Luce Line Trail

The Luce Line Trail starts on the Minneapolis/Golden Valley border and ends in Cosmos, far west outside the Twin Cities region. The rail line originally went as far west as Gluek, MN, but it was intended to serve South Dakota.

The Luce Line was an interurban railroad using gas powered motorcars instead of the typical steam or diesel locomotives (though steam locomotives were later added). This railroad had numerous names besides the Luce Line; Electric Short Line (it was also planned to be electrified but never happened), Minnesota Western (during ownership under the Minneapolis Northfield & Southern Railway), and Minneapolis Industrial Railway (brief name during ownership under the Minneapolis & St. Louis Railway).

In 1956 the Luce Line was bought by the M&StL and renamed the Minneapolis Industrial Railway to promote industrial development along the route. In 1960 the Chicago & North Western Railway (CNW) purchased the M&StL. The CNW purchased numerous small railroads to eliminate competition and neglected service and maintenance on these short lines. The Luce Line was no exception, and in 1967 the CNW proposed to abandon the segment between Gluek and Hutchinson. Despite opposition from farmers who relied on the railroad to ship their product, the Surface Transportation Board (STB) approved abandonment. Then in 1972 the segment between Hutchinson and Plymouth (a western suburb of Minneapolis) was proposed to be abandoned. Once again despite opposition the abandonment was approved. In 1995 the CNW merged with the Union Pacific Railroad (UP), and since then UP continues to operate on the Luce Line once per day between Minneapolis and Plymouth serving local customers. Along this stretch the Luce Line Trail parallels the tracks until Interstate 494 where the trail takes over the abandoned right-of-way and uses it until Cosmos. West of Cosmos the right-of-way has been plowed for farm fields.

One historic piece from the era of passenger trains operating on this line is a trestle in Wayzata going over Highway 12 and the BNSF Railway tracks.

Here are pictures of Luce Line operations as early as the 1900s to as late as the 1960s-https://mcleodhistory.pastperfectonline.com/bysearchterm?keyword=Luce+Line+Railroad&page=1

Photo by John Hill from 1982 of the historic trestle in Wayzata-http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=1312823

Here are my photos from walks or bike rides on the Luce Line Trail:

Looking west at the tunnel under Interstate 494. Behind me is where the active railroad track ends and the trail takes over the right-of-way.

Looking east at the end of the line in Plymouth. Union Pacific Railroad continues to serve this rail line once every weekday.

Looking east down the mainline of the Luce Line (now called the Golden Valley Industrial Lead) and the various spurs and sidings. On the right you can partially see the trail bridge that goes over Xenium Lane in Plymouth.

Way outside the Twin Cities looking west on the Luce Line Trail.