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Montevideo station facts for kids

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Montevideo
Former Milwaukee Road passenger rail station
Montevideo Milwaukee Road Depot.jpg
The Montevideo Milwaukee Road Depot from the southwest
Location 301 State Road, Montevideo, Minnesota 56265
History
Closed 1969
Rebuilt 1901
Services
Preceding station Milwaukee Road Following station
Watson
towards Seattle or Tacoma
Main Line Wegdahl
towards Chicago
Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul Depot
Montevideo station is located in Minnesota
Montevideo station
Location in Minnesota
Montevideo station is located in the United States
Montevideo station
Location in the United States
Location S. First St. at Park Ave., Montevideo, Minnesota
Area less than one acre
Built 1901
Architect Chicago, Milwaukee, & St. Paul RR; J. U. Nettenstrom
NRHP reference No. 88002079
Added to NRHP October 27, 1988

The Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul Railroad Depot in Montevideo, Minnesota, is an old train station with a cool history! It was built way back in 1901 by a famous railroad company called the Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul Railroad (often just called the Milwaukee Road). This station is special because it's the only building left in Montevideo that was built by that railroad. Today, it's a museum where you can learn all about trains and how they shaped the area.

A Historic Train Station

The Montevideo train station was built in 1901. It served as an important stop for the Milwaukee Road. This railroad company helped connect towns and transport people and goods across the country. The station was a busy place where travelers would arrive and depart. It was also where important packages and mail were handled.

Passenger Service Ends

For many years, people used the Montevideo station to travel by train. However, over time, fewer people rode trains for long journeys. Because of this, the Milwaukee Road stopped offering passenger train service to Montevideo in 1969. After that, the station was no longer used for people to catch trains.

A Special Landmark

The Montevideo station is very important to history. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This means it's recognized as a significant historical building in the United States. It helps us remember the important role railroads played in developing towns like Montevideo.

The Milwaukee Road Heritage Center

Today, the old train station has a new life! It is now known as the Milwaukee Road Heritage Center. This center is a railroad museum. Its main goal is to teach visitors about the history of the Milwaukee Road. It shows how the railroad influenced Montevideo from the late 1800s through the 1980s.

What You Can See at the Museum

The Milwaukee Road Heritage Center has many cool things to explore. You can see different types of old railroad equipment. This includes large machines like a 200-ton crane. There are also passenger cars where people used to ride. You can also see baggage cars and freight cars that carried goods.

The museum also displays different kinds of locomotives. These are the engines that pull the trains. You can see a 44-ton switching locomotive built by Plymouth Locomotive Works. There is also a powerful 600-horsepower diesel switcher. This engine was made by Electro-Motive Division in 1939.

Restored Railroad Features

The museum has also worked hard to restore some important railroad structures. They have brought back a turntable. A turntable is a large spinning platform. It helps turn locomotives around so they can go in a different direction. This turntable provides access to a 26-stall roundhouse. A roundhouse is a circular building where locomotives were stored and repaired.

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