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Westminster Junction Tunnel #2

Ramsey County, Minnesota

Photos 

Photo taken by Michael Hicks

License: Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY)

View this photo on Flickr

BH Photo #237239

Map 

Description 

Westminster Junction is a busy railroad interchange point, sending trains towards Minneapolis, Eau Claire and La Crosse. The 2 level interchange serves BNSF, Canadian Pacific and Union Pacific. A standard wye makes up the top level, and a BNSF double track mainline splits making up the lower level. The Great Northern and Chicago Northwestern interchanged on top, and the Northern Pacific and Soo line below. All four railroads could interchange with each other here.

The four tunnels of the congested railroad corridor located at Westminster were built between 1885 and 1909. There was a fifth, the Soo Line tunnel, which has since been filled.

Facts 

Overview
Concrete Tunnel over BNSF Railway on Westminster Jct. North Wye Track
Location
St. Paul, Ramsey County, Minnesota
Status
Open to traffic
History
Built 1888
Railroads
- BNSF Railway (BNSF)
- Canadian Pacific Railway (CP)
- Chicago & North Western Railway (CNW)
- Great Northern Railway (GN)
- Northern Pacific Railway (NP)
- Soo Line Railroad (SOO)
- Union Pacific Railroad (UP)
Design
Concrete rigid frame/Stone Tunnel
Dimensions
Total length: 33.0 ft.
Deck width: 45.0 ft.
Approximate latitude, longitude
+44.96294, -93.08667   (decimal degrees)
44°57'47" N, 93°05'12" W   (degrees°minutes'seconds")
Approximate UTM coordinates
15/493164/4978837 (zone/easting/northing)
Quadrangle map:
Saint Paul East
Inventory number
BH 53124 (Bridgehunter.com ID)

Categories 

19th Century (8,637)
BNSF Railway (1,589)
Built 1888 (243)
Built during 1880s (2,221)
Canadian Pacific Railway (581)
Chicago & North Western Railway (1,451)
Great Northern Railway (396)
Minnesota (1,652)
Northern Pacific Railway (456)
Open (41,012)
 Owned by railroad (13,566)
Railroad (16,518)
Ramsey County, Minnesota (78)
Rigid frame (772)
Soo Line Railroad (322)
St. Paul, Minnesota (61)
Total length 25-50 feet (11,560)
Union Pacific Railroad (2,480)
Westminster Junction, Minnesota (1)

Update Log 

  • November 28, 2013: New photos from John Marvig
  • August 26, 2012: Updated by John Marvig: Added information
  • August 10, 2012: Added by Luke Harden

Sources 

Comments 

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