls is a city in Redwood County, located along the Redwood River near its confluence with the Minnesota River, in the U.S. state of Minnesota. The population was 5,102 at the 2020 census. It is the county seat. History As the immigr ...

. West of Tracy, the original mainline had gone northwest to

Watertown, South Dakota Watertown is a city in and the county seat of Codington County, South Dakota, United States. Watertown is home to the Redlin Art Center which houses many of the original art works produced by Terry Redlin, one of America's most popular wildlife ar ...

and nearby

Lake Kampeska Lake Kampeska is a inland glacial lake in the U.S. state of South Dakota. It is located west-northwest of Watertown, South Dakota and lies entirely within Codington County and the Coteau des Prairies. The lake is naturally shaped and the most urba ...

. A rail line was started from Tracy in 1879, towards

Volga, South Dakota Volga ( ) is a city in Brookings County, South Dakota, United States with a population of 2,113 at the 2020 census. History Volga was founded by the Western Town Lot Company on December 27, 1879, by Col. Arthur Jacoby, who had platted the area ...

. The line reached

Pierre Pierre is a masculine given name. It is a French form of the name Peter. Pierre originally meant "rock" or "stone" in French (derived from the Greek word πέτρος (''petros'') meaning "stone, rock", via Latin "petra"). It is a translation ...

two years later. Passenger train service continued on the line from its formation until the 1950s when the '' Dakota 400'' was shortened to only run as far as Mankato. The train was renamed the ''Rochester 400'', but passenger service ended entirely on July 23, 1963, when the ''Rochester 400'' made its final run. Chicago and North Western continued to operate the line across southern Minnesota and South Dakota until the 1980s, but started planning to abandon it. The Dakota, Minnesota and Eastern Railroad was formed and took over the line in 1986. Canadian Pacific moved to purchase DM&E in 2007, which was completed in 2008. RCPE Trains have trackage rights to move trains beyond Tracy to Mankato, to interchange with the Union Pacific.UP's 'GroTrain' now serving South Dakota regional
Progressive Railroading, January 10, 2017

References

{{reflist

External links

Waseca County

Blue Earth County

Brown County

Redwood County

Lyon County
Dakota, Minnesota and Eastern Railroad Chicago and North Western Railway Rapid City, Pierre and Eastern Railroad Rail infrastructure in Minnesota