The Central of Minnesota actually existed! On paper, as a land grant railroad in the 1870's. My Central of MN exists purely on trackage rights from Peoria to Minneapolis (M&StL trackage) to Winnipeg (Soo Line trackage). It runs as a foil to the Great Northern, so much so that the GN refuses the C of MN use of the union station in Minneapolis. As such, the C of MN's passenger trains from Peoria and St. Paul are consolidated at the M&StL's rather dingy Washington Ave. depot.

 

The modeled portion of the railroad is from just east of Cedar Lake yard to Washington Ave/Lake St/Northeast Minneapolis. This is all yard limits, so trains are run in a sequence. Middle yard serves to generate five switch jobs and break down several transfers from other railroads or "through" trains that originate in one of the three staging yards. No long mainline runs on this railroad!