Red River Limited
The Red River was a passenger train operated by Great Northern Railway between Grand Forks, North Dakota, and Saint Paul, Minnesota.
 Photo from a 1959 brochure | |
| Overview | |
|---|---|
| Service type | Inter-city rail |
| Status | Discontinued |
| First service | June 25, 1950 |
| Last service | 1968 |
| Current operator(s) | Great Northern Railway |
| Route | |
| Termini | St. Paul, Minnesota Grand Forks, North Dakota,Fargo, North Dakota |
| Distance travelled | 324 miles (521 km) |
| Train number(s) | 11/12 (11/14) |
History
Great Northern Railway's third new train set of 1950 was a new schedule named the Red River. The five car streamliner, built by American Car and Foundry Company,[1] began service June 25, 1950, operating a daily round trip 324 miles (521 km) each way between Grand Forks, North Dakota, and Saint Paul, Minnesota. The train went southbound in the morning returning northbound in the evening.
The cars for the Red River streamliner were quite different than those built for the International (another 1950 introduction) in that the Red River's cars had extra insulation and the coaches were equipped with Baker Heaters as there was no steam heat available at the Grand Forks depot where the cars stood overnight. The locomotive was sent to the roundhouse each evening for any running repairs and service so the solution was the installation of the Baker Heaters in the cars.
| Car Number | Car type |
|---|---|
| 512 | EMD E7A 2,000 HP Diesel Passenger Unit |
| 1107 | Baggage 30’ Railway Post office Car |
| 1137 | 60 Revenue seat Coach |
| 1138 | 60 Revenue seat Coach |
| 1139 | 60 Revenue seat Coach |
| 1147 | 9 seat Lunch Counter 12 seat Dinette 16 Revenue seat Parlor Lounge Observation |
The service was discontinued in 1968.[2]
References
- "2,001 Passenger-Train Cars on Order For Domestic Use". Railway Age. Vol. 125, no. 21. November 20, 1948. p. 178.
- Hidy, Ralph W.; Hidy, Muriel E.; Scott, Roy V.; Hofsommer, Don L. (2004). The Great Northern Railway: A History. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press. p. 280. ISBN 978-0-8166-4429-2.
