# Tracy Subdivision

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The **Tracy Subdivision** or **Tracy Sub** is a [railway](/source/Railway) line in southern [Minnesota](/source/Minnesota) owned and operated by the [Dakota, Minnesota and Eastern Railroad](/source/Dakota,_Minnesota_and_Eastern_Railroad) (DM&E) subsidiary of [Canadian Pacific](/source/Canadian_Pacific_Railway). It begins at the end of the [Waseca Subdivision](/source/DME_Waseca_Subdivision) in [Waseca, Minnesota](/source/Waseca,_Minnesota) in the east and runs approximately 124 miles (200 km) west to [Tracy, Minnesota](/source/Tracy,_Minnesota).[1] At Tracy, the rails continue as the [Huron Subdivision](/source/Huron_Subdivision) of the [Rapid City, Pierre and Eastern Railroad](/source/Rapid_City,_Pierre_and_Eastern_Railroad) (RCPE). [U.S. Highway 14](/source/U.S._Highway_14) closely follows the train route.

The rail line had been built westward from [Winona](/source/Winona,_Minnesota) by the [Winona and St. Peter Railroad](/source/Winona_and_St._Peter_Railroad). The [Chicago and North Western Railway](/source/Chicago_and_North_Western_Railway) had taken ownership of the W&StP in 1867, and continued building the line west, though the Winona and St. Peter continued to operate under the old name for a considerable time afterward. The Winona & St Peter Railroad Company was organized March 10, 1862, and completed its line from Winona to [Rochester, Minnesota](/source/Rochester,_Minnesota), in 1864. In August it reached Owatonna.[2]

In 1867 the Chicago and Northwestern Railway Company purchased the controlling shares in the Winona and St Peter.[2] Further railroad milestones were: [Janesville, Minnesota](/source/Janesville,_Minnesota), in 1870, St. Peter in 1871, [New Ulm](/source/New_Ulm,_Minnesota) (via [Nicollet](/source/Nicollet,_Minnesota) and [Courtland](/source/Courtland,_Minnesota)) in 1872, and the western boundary of the state in 1874.[2] The Winona Mankato and New Ulm Railroad Company was organized in 1870 and a railroad was built from New Ulm to [Mankato](/source/Mankato,_Minnesota) and afterwards acquired by the Winona and St Peter.[2]

The first branch line was completed in 1878 from [Sleepy Eye](/source/Sleepy_Eye,_Minnesota) to [Redwood Falls, Minnesota](/source/Redwood_Falls,_Minnesota). West of Tracy, the original mainline had gone northwest to [Watertown, South Dakota](/source/Watertown,_South_Dakota) and nearby [Lake Kampeska](/source/Lake_Kampeska). A rail line was started from Tracy in 1879, towards [Volga, South Dakota](/source/Volga,_South_Dakota).[3] The line reached [Pierre](/source/Pierre,_South_Dakota) two years later.[4]

Passenger train service continued on the line from its formation until the 1950s when the *[Dakota 400](/source/Dakota_400)* was shortened to only run as far as Mankato. The train was renamed the *Rochester 400*, but passenger service ended entirely on July 23, 1963, when the *Rochester 400* made its final run. Chicago and North Western continued to operate the line across southern Minnesota and South Dakota until the 1980s, but started planning to abandon it. The Dakota, Minnesota and Eastern Railroad was formed and took over the line in 1986. Canadian Pacific moved to purchase DM&E in 2007, which was completed in 2008.

RCPE Trains have trackage rights to move trains beyond Tracy to Mankato, to interchange with the Union Pacific.[5]

## References

1. Matthew Frahm. ["DM&E Tracy Sub TT"](http://www.visi.com/~mfrahm/dme/tt/tracy.html). *Unofficial DM&E Site*. Retrieved May 31, 2010.

1. Hubbard, Lucius F. (1908). [*Minnesota in Three Centuries: 1655-1908 1870*](https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_mGgLAQAAIAAJ). Publishing Society of Minnesota. pp. [359](https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_mGgLAQAAIAAJ/page/n346)–. – via Archive.org.

1. VELDE-CONYERS, ELLAYNE - [The railroad town of Tracy](https://www.marshallindependent.com/opinion/local-columns/2019/03/the-railroad-town-of-tracy/). Marshall Independent, Marshall, MN, March 25, 2019

1. [*History of Winona County, 1883: together with biographical matter, statistics, etc. gathered from matter furnished by interviews with old settlers, county, township and other records, and extracts from files of papers, pamphlets, and such other sources as have been available*](https://books.google.com/books?id=xkMvAAAAYAAJ&dq=transit+company&pg=PA104). Chicago: H. H. Hill and Co. 1883. Retrieved May 31, 2010.

1. [UP's 'GroTrain' now serving South Dakota regional](https://www.progressiverailroading.com/union_pacific/news/UPs-GroTrain-now-serving-South-Dakota-regional--50571). Progressive Railroading, January 10, 2017

## External links

- [Minnesota Railroad Stations Database](https://www.west2k.com/mnstations/mnstations.html) - [Waseca County](https://www.west2k.com/mnstations/waseca.shtml) - [Blue Earth County](https://www.west2k.com/mnstations/blueearth.shtml) - [Brown County](https://www.west2k.com/mnstations/brown.shtml) - [Redwood County](https://www.west2k.com/mnstations/redwood.shtml) - [Lyon County](https://www.west2k.com/mnstations/lyon.shtml)

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Tracy Subdivision](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tracy_Subdivision) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tracy_Subdivision?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.