Minneapolis, MN: Milwaukee Southtown Yard and Electric Steel Elevator

(Satellite, between Hiawatha & 26th Aves and 26th & 28th Streets)

Dick Goebel posted
1892 CM&SP rail yard drawing/city parcel map. Off Hiawatha Ave. in Minneapolis Minnesota. Found this at an antique store.
Jim Heath: Worked the South Town yard and auto complax 1976-1991 as a Special Agent for the Milwaukee Road. Part of the old round house was still there as were the tracks down to the Milwaukee Depot through the old Coach Yard. The tracks across Hiawatha Ave were call the old Pole yard.

Dick commented on his post
Hopefully this one is more clear

Dennis DeBruler commented on Dick's post
This provides some context.
1952 Minneapolis South and 1952 St Paul West Quadrangles @ 1:24,000

1952 St Paul West Quadrangle @ 1:24,000

Tim Starr posted two images with the comment: "Minneapolis roundhouse mystery - the Milwaukee Road built its shops in 1880 in the south part of the city. On maps 1881-1884 there are two roundhouses. In 1885 the full-circle one disappears forever. Not sure why they would build such a large roundhouse only to tear it down a few years later. I would guess they took the idea from the Altoona Car Shops roundhouse of the Penn RR, but then thought better of it."

1

2

Marty Bernard posted
3. Electric Steel Elevator Company, Twenty-Fifth Avenue Southeast and Great Northern tracks, Minneapolis circa 1925.
Photographs and captions from the Minnesota Historical Society
Dennis DeBruler

The caption has me confused because I can find just Milwaukee tracks in this area.

1951 St Paul West Quadrangle @ 1:24,000

This photo provides a nice view of boxcars with running boards and handbrake wheels.

[The comment includes the above topo extract.]

Robert Rivard posted
South Minneapolis (Southtown Yard)1988.

Kirk Brust commented on Robert's post

Robert Rivard posted
At Southtown Yard in South Minneapolis 1987
TJ Gaspers: I miss the MP15s so much. They were the best unit for switching. They were like a sports car. I could pass a hand sign to the engineer, and it was an instant response. SD60s were the same.
[A comment called the building the yard office.]

Robert Ball commented on Robert's post
Lots to see in the overview. Great shot! I really like this spot and took a night shot there. SRG and I were on the property with permission. In those days things were a lot easier. The crew actually moved the engine for us so as to get a better shot. They also gave each of us one of the final Milwaukee timetables. Certainly a different time.

Greg Smith posted
One more to go with the photo of 1003 that I posted yesterday. This is looking south at the South Minneapolis facility. This shows the roof of 1003. I do not have a date.
Colin 't Hart: Oh, that’s a great shot! I’ve never seen a photo taken from this end before — not this far back, from on the bridge I guess.
Greg Smith: They must have stopped on the freeway to get this angle.
Maddie Farnsworth: I really appreciate this picture for a very different reason. As a modeler I have been wondering how Milwaukee handled switches and switch stand placement in tight yards. This is exactly what I needed!
Dave Mikelson: I believe the concrete pads were for servicing passenger equipment.
[According to some comments, this was called the Coach Yard and there was a Garden Yard further south.
And these locos were in the graveyard parking lot, the final stop before shipment to scrapper.]

Robert Rivard posted
Back in the day If you purchased a new car in the Twin Cities chances are it was unloaded at The Milwaukee Road's facility in South Minneapolis. At Southtown Yard. August 1987.
Ted Myslinski: Without pulling out a map, what direction are we looking? What east-west street is this near?
Robert Rivard: Ted Myslinski Looking south. You can see the Hiawatha elevators at the upper right.
Doug Peck: Within a year, the auto compound would all be moved to Cottage Grove.
Mike Runyon: Worked a few night elevator jobs out of SoTown, dangerous conditions in the ‘hood!