The Minneapolis & Northland Railroad Company is a HO scale standard gauge short line railroad located in central Minnesota in late spring 1955. The railroad is an east-west bridge route connecting the GN on east end, CNW at the mid-point, the MILW on the west end and the CGW on a branch line run to Randolph from Northfield. Towns of Midwest flavor, scratchbuilt buildings, all scenery complete, provide identity. Railroad equipment consists of 1st generation Alco’s EMD, and FM small switchers with company blue, orange, and white separating stripe paint scheme . And, rolling stock, some scratch built, with the M&N private name and herald. The railroad is based loosely on the Minneapolis, Northfield and Southern in design and operation.

 

Operation consists of a dispatcher recording on a train sheet various passenger and thru freight scheduled trains and extras moving on the mainline. Communication of train movements is done by phone. Trains are made up using a realistic industry demand based system in east end Minneapolis or west end Northfield yards with cars picked up from interchanges or local switched industries via car card system. In addition to east and west end yards: a division point job at the mid-point of the railroad where interchange is pulled, local industries are switched and helps dispatcher setup meets on the mainline and passing siding. A MILW job on the west end of the railroad transfers and picks up cars at the west end M&N yard, switches local industries and moves a coal train over the M&N mainline to power plant on east end.

 

Crew lounge, refreshment area and restroom are all adjacent to the layout area.