Twin Cities Railfan Resources

Tonight I was looking around for information on area street atlases and happened upon a good area railfan site which led to a few more. The Twin City Railfan’s Guide hasn’t been updated in a year but contains all sorts of useful information. The Minnesota Railroad Research Project has links to both current and historical railroad maps for the Twin Cities and outstate Minnesota. There is also a personal account of a railfan visit to the area complete with lots of photos. Other notable local organizations include the Twin City Model Railroad Museum, the Minnesota Transportation Museum and the Minnesota Streetcar Museum. Both the Transportation and Streetcar Museums offer operating exhibits. Another option for those looking to experience rail transit is the Friends of the 261 which has a long term lease for steam locomotive excursions and owns several historic cars. Of course the latest addition to MetroTransit, the Hiawatha Line, offers a view into the possible future of local rail transit. Last but not least, the Northstar Commuter Rail will be the next passenger rail transit addition to the Twin Cities.

Addition: The University of Minnesota also has a railfan club with a very informative website and lots of photos.

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