Progressive
Rail
They operate multiple lines in the south Metro as well as out
of Northfield. More details coming soon but first these photos... All photos by
Andy Inserra unless noted.
Locomotives
Seen Sept
11 2004 straight from the paint shop is SD38-2 #42 - Craig Willett found it
resting at WSOR's Horicon Shops before moving to MN...
And here is SD39
#40 in Northfield looking good in its original MNS colors. Burt Foster photo,
Dec 04.
PGR 40 and 42 together in Northfield - Jan 15th 2005. Andy
Inserra photo
From November 04 we see SW1500 #36 in service in Richfield.
Greg Smith photo
Todd Madson caught #36 just after it arrived on the DPL-High
Line
SW1500 37 in Northfield with a "new" Tropicana
boxcar
PGR SW1500 #37 - ex-MNS 37 and now wearing its old colors
once again as is works out of PGR's new Northfiled hub. Greg Smith
PGR 38 - another
SW1500 but this time ex-BNSF. Assigned to the Eagandale line. Greg
Smith
SW1500 67 at Lakeville
SW1500 74 at Lakeville
SW1500 2347 wears
a version of the MNS colors - to be renumbered soon... Seen July
2002
This is PGR GP9 #63, it is privately owned by one of their
employees but used on the PGR as backup power out of Northfield. It carries a
PGR logo on the cab and is seen below with SW1500 37. Burt Foster photos - Dec
04.
PGR 63 with a new PGR boxcar - Any Inserra photo, Jan 15th
2005
PGR's 45 tonner - former NSP 5 - at Fairbault
Foods in Fairbault. Joe Fehr photo.
| Number |
Model |
Notes |
Line/Base |
| 34 |
SW1500 |
ex-PGR 2347, NS 2347, Sou. |
Lakeville |
| 36 |
SW1500 |
ex-Soo 1400, MNS 36 |
Highline |
| 37 |
SW1500 |
ex-Soo 1401, MNS 37 |
Northfield |
| 38 |
SW1500 |
ex-BNSF 3455, BN 309, GN 209 |
Eagandale |
| 40 |
SD39 |
ex-Soo 6240, MNS 40 |
Northfield |
| 42 |
SD38-2 |
ex-LLPX 2806, GATX 1242, Reserve
Mining 1242 |
Northfield |
| 63 |
GP9 |
ex- CBRM, NEKM 63, I&O 63,
C&O 6178 , privately owned - back up power |
Northfield |
| 67 |
SW1500 |
ex-ILS, NS-SOU-K&IT 67 |
Lakeville |
| 74 |
SW1500 |
ex-ILS, NS-SOU-K&IT 74 |
Lakeville |
| (5) |
45 Ton GE |
ex-NSP 5, bought from MTM - no
official PGR number |
Fairbault |
CBRM =Chillicothe-Brunswick Rail
Maintenance Authority
NKEM =Northeast Kansas & Missouri Division,
Mid-Michigan R.R., Inc.
I&O = Indiana and Ohio
K&IT = Kentucky
& Illinois Terminal
Their locomotives
in their past lives
Freight Cars
Northfield is now home to the PGR car fleet in the
local yard - these cars had been out of the paint shop for less than a month
when photographed in June 2004.
All three schemes the PGR boxcar fleet can be
seen in...
A string of ex-Amtrak express boxcars, now PGR boxcars.
A
common sight to east coast residents, these colorful cars hardly ever came to
Minnesota before PGR bought a fleet of them. Cooling parts are all removed -
they now serve as regular boxcars.
PGR also owns Airlake Terminal [or ALKX] which owns 10 of
these hoppers now in salt service. This one, #3008, is seen at Randolph - Jan
15 2005, Andy Inserra photo
One of 5 60' flats PGR owns... #4004 seen here
- Joe Fehr photo
One of the most interesting loads seen - McNeilus front
loader garbage trucks loaded in pairs are being shipped on these flats. Talk
about a made-for-model-rail project! Click for hi-res photo... Feb 2005. Joe
Fehr photo
Soo caboose 114 and PGR Flat 4001.
Andy Inserra photo, June 05, Northfield yard
A set of their former Skeena hoppers, now in
woodchip service. Andy Inserra photo - June 05,
Northfield yard
| Reporting
Marks |
Number
series |
Car
Type |
Details |
| PGR |
1300
(16 total) |
60' boxcar |
Interior bulkheads, specialty
moves |
| PGR |
2600-2700
(58 total) |
Refrigerated Boxcar |
ex-Tropicana, canned foods |
| PGR |
4001-4005 |
60' flatcar |
heavy machinery service |
| ALKX |
3001-3010 |
3-bay covered hopper |
ex-UP, CNW - salt service |
| ALKX |
8001-8008 |
4 bay covered hopper |
Hauling recycled battery cases -
Eagandale line |
| STWX |
157000 series (11 total) |
52.5' gondolas |
ex-CN, recycled metal
service |
| STWX |
1400 (87 total) |
Open hoppers |
former Skeena -for
mulch service and construction debris |
Cabooses
MNS 102 lives on - it
resides with the PGR on the High Line. It works when needed and retains its
orginal colors while sporting a new solar panal on the roof for extra
electricity.
Caboose 1962 - a former CP van - now serves as
an office just off 60th St in South Mpls near the Crosstown [Hwy 62] and
theAggregate Industires plant visable from there. The van is still roadworthy
and if needed could do rolling work but for now it is a cushy place to do
paperwork. Vlad Kedrovsky photo - 2/2003 when being prepared for its office
duties...
MOW
Soo plow pushed to the back of yard in
Northfield - it has been a while since there has been a single storm with
enough snow to warrent use...
Lakeville - Airlake Park
The impressive PGR building in Lakeville -
click for more details, note the Ship by Rail and Frieght House No. 1 signs...
Greg Smith
How to unload an end-dump wood chip car with a car tipper:
Lift up the end and connect with chain, pull out chips with small front end
loader to form a ramp and then unload the rest of the car with a loader/bobcat.
Amazing what a little creativity can do!
Leased
Power
Todd Madson took these photos of LLPX GP38 2034
[ex-Conrail] and 2023 [ex-CSX in their orange MOW scheme] at Northfield in
mid-October 2004
And working the Eagandale line with #38 is RLCX SW1500
#1500. Formerly a Belt Railway of Chicago unit, it hasn't changed much since
those days... Greg Smith photos - Nov. '04 [note - returned to RLCX as of the
end of 2004]
Routes-Lines
These are the routes that
are currently being operated by PGR - they started in Lakeville and since then
have expanded from there with multiple lines now in Northfield as well as north
of the Minnesota River with the High Line and just south with the Eagandale
Line.
CLICK HERE FOR THEIR WISCONSIN NORTHERN
MORE COMING
SOON
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