Eastern Railway of Minnesota

Locomotive #105 of the Eastern Railway of Minnesota

Locomotive #2 of the Eastern Minnesota Railroad at Superior, WI.

Eastern Railway of Minnesota 2-6-0 #204 on the turntable at Hinckley MN.

Eastern Minnesota Locomotives Under Steam at a Brick Roundhouse (Likely Superior WI)

The Eastern Railway of Minnesota (commonly known as the Eastern Minnesota Railroad or simply "The Eastern") was a railway company that operated in the US states of Minnesota and Wisconsin between 1887 and 1907. Its main line ran between Superior, Wisconsin and Hinckley, Minnesota, roughly parallel with the St Paul & Duluth Railroad's line between Hinckley and Duluth. (it appears that both railroads used each other's equipment/facilities more than once) The eastern also had a short branch line (presumably to a nearby logging camp) at Sandstone, Minnesota. During its later years, it was controlled by the Great Northern Railway, which ultimately purchased and absorbed the railway entirely in 1907. Today, the EMRR's line is in service as BNSF's Hinckley Subdivision.

The Great Hinckley Fire

At the time of the 1894 Hinckley Fire, the town was served by 3 Railroads: The Minneapolis & St. Cloud,(Great Northern) The St. Paul & Duluth, and the eastern minnesota. On the day of the fire, the first train to arrive in town was the eastern's southbound local freight from superior to hinckley, a train of 3 empty boxcars and a caboose pulled by Engine #105. the freight was slowed down by poor visiblity, and by the time the train rumbled into town, the afternoon passenger train, also heading south, was following close behind, so The freight train was switched onto a side track. the rest is relayed below: [1]

"A (Passenger) train came steaming in on the eastern minnesota's rail line, and on this [train] about 500 people were saved, who otherwise certainly would have died. The train of salvation itself was not sufficient in order to be able to carry all of the refugees, but one knew what to do. A considerable number of freight cars stood coupled together with a locomotive on an adjoining track a little ways in the woods, was coupled on the other end of the passenger train. Now equipped with two locomotives, the train steamed away in the direction of superior again, loaded with as many people as the cars could accommodate."[2]