History


 

  The 37.1 miles of track were originally built in 1892 as a spur line of "the Milwaukee Road" before its demise in 1983.  After the bankruptcy of the initial line, the Sisseton shippers and other interested investors formed the Sisseton Line Associates (SLA), and purchased the the line. From June 4, 1982 to June 30, 1987, the line became known as the Dakota Rail (DAKR) system.

From July 1, 1987 (with its first run on July 19) to June 30, 1989 the line was then known as the
Sisseton Southern Railway (SSOR).

Seeing the need for unity, the SLA invited the remaining shippers on the line to be investors and formed the Sisseton Milbank Railroad, Inc (SMRR) on July 1, 1989, making it's first run on July 5th, 1989 serving grain elevators and a plastic bag factory in Northeast SD. The SMRR tends to the farming and business communities of Sisseton, Peever, Wilmot, and Corona. Grain is also trucked from Browns Valley, MN to existing elevators as a means to better serve their customers.

Today the Sisseton Milbank Railroad Inc. manages a fleet of 116 grain hopper cars and two locomotives and interchanges with a Class 1 railroad, the Burlington Northern Railroad (BNSF) and a regional railroad, Twin Cities & Western (TC&W) of Glenco, MN to the headquarters in Milbank, SD where loaded rail cars can be shipped to any destination in North America.

627, SW1200, was built by Electro-Motive in November 1954, #20057, as Chicago Milwaukee St Paul & Pacific 2022, Class 12E-S. It was renumbered 627 in 1959. It was retired and sold to Jarret Ranches Inc. out of Britton, SD as 627 in April 1982 and later sold to SMRR as 627.

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