Mar 2, 1950 Shakopee Argus-Tribune Traffic on the M&St.L. R.R. was routed through Shakopee Friday when it was discovered that a railbridge two miles west of Carver had burned out Thursday night. Trains traveling on the line between Mpls. and Albert Lea were routed from Merriam Jct. to Shakopee on the Omaha line and from Shakopee to Chaska on the Milwaukee road. The M&St.L. passes through Chaska and Merriam and the bridge break was between these two points.

Feb 8, 1951 Hennepin Co. Review Nastiest fire call of the season caught the Hopkins boys a week ago tonight, when they were called to Eden Prairie to assist a dead locomotive on the M&St.L. line steam up. It was waydown below zero and the call came in shortly after 11 o'clock p.m.. Mates Hegberg, Exworthy, Brecka, Beckman and a couple of others whose names escaped the reporter, who was in bed at the time, made the run and when they arrived at Eden Prairie found themselves a wee bit on the chilly side. Riding either in a open cab or the tail end of the old No. 2 truck across the prairie at 15 to 20 below is a chilly job. The locomotive had run dry of water, because of a minor accident and the boys had to hightail for the Glen Lake Sanatorium to fetch the big drink. That was only half enough so they turned and made a second trip to the San. The two loads were enough for the loco to get up a slight head of steam and make its way to Hopkins. The fire boys returned to the barn at 1:30 a.m. then waited around until 3, when the locomotive arrived to help its crew fill up here in the yards. It was a rough night, for $2 per head. the skies were filled with sream for "Miles Around" according to Jim Exworthy, who said he was speaking roughly, as the boys were pumping the water into the big boiler at Eden Prairie. The Hopkins department has been fortunate during the cold spell, for the Eden Prairie ride was really the only bad one they have had during the long sub-zero spell. As a matter of fact there were only 3 calls in January as against 12 a year ago in January and only 4 to this date in February. However, 2 of the 4 thus far in February were "simultanous" calls coming in at 7:30 a.m. Tuesday, one from the 908 bar and the other from Superior Separator Co. One truck was dispatched to the factory, the other to 908, wher a furnace fire in the Planker Market started a furios smoke, but caused but smoke damage. At Superior Separator, aminor blaze was brought under control without difficulty.

June 14, 1951 Hennepin Co. Review John Byron Ker, 48, Dubuque, Iowa, was still in critical condition last night in University hospital after having been found unconscious Monday along the M&St.L. tracks in Eden Prairie township. Mr. Kerr was found Monday morning by a railroad section crew at the trackside near new highway 5 northeast of the Eden Prairie school. He had suffered head and shoulder injuries and was severely sun-burned from what is thought must have been a whole day's exposure. He was taken to University hospital by ambulance where it was thought yesterday that surgery might be necessary because of pressure on the brain caused by the injuries. Deputy Sheriff Charles Lord, who was called to the scene, Monday told a Review reporter that there were no indications of whether he might have fallen or have been pushed from a train.

Apr 3, 1952 Hennepin Co. Review History article by Dotty Nye: List of depot agents, R.O. Reed, first one, later some of them: Amy Smith Douglas, Panghorn, Rennells and Gladys Martin.

June 17, 1954 Shakopee Argus-Tribune Re-Routing of the M&St.L. and the C.M. & St.P.P. R.R.'s through Hopkins moved a little closer to reality last week when the state Railraod and Warehouse commission approved the plan. Effort to force the re-routing has been in progress for two years. The R & W commission recommends that half the cost be borne by the two rail companies and the remaining half by Hopkins and Hennepin county.

Sept 9, 1954 Shakopee Argus-Tribune Picture of big fire at Merriam Jct.: This spectacular blaze resulted from an overheated journal on a flat car on a M&St.L. freight train near Merriam Jct. late Thursday afternoon. The cars cargo of 100 fresh creosoted utility poles quickly ignited and burst into flames. For a time it was feared the intense heat would cause an explosion in an empty fuel tank car coupled to the flat car. Shakopee firemen hampered by inadequate water supply, fought the blaze for several hours before they succeeded in spilling the cargo off the car. (My Comment: The pictures aren't very good.)

Aug 11, 1955 Shakopee Argus-Tribune The M&St.L. R.R. Co. has completed the laying of new rails from Chaska to Eden Prairie.

Feb 16, 1956 Shakopee Argus-Tribune Picture of train de-railment at Chaska: Picture above is the scene at Chaska Friday morning after 11 cars of an Omaha railroad freight train traveling over the M&St.L. rails jumped the tracks. One of the box cars crashed into the city water pumping station demolishing the west wall of the building. The main water pump, though surrounded by debris, was not damaged. The accident occured at about 3 a.m. No one was in the water station at the time. The train was bound for the Twin Cities. M&St.L. trains were re-routed through Shakopee while damage to the tracks was repaired.

May 2, 1957 Hennepin Co. Review Picture: Derailment of a Chicago, Minneapolis and Omaha train sometime after 4 p.m. a few hundred yards east of the old Shady Oak bridge has brought the F.B.I. into Hopkins for a full investigation. Heading into Mpls., the train was running over the M&St.L. tracks when an open switch caused the three diesel train to jump the tracks. Investigation according to the authorities, revealed the padlock on the switch has been hammered open. It was also stated by a railroad worker that rocks were piled on the tracks a few hundred feet ahead of the switch, though this was not confirmed by office officials. It was estimated the train was carrying about a 100 cars according to L.I. Gelfand, public relations council for the M&St.L. and must have been going at a slow rate of speed. None of the freight cars were derailed and no one was injured. Authority of the F.B.I. is justified by the violation of interstate commerce regulations and possible sabotage.

Apr 23, 1959 Shakopee Argus-Tribune Picture: This is what resulted when 29 cars of a northbound M&St.L. R.R. freight were derailed two miles north of New Prague at 3 a.m. Saturday. The cars were loaded with coal, farm tractors, cement, plaster board, empty barrels, bottles and a variety of merchandise. Rail service was restored late Saturday. Much of the track was torn up and many cars demolished. Thousands of spectators crowded into the area over the weekend to view the wreckage.

May 18, 1961 Hennepin Co. Review Picture of the M&St.L. depot at St. Louis Park.

July 12, 1962 Shakopee Valley News Pictures (2): Luckly escaping injury were freight crew of the M&St.L. R.R. about 5:53 a.m. last Friday, July 6, when one train being pulled by four diesels rammed the rear of another freight on the main line about a mile east of the depot in Chaska, along highway 212 and Stoughton Ave. Shown here are the four derailed diesels of train No. 20 that was out of Mpls, enroute to Peoria that smashed into the train 201 headed for Mpls. Reports are that 201 had pulled off on a siding to let No. 20 to Peoria pass on the through track and in apparently pulling off; train 201's caboose remained on the main track. Then in a heavy fog, the Peoria bound freight collided with the rear of the other train.

Oct 17, 1963 Shakopee Valley News Pictures (2): Clearing operation following the derailment of 5 cars and alocomotive when a M&St.L. switch train from Hopkins, bound for Merriam Jct., plowed into four beet cars on the main line near the Highway 212 overpass just west of the Assumption Seminary about 5 p.m. Wednesday last week, was completed in slightly over 24 hours with the tracks clear at 6p.m. last Thursday. The engineer and two crew members of the switch train were treated for bruises and released. They jumped clear before the engine, along with the cars, toppled over a 40 foot embankment. P iled up on its side was the locomotive of the M&St.L. freight when it, along with four beet cars and a box car left the rails in the mishap at 5 p.m. Wednesday of last week near the Highway 212 overpass just west of the Assumption Seminary. About 1,000 feet of track were torn up as the switch train rammed the four beet cars, unloaded at the sugar factory in Chaska which were on the main line. Reported was that these empty beet cars had been switched out on the main line as there was not enough trackage left in the beet yard to complete the switching.

July 2, 1964 Shakopee Valley News List of Stations to be closed and dismantled by the C&NW, Jordan and Blakeley among them, 53 in all.

Oct 11, 1972 Shakopee Valley News Pictures (2): The often critized crossing on highway 41 and Northwestern railroad between Chaska and Shakopee was the scene of a fatal truck-train collision Friday morning about 7:15. Richard Borth, 39, Stewart, Minn. was killed when the tractor trailer he was driving hit the moving freight. The force of the crash tore the trailer from the tractor and tossed the truck cab down into the ditch. the embankment was covered with corn which spilled from the mangled trailer. One of the engines of the train was completely derailed and the track was broken and twisted. Engineer Thomas Johnson, St.Paul and trainman William Werle, So. St. Paul were treated for minor injuries.