M&StL Cedar Lake Shops and Yard
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If you have any photos or other information relating to the Cedar Lake
Yard and Shops please contribute to this page.
You can send email to mstl@eldora.net
Cedar Lake Yard March 1954
Looking southeast towards diesel shop and houses facing Kenwood Parkway.
GN double track main line westward in foreground, GN yard tracks next.
M&StL double track main line next on other side of GN boxcars. M&StL
Yard Office on far right hand side of picture.
Diesel house, yard tracks and yard office removed in fall of 1984 leaving
only 1 main line track.
Photo from M. J. Reitan collection
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To see a larger version of the picture shown above click here. Click here to see plans for a tool used in the Cedar Lake and Marshalltown shops. From the 1942 Annual Report: Extensive improvements were made to the roundhouse and shop structures at Cedar Lake in 1942 & 43. From the 1945 Annual Report: For the proper maintenance of Diesel locomotives, a new repair shop was constructed at the Cedar Lake shops in Mpls. From the 1946 Annual Report: A service building of brick and concrete construction was erected adjacent to the Diesel locomotive repair shop building at Cedar Lake shops in Mpls. From the 1952 Annual Report: A new two-story Yard Office Bldg was constructed near 21st St. in the Cedar Lake terminal district at Mpls, replacing an old worn-out structure which was unfit for further use. The machine shop bldg at Cedar Lake shops, no longer required due to dieselization of motive power, is being remodeled into a coach and forge shop. These two projects are part of the program, now in progress, of rehabilitating and improving the Cedar Lake yards and terminal facilities. From the 1953 Annual Report: The program of enlarging and modernizing the train yard and improving certain shop facilities at Cedar Lake terminal district in Mpls, started in 1952, was accelerated during 1953 and nearly completed when winter arrived. Some track work remains which will be completed by mid-summer of 1954. The projects thus far completed are: construction of modern two-story Yard Office Bldg replacing antiquated and worn-out structure, convert Machine Shop Bldg into modern coach and forge shop, raze roundhouse and power plant, no longer required, move 90 foot turntabgle to new location and lengthen to 92 feet for Diesel operation, install new track scale replacing worn-out scale, purchase from Great Northern 413 feet of interchange track and construct additional 1,753 ft. of track to provide better interchange facilities with the GN, construct part of planned additional yard tracks. From the 1956 Annual Report: OTHER EXPENSE REDUCTIONS: Closing Marshalltown diesel shop and consolidating all heavy diesel repair at Cedar Lake;
I have to tell you a funny story about Number 2 out CedarLake yard. I was braking on it the first run it made. It was going to be a hot shot between CedarLake & Peoria. 2&1 They had movie cameras and news media all over. At 4:30 P.M I gave a high ball .We never went 50 ft. and the caboose jumped the track. We were on the ground with all the cameras rolling. Talk about embarrassing moments for the M&STL. Every one in the yard clapping as we bumped down the ties in Caboose. I pulled the air, we got frogs and put caboose back on. We never did find out why caboose jumped the track. Your site brought back many memories . Thank You. Paul Dinoto wopcom1@bellsouth.net 3/6/2003
The following appeared in the March 1961 Switch Lamp: Chan Cooke, best known railfan in three states, who shows up for every trip out of Minneapolis well-stocked with M&StL souvenirs, gives our readers a concise briefing on latest developments following the recent merger: "I was over to Cedar Lake roundhouse yesterday (3/8/61). I had to have a doctor's certificate in order to get a renewal of my leave. GE cars 27 and 28 were being services for shipment. I was told they had been sold to a Canadian road, and were to be shipped to Nova Scotia. Alco diesel 208, I was told, was also sold, to be used for parts, to the same Canadian road that boutht the other six last year. (S&L) I saw Alco diesel 229 had been painted C&NW;colors. This painting, I was told, is being done in Chicago, and the boys here are unhappy about it, but can do nothing. The force here has been cut so low that they don't have men to do this painting without calling back some that have been laid off. The rumor is still alive that the highway department wants the M&StL property through Cedar Lake for a freeway. I was told that C&NW is trying to bring the crew from 23rd Avenue North to Cedar Lake and dovetail the seniority, which the men at Cedar Lake don't like. At Cedar Lake I saw C&NW Fairbanks-Morse six motor diesel in the old roundhouse; maybe laying over between runs. The FM diesels have high hoods, similar to old Alcos. I don't know how the FMs are standing up, but if they require engine work it would be a big job on account of the upper engine."
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