Elbow Lake Subdivision

The Elbow Lake Subdivision or Elbow Lake Sub is a railway line that runs about 137 miles (220 km) from Glenwood, Minnesota to Enderlin, North Dakota. The line is currently operated by Canadian Pacific Railway (CP) under its subsidiary, the Soo Line Railroad. The rail line began construction in 1887 and was a continuation of the Minneapolis and Pacific Railway line to the Dakotas that would supply grain to Twin Cities flour mills.[1] The line begins in Glenwood and splits with the Detroit Lakes Subdivision before going through many small towns and reaching the junction with the Morris Subdivision near Nashua. Then the line continues westward into North Dakota meeting the Veblen Subdivision at Veblen Junction. At Hankinson, the route meets the DMVW Dakota Subdivision and turns north, eventually reaching the western terminus at Enderlin.[2]

Elbow Lake Subdivision
Overview
Owner	Canadian Pacific Railway
Technical
Line length	137.3 mi (221.0 km)
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8 ^1⁄2 in) standard gauge
Route map Legend Canadian Pacific Railway Elbow Lake Subdivision to Carrington Subdivision 257.3 mi Enderlin 252.7 Ransom Junction (RRV&W 4th Subdivision) 248.9 Anselm Sheyenne River 241.0 Orchid 235.4 McLeod 223.7 Wyndmere West (RRV&W 3rd Subdivision) 223.6 Wyndmere 220.2 Moselle 213.3 Mantador 208.3 CP 208 205.7 DMVW Junction to DMVW Dakota Sub 205.6 Hankinson 197.0 Oswald 195.6 Veblen Junction to Veblen Sub 191.4 Fairmount Bois de Sioux River, North Dakota/Minnesota border 184.1 Tenney 179.2 Aberdeen Line Junction west wye 178.9 Aberdeen Line Junction (BNSF Morris Sub) 177.1 Nashua 166.9 Wendell 162.4 CP 162 160.2 Elbow Lake 159.4 former GN crossing 152.6 Barrett 146.0 Hoffman 140.6 CP 141 139.5 Kensington 134.9 Farwell 129.3 Lowry 124.1 CP 124 121.6 Winnipeg Junction to Detroit Lakes Subdivision 121.5 former NP crossing to Little Falls 120.0 Glenwood to Paynesville Subdivision

There has been no passenger service on the line since the last train of the Winnipeger went through on March 25, 1967.[3] Freight traffic mainly involves grain and some crude oil as well as a few manifests. The route typically sees around 8 trains per day as of June 2017.

At Glenwood, the line connects to the Paynesville Subdivision to Minneapolis and the Detroit Lakes Subdivision to Thief River Falls.[4] At the west end in Enderlin, the route connects to the Carrington Subdivision to Harvey, North Dakota.[5] The line also connects to the Veblen Subdivision at Veblen Junction near Fairmount.

References

1. Alton Chermak (2011). "The Coming of the Railroads and the Early Years". Retrieved June 7, 2017.
2. Paul Nadolski. "CP Elbow Lake Subdivision". Retrieved June 7, 2017.
3. Dorin, Patric C (1979). The Soo Line. Burbank, California: Superior Publishing Company. p. 97. ISBN 0-87564-712-X. LCCN 79012204.
4. Paul Nadolski. "CP Detroit Lakes and Noyes Subs". Retrieved June 7, 2017.
5. Paul Nadolski. "Carrington Subdivision". Retrieved June 7, 2017.