Osceola and St. Croix Valley Railway facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Osceola and St. Croix Valley Railway
A Burlington Northern Railroad caboose near the entrance
Locale	Minnesota Wisconsin
Terminus	Withrow, Minnesota Dresser, Wisconsin
Connections	Canadian National Railway
Commercial operations
Built by	Minneapolis, St. Paul and Sault Ste. Marie Railroad
Original gauge	4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Preserved operations
Owned by	Minnesota Transportation Museum
Reporting mark	MNTX
Stations	1
Preserved gauge	4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Commercial history
Opened	1992
Preservation history
Headquarters	114 Depot Road, Osceola, Polk County, Wisconsin

The Osceola and St. Croix Valley Railway (reporting mark MNTX) is a special historic train line in Osceola, Wisconsin. It is owned and run by the Minnesota Transportation Museum. This railway uses old tracks that once belonged to the "Soo Line" railroad. Now, these tracks are owned by the Canadian National Railway. The railway helps people learn about the exciting history of trains!

A Journey Through Time

The museum's first railway was in Stillwater, Minnesota. It was very popular! But the city became too crowded for the trains. So, in 1992, the railway moved to Osceola, Wisconsin. It changed its name to the Osceola and St. Croix Valley Railway. It quickly became a fun place for tourists. It also became a great way to teach people about train history.

The train line runs from Withrow, Minnesota to Dresser, Wisconsin. The railway does not run in the winter because of the cold weather. It operates every weekend from May through October.

The railway still uses the historic 1916 Soo Line train station. The Osceola Historic Society owns this station. They let the Minnesota Transportation Museum use it for their train rides.

The Scenic Route

The train follows the original path of the Soo Line. It goes down the hills near the St. Croix River. Then, it crosses into Minnesota on an old iron bridge built in 1887. This bridge is at Cedar Bend. The train then continues to Marine on St. Croix. It even passes through William O'Brien State Park.

At O'Brien State Park, passengers get a special show. The train staff explains how they "reverse the train." They show how the engine moves across switches and a side track. Staff members describe each step. They explain why things happen in that order. They also talk about how important safety is.

Many passengers have never seen a real train up close. This stop lets the staff share the history of the railway. They also talk about railroading in general. A lot of time is spent on train safety. They especially teach children about staying safe around tracks. The museum strongly supports rail safety programs in schools.

Dinner on the Rails

On some weekends, the railway offers the Osceola and St. Croix Dinner Train. You can enjoy brunch or dinner served "old school" style. Uniformed staff serve meals to dining car passengers. It's like a "living history" lesson! You get to see what train travel was like in the 1920s to 1950s. This was a very popular time for train travel in the U.S.

Our Historic Trains

The inside of a passenger coach on the Osceola and St. Croix Valley Railway.

The railway uses historic diesel locomotives from its collection. These are special engines that run on diesel fuel. It also uses many different passenger cars. These cars are used for historic displays and tourist rides.

Coach trains run every weekend from May through October. They go to Marine on St. Croix on Saturdays and Sundays. They also go to Dresser on Saturdays.

On certain weekends, you can ride first-class brunch and dinner trains. These trains use Great Northern Railway dining cars. One of these cars even has an open observation platform! Another Great Northern lounge car might be added soon. This is because the dinner train is so popular.

The dinner train can also be rented for special events. These include anniversaries, weddings, or company parties. Each trip shows how passengers in the past chose specific railways. They often chose based on the food options! Sometimes, information is shared about immigrant trains. These trains helped people move to new lands in the west.

The main goal of the railway is to share railroad history. Information is given in a fun way. This happens during regular rides and on the Brunch & Dinner Train dates. Each coach represents different railroads from the Midwest. Passengers are encouraged to ask questions. They can learn about the history of each car. They can also learn how railroads helped the region grow.

All the trains are serviced at the MTM's Jackson Street Roundhouse. This is a working railway roundhouse built in 1907. The museum's main office and repair shop are here. The roundhouse is open to the public. You can learn about railroad history there. Every fall, some locomotives and cars go to St. Paul for yearly service. They return to Osceola in late spring. In winter, the repair shop shows how they fix and maintain the trains. It's one of the few places like this open to the public!

Locomotives in Action

Here are some of the locomotives that are active or being fixed for use on the Osceola and St. Croix Valley Railway:

Railroad	Number	Model	Built	Retired	Acquired	Status	Image
Burlington Northern Railroad	6234	EMD SD9	1959	2003	Donated 2003	Operational
Great Northern Railway	325	EMD SDP40	1966	2008	Donated 2009	Operational
Soo Line Railroad	559	EMD GP7	1951	N/A	Purchased 1998	Operational
Great Northern Railway	454-A	EMD F7A	1950	1981	2003	In restoration
Great Northern Railway	558	EMD SD7	1952	1983	2018	In restoration

Passenger Cars for Your Ride

Here are some of the passenger cars used by the railway: