Dakota Northern Railroad
Encyclopedia
The Dakota Northern Railroad is a Class III
short line railroad that operates over 72 miles (116 kilometres) of track in the northeastern portion of the U.S. state
of North Dakota
.
The Dakota Northern Railroad, headquartered in Crookston, Minnesota
, is co-owned by KBN Incorporated and Independent Locomotive Service.
As of 2006, the Dakota Northern Railroad employed 6 people. The primary commodities hauled included grain
, coal, potato, fertilizer
s, and ethanol
.
The railroad interchanges with the BNSF Railway
in Grafton, North Dakota
.
decided to lease approximately 72 miles (116 kilometres) of branch line
trackage to KBN Incorporated and Independent Locomotive Service for an initial 10 year period.
The track leased to the Dakota Northern Railroad consists of an approximate 23 mile (37 kilometre) segment of the Glasston Subdivision between Grafton, North Dakota
and Glasston, North Dakota
as well as the approximate 49 mile (79 kilometre) Walhalla Subdivision between Grafton, North Dakota
and Walhalla, North Dakota
.
The piece of the Glasston Subdivision leased to the Dakota Northern Railroad is part of a segment of track that was once owned by the Great Northern Railway and extended from Grand Forks, North Dakota
to Gretna, Manitoba
. The Burlington Northern Railroad
(a successor to the Great Northern Railway) abandoned the track to its current terminus of Glasston in 1993.
The Walhalla Subdivision was also once owned by the Great Northern Railway. The line extended from Grafton, North Dakota
to Morden, Manitoba
in the early 20th century, but was abandoned to the current terminus of Walhalla in 1936.
The Dakota Northern recently filed to abandon its Glasston Subdivision in eastern North Dakota, an 18-mile line that hasn't been used since the spring of 2009 due to bridge conditions.
.
The locomotives have maroon paint with gold lettering. These colors also appear on the majority of locomotives operating on the Minnesota Northern Railroad
, which is itself co-owned by the same two companies that co-own the Dakota Northern Railroad.
The railroad does not directly own or lease any freight cars. Instead, all of the freight cars it uses are provided by the BNSF Railway
.
Class III railroad
A Class III railroad, as defined by the Surface Transportation Board, is a railroad with an annual operating revenue of less than $20 million . The term only applies to United States railroads, but is sometimes applied to other countries...
short line railroad that operates over 72 miles (116 kilometres) of track in the northeastern portion of the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of North Dakota
North Dakota
North Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States of America, along the Canadian border. The state is bordered by Canada to the north, Minnesota to the east, South Dakota to the south and Montana to the west. North Dakota is the 19th-largest state by area in the U.S....
.
The Dakota Northern Railroad, headquartered in Crookston, Minnesota
Crookston, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 8,192 people, 3,078 households, and 1,819 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,658.8 people per square mile . There were 3,382 housing units at an average density of 684.8 per square mile...
, is co-owned by KBN Incorporated and Independent Locomotive Service.
As of 2006, the Dakota Northern Railroad employed 6 people. The primary commodities hauled included grain
Cereal
Cereals are grasses cultivated for the edible components of their grain , composed of the endosperm, germ, and bran...
, coal, potato, fertilizer
Fertilizer
Fertilizer is any organic or inorganic material of natural or synthetic origin that is added to a soil to supply one or more plant nutrients essential to the growth of plants. A recent assessment found that about 40 to 60% of crop yields are attributable to commercial fertilizer use...
s, and ethanol
Ethanol
Ethanol, also called ethyl alcohol, pure alcohol, grain alcohol, or drinking alcohol, is a volatile, flammable, colorless liquid. It is a psychoactive drug and one of the oldest recreational drugs. Best known as the type of alcohol found in alcoholic beverages, it is also used in thermometers, as a...
.
The railroad interchanges with the BNSF Railway
BNSF Railway
The BNSF Railway is a wholly owned subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway Inc., and is headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas. It is one of seven North American Class I railroads and the second largest freight railroad network in North America, second only to the Union Pacific Railroad, its primary...
in Grafton, North Dakota
Grafton, North Dakota
-Education:The city of Grafton is served by the Grafton Public Schools system. The system includes Century Elementary School , Central Middle School , and Grafton High School .-Library:...
.
History
The Dakota Northern Railroad was created in January 2006 after the BNSF RailwayBNSF Railway
The BNSF Railway is a wholly owned subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway Inc., and is headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas. It is one of seven North American Class I railroads and the second largest freight railroad network in North America, second only to the Union Pacific Railroad, its primary...
decided to lease approximately 72 miles (116 kilometres) of branch line
Branch line
A branch line is a secondary railway line which branches off a more important through route, usually a main line. A very short branch line may be called a spur line...
trackage to KBN Incorporated and Independent Locomotive Service for an initial 10 year period.
The track leased to the Dakota Northern Railroad consists of an approximate 23 mile (37 kilometre) segment of the Glasston Subdivision between Grafton, North Dakota
Grafton, North Dakota
-Education:The city of Grafton is served by the Grafton Public Schools system. The system includes Century Elementary School , Central Middle School , and Grafton High School .-Library:...
and Glasston, North Dakota
Glasston, North Dakota
Glasston is a small farming town located in Saint Thomas Township in North Dakota's Pembina County. It consists of a post office, a general store, and a handful of houses. It was established in 1886 as a station along the Great Northern Railroad. Originally called Baltimore, the site was later...
as well as the approximate 49 mile (79 kilometre) Walhalla Subdivision between Grafton, North Dakota
Grafton, North Dakota
-Education:The city of Grafton is served by the Grafton Public Schools system. The system includes Century Elementary School , Central Middle School , and Grafton High School .-Library:...
and Walhalla, North Dakota
Walhalla, North Dakota
As of the census of 2000, there were 1,057 people, 452 households, and 271 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,004.4 people per square mile . There were 556 housing units at an average density of 528.3 per square mile . The racial makeup of the city was 89.78% White, 5.96%...
.
The piece of the Glasston Subdivision leased to the Dakota Northern Railroad is part of a segment of track that was once owned by the Great Northern Railway and extended from Grand Forks, North Dakota
Grand Forks, North Dakota
Grand Forks is the third-largest city in the U.S. state of North Dakota and the county seat of Grand Forks County. According to the 2010 census, the city's population was 52,838, while that of the city and surrounding metropolitan area was 98,461...
to Gretna, Manitoba
Gretna, Manitoba
Gretna is a town in south-central Manitoba, Canada. It is located just north of the Canada - United States border on PTH 30. As of 2006, the population of Gretna was 574. It is bordered on the west, north, and east by the Rural Municipality of Rhineland. On the south it is bordered by Pembina...
. The Burlington Northern Railroad
Burlington Northern Railroad
The Burlington Northern Railroad was a United States-based railroad company formed from a merger of four major U.S. railroads. Burlington Northern operated between 1970 and 1996....
(a successor to the Great Northern Railway) abandoned the track to its current terminus of Glasston in 1993.
The Walhalla Subdivision was also once owned by the Great Northern Railway. The line extended from Grafton, North Dakota
Grafton, North Dakota
-Education:The city of Grafton is served by the Grafton Public Schools system. The system includes Century Elementary School , Central Middle School , and Grafton High School .-Library:...
to Morden, Manitoba
Morden, Manitoba
Morden is a small town with a population of 6571 located in the Pembina Valley region of southern Manitoba, Canada. Morden is less than ten minutes west of neighbouring Winkler, and a relatively short distance to Pembina Valley Provincial Park...
in the early 20th century, but was abandoned to the current terminus of Walhalla in 1936.
The Dakota Northern recently filed to abandon its Glasston Subdivision in eastern North Dakota, an 18-mile line that hasn't been used since the spring of 2009 due to bridge conditions.
Locomotive and Freight Car Fleet
Dakota Northern Railroad co-owner Independent Locomotive Service supplies the railroad with two locomotives: an EMD GP10 lettered ILSX 1391, and another EMD GP10 lettered ILSX 1392. The GP10 locomotives feature the words "Independent Locomotive Service" on the long hoodLong hood
The long hood of a hood unit-style diesel locomotive is, as the name implies, the longer of the two hoods on a locomotive.-Equipment:...
.
The locomotives have maroon paint with gold lettering. These colors also appear on the majority of locomotives operating on the Minnesota Northern Railroad
Minnesota Northern Railroad
The Minnesota Northern Railroad is a Class III shortline railroad that operates over of track in northwestern Minnesota. The railroad is co-owned by KBN Incorporated and Independent Locomotive Service and is headquartered in Crookston, Minnesota....
, which is itself co-owned by the same two companies that co-own the Dakota Northern Railroad.
The railroad does not directly own or lease any freight cars. Instead, all of the freight cars it uses are provided by the BNSF Railway
BNSF Railway
The BNSF Railway is a wholly owned subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway Inc., and is headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas. It is one of seven North American Class I railroads and the second largest freight railroad network in North America, second only to the Union Pacific Railroad, its primary...
.
Stations on the Dakota Northern Railroad
The Dakota Northern Railroad operates on track that goes through the following communities:- Auburn, North Dakota
- Backoo, North DakotaBackoo, North DakotaBackoo is an unincorporated community in Advance Township in North Dakota's Pembina County located roughly 5 miles northwest of Cavalier. It was established in 1887 as a townsite along the Great Northern Railroad.-History:...
- Cavalier, North DakotaCavalier, North DakotaCavalier is a city in Pembina County, North Dakota in the United States. It is the county seat of Pembina County. The population was 1,302 at the 2010 census. Cavalier was founded in 1877 and became the county seat in 1911....
- Crystal, North DakotaCrystal, North DakotaAs of the census of 2000, there were 167 people, 76 households, and 45 families residing in the city. The population density was 256.0 people per square mile . There were 92 housing units at an average density of 141.0 per square mile . The racial makeup of the city was 93.41% White, 6.59% from...
- Glasston, North DakotaGlasston, North DakotaGlasston is a small farming town located in Saint Thomas Township in North Dakota's Pembina County. It consists of a post office, a general store, and a handful of houses. It was established in 1886 as a station along the Great Northern Railroad. Originally called Baltimore, the site was later...
- Grafton, North DakotaGrafton, North Dakota-Education:The city of Grafton is served by the Grafton Public Schools system. The system includes Century Elementary School , Central Middle School , and Grafton High School .-Library:...
(also a BNSFBNSF RailwayThe BNSF Railway is a wholly owned subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway Inc., and is headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas. It is one of seven North American Class I railroads and the second largest freight railroad network in North America, second only to the Union Pacific Railroad, its primary...
station) - Hensel, North Dakota
- Hoople, North DakotaHoople, North DakotaAs of the census of 2000, there were 292 people, 133 households, and 79 families residing in the city. The population density was 817.0 people per square mile . There were 148 housing units at an average density of 414.1 per square mile . The racial makeup of the city was 97.60% White, 0.68% Native...
- Leyden, North Dakota
- Nash, North DakotaNash, North DakotaNash is an census-designated place in Walsh County in the U.S. State of North Dakota. The unincorporated community is located in Farmington Township, northwest of Grafton, North Dakota...
- St. Thomas, North DakotaSt. Thomas, North DakotaAs of the census of 2000, there were 447 people, 174 households, and 123 families residing in the city. The population density was 421.7 people per square mile . There were 201 housing units at an average density of 189.6 per square mile . The racial makeup of the city was 94.18% White, 4.25% from...
- Walhalla, North DakotaWalhalla, North DakotaAs of the census of 2000, there were 1,057 people, 452 households, and 271 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,004.4 people per square mile . There were 556 housing units at an average density of 528.3 per square mile . The racial makeup of the city was 89.78% White, 5.96%...