We are informed that it is proposed to enlarge the Brainerd R. R. shops in the spring, by erecting an engine house with 20 stalls, and the erection of another building for wood work and car building and repairs the size of the present main building, to be located east of the present one. This will necessarily increase the working force to 250 men. These shops are already the largest and most complete of any in the State, and with this proposed addition will be as commodious as any in the west. The rapid increase of the business of this road will require even a greater force, and when the road builds its own cars, as it is, we believe, the intention to do after this year, the force will necessarily be increased to 500 men. These additions are to be of brick manufactured by Wm. Schwartz, of this city. (Brainerd Tribune, Saturday, January 24, 1880, Page 1)
The plans are being drawn and the location platted for the proposed extension of the N. P. railroad shops at this place. The company has contracted with Wm. Schwartz for 1,000,000 brick for the purpose of their construction, and a track will be laid from a point near the present shops to Mr. Schwartz’s brick yard. (Brainerd Tribune, Saturday, March 13, 1880, Page 1)
Gen’l Manager Sargent, of the N. P. R. R., was in town on Wednesday, and made a contract with Mr. Wm. Schwartz for 3,000,000 brick, with which to build the new round house and enlarge the present machine shops in this city. The new buildings to be constructed of brick are to be located on the south side of the track, east of the present paint shop, while the general repair shops and buildings for construction of cars will be erected also of brick, on the north side of the track, as additions to the present structures. These movements are the outcome of long determined plans in this direction, and settles the question of the permanency of the principal shops of the N. P. for the eastern portion of the road. Mr. Sargent has understood that the best interests of the company he represents would be consulted by keeping the shops at Brainerd, from which center that portion of the road east of the Rocky mountains can be better provided for than from any other place from Duluth to the Pacific; and acting upon this understanding, Brainerd is to be the manufacturing center of this great thoroughfare. We have long been aware of the convictions of the N. P. management, as to the propriety of enlarging the shops here, and have frequently referred to the matter in these columns, but we are prepared now to definitely announce the result as finally settled and the movement already inaugurated. Mr. Schwartz goes to St. Paul on Monday for additional machinery and tools for his brick-yard, which he will enlarge to double its present capacity, and it is his intention to manufacture six to eight million brick the coming season. (Brainerd Tribune, Saturday, January 29, 1881, Page 1)
The machinery for the Northern Pacific company’s T. rail factory has arrived and is being placed in position in their new building near the round house, which is soon to be enlarged twenty feet, making the building 40 x 100. As soon as the machinery (which is novel and interesting in the extreme) is in running order a full description of its practical workings will appear in the Fargo Daily Republican. (Brainerd Tribune, Saturday, February 26, 1881, Page 1)
The plans for these shops, which will be very extensive and complete, are about finished. They will be located on land adjoining the present shops east of the station, and about thirty-five acres of land will be required for the buildings, tracks, storage, etc. First is the great round house, which will be 320 feet in diameter, and have stalls for forty-four engines. Beyond, and connected by tracks with the engine stable, will be located the machine and erecting shop, 500 feet long and 120 feet wide, in which twenty-three engines can be under repair or in process of construction at one time. In connection with the buildings is to be an engine and boiler house 40x80. It will contain, besides the engine, four boilers, which will supply steam for the machinery, and also for warming all the buildings. A smokestack 100 feet high will be erected at the side of the building. Along the front of the machine shop will extend a transfer table 40x550 feet, on which engines can be removed to any part of the shop. Beyond and parallel with this will be located a boiler, blacksmith and tank repairing shop 80x508 feet. At right angles with the shops described, and at a distance of about the width of four tracks, a two-story 40x300 feet storehouse will be erected, with a broad platform all around it. Tracks in every direction will connect all the new buildings, as well as those now in use. It is further proposed to build a foundry 80x250 feet, and ultimately a car factory will be added, thus making as complete a set of shops as there is in the country. All of the buildings will be constructed of brick, with substantial granite foundations. (The Brainerd Tribune, Saturday, May 21, 1881, Page 1)
The St. Paul Dispatch discourses as follows in regard to the new N. P. shops: “Architect Gilbert, of Brainerd, who has prepared the plans of the new shops to be erected at Brainerd for the Northern Pacific Company, is in the city to-day. (The Brainerd Tribune, Saturday, June 11, 1881, Page 1)
The number of men at present employed in the Northern Pacific railroad shops is 503. They may be classified as follows in the different departments: Carpenters, 175; blacksmiths, 60; machinists, 92; boiler-makers, 27; tin-smiths, 14; moulders, 19; round house men, 38; yard laborers, 28; office clerks, etc., 13; painters, 38. (The Brainerd Tribune, Saturday, December 24, 1881, Page 4)
The N. P. railroad company are continually adding to their already extensive shops in Brainerd by building new and commodious buildings, all of which are rapidly filled with men and material, and work commenced as soon as the necessary facilities are ready for business. The latest enterprise in this direction is that of a new foundry, which is to be erected directly east of the present foundry building, and will be 200 feet in length by eighty feet in width. Building will begin in early spring. In this new structure all the car and drive wheels will be manufactured and all the casting done which will be required in the Brainerd shops. A force of forty moulders will be employed, and this new feature, it may be expected, will bring a hundred more families to the City of Pines. (The Brainerd Tribune, Saturday, January 21, 1882, Page 1)
The N. P. foundry at Brainerd is now casting about 6,000 pounds of iron and 1,000 pounds of brass daily. (The Brainerd Tribune, Saturday, January 21, 1882, Page 5)
The bolt machine in the N. P. blacksmith shop in this city turns out 2,000 bolts per day. (The Brainerd Tribune, Saturday, January 21, 1882, Page 5)
The laying out and excavation of the grounds for the new railroad shops, to be built directly opposite the one now nearly finished, was commenced yesterday. They are to be 80x332 feet, and will comprise the boiler tank, and tin departments. Taken together, the two buildings will be a mammoth affair and the transfer table between and running the entire length of the buildings, will make everything compact and handy. (The Brainerd Tribune, Saturday, April 29, 1882, Page 1)
A Big Brainerd Blaze. Northern Pacific Buildings, Machinery, Cars and Tools Reduced to Ashes by Fierce Flames. The Loss Estimated at $200,000, Supposed to be Fully Covered A Serious Sunday Fire. Special to the Globe. Brainerd, March 28. – Brainerd, at an early hour this morning, was visited by a most destructive conflagration, which laid in ashes a considerable portion of the magnificent railroad shops of the Northern Pacific. As the watchman was making his rounds shortly after 3 he noticed a bright light in the planing mill department, and upon investigation discovered that the dust tower was in flames. He immediately gave the alarm by sounding the shop whistle, which was taken up by the locomotives in the vicinity and soon became general. In the meantime the flames had spread so rapidly that the whole building was burning like tinder, and adjacent buildings were threatened. By the time the fire department arrived on the ground the devouring flames had obtained such headway that little could be done to check their advance, and the destruction of all the shop buildings on the north side of the railroad tracks was looked upon as inevitable. Finding it impossible to fight the fire with any show of success, principally from the fact that several of the hydrants were found to be frozen, the firemen and citizens turned their attention to saving the property of the company in the immediate vicinity. The fire raged for about two hours, burning the following buildings to the ground: Planing mill, machine shop, pattern shops and upholstery shop of the car department, the old round house, where the freight work was done, and the general foreman’s office. These were all wooden buildings. The roof of a brick building used as a bolt shop was also burned. The remainder of the shop buildings, being of brick and stone, with slate roofs, were saved. Between thirty-five and forty freight cars were burned, besides all the extensive machinery, tools, etc., and some $25,000 worth of stock in the various shops. A number of new coaches were badly scorched. It is impossible at this time to give a truthful estimate of the loss on buildings, car, machinery, stock, tools, etc.; but railroad officials place it at anywhere from $150,000 to $200,000. The loss is supposed to be entirely covered by insurance, which was placed on the blanket plan with the London, Liverpool & Globe. About 125 men may be temporarily thrown out of employment, though notices have been posted about the grounds for them to report as usual to-morrow morning. They will, it is understood, be put to work clearing up the debris. Mr. Barber had just received instructions to increase the force in these departments. It is semi-officially stated that larger and more substantial buildings will be immediately erected to take the place of the old one, and not one of the employees will lose his situation. Supt. Cushing will arrive here to-morrow for the purpose of consulting with other officials, and will no doubt take prompt action. It is thought that the fire originated from sparks from the smokestack, which ignited a pile of shavings in the dust tower. Quite a breeze was stirring at the time, which in a very few seconds fanned the flames into a disastrous fire. The buildings burned constituted the original plant of the railroad shops, and were built in 1871. The main shops, which stand south of the track, were put up in 1880, and are built of brick and stone with slate roofs. There are six of these large buildings which were injured by the fire. It is confidentially predicted that the company will at once erect larger buildings of a fireproof character to take the place of the burned ones, thus greatly increasing the capacity of the shops. At this point the disaster, it is understood, will not materially interfere with the orders now on hand, as the company have ample facilities for getting out the work. (The Saint Paul Daily Globe, Monday, March 29, 1886, Page 5)
The Northern Pacific Shops at Brainerd to Be Rebuilt Without Any Delay. Shops to be Rebuilt. Special to the Globe. Brainerd, Minn., March 29. – Supt. Cushing arrived here last night and has been in consultation with the heads of departments of the Northern Pacific railroad during the day in regard to rebuilding the shops destroyed by fire yesterday morning. Mr. Cushing has already prepared his plans and recommendations and forwarded them to General Manager Oakes. He is of the opinion that larger and more substantial buildings, entirely fire-proof, will be immediately erected upon the site of the burned shops, and railroad officials generally state that there is hardly a doubt but this will be done. The original policy of the railroad company concerning the plant here will be followed just as if there had been no fire. Mr. Cushing says the burned buildings were fourteen years old and had lasted a good deal longer than he ever expected them to when built them. The company can now carry out the plans they have had in contemplation for several years of replacing the old wooden buildings with larger buildings of brick and stone. Instead of any of the workmen being thrown out of employment by the fire, the full force went to work as usual this morning and an increase of fifteen men that had just been ordered was put on. It was stated that all men at the shop, aggregating 600 men, will be put on full time of ten hours per day within a few days and that a still further increase of twenty-five men has been ordered and will be added before the week is over. The citizens of Brainerd, while sympathizing with the railroad company in their loss, are not at all despondent over the present outlook. (The Saint Paul Daily Globe, Tuesday, March 30, 1886, Page 5)
The large brick smokestack on the north side of the track at the shops was tipped over by the building contractor Tuesday. Its condition was unsafe and a new one will be erected. This one was built in 1872. (The Brainerd Dispatch, Friday, April 23, 1886, Page 4)
J. L. Bjorkquist, of Moorhead, is constructing the Northern Pacific car shops to replace those destroyed by the fire. The dimensions of the shops are as follows: Main building 160×65, wing 40×40, two stories high. They will be completed in three months, and employment will be given to a larger number of men than before the fire, which is a benefit to the city. (The Saint Paul Daily Globe, Friday, April 23, 1886, Page 5)
Work is progressing on the rebuilding of the Northern Pacific shops, though not as fast as contractor Bjorquest would like. He has been much annoyed by delay in stone and brick. The foundations are already in for the main, or freight car building, and work has begun on the “L” covering the machinery portion and engine house. (The Brainerd Dispatch, Friday, May 14, 1886, Page 4)
The new building at the railroad shops is being pushed to completion as rapidly as possible, the walls being completed to the second story. (The Brainerd Dispatch, Friday, May 28, 1886, Page 4)
It was intended that the new shops which are nearly completed should be opened for business the 15th of the present month but it will take fully a month yet to get them ready. The machinery is being put in with all possible speed. (The Brainerd Dispatch, Friday, August 6, 1886, Page 4)
The new N. P. shops at Brainerd are about completed and the machinery is being placed in position. It is expected that the machinists now working in the shops in this city will be returned to Brainerd and the vacancies here be filled with St. Paul machinists. Labor Echo. (The Brainerd Dispatch, Friday, August 27, 1886, Page 4)
The shops cover an extended area of ground, and are large and substantial structures, being greatly improved over the wooden buildings burned a short time ago. About all the resident machinists are employed, but there is no demand for outside help at present. The addition to the shops which has just been completed is now being supplied with machinery, which will soon be in place, after which extra men will go on. It is thought the number required will be returned to Brainerd from the Como shops at St. Paul, which will leave a number of vacancies at that point. The foundry attached to the shops is run by a private firm who do all the N. P. company’s work. It employs about 21 molders and about the same number of helpers and unskilled workmen. (The Brainerd Dispatch, Friday, September 3, 1886, Page 4)
One hundred and fifty men employed in the motive department of the Northern Pacific shops were made glad yesterday by a notification from Master Mechanic Bean that their wages had been advanced voluntarily by the company. The raise affects all the first-class blacksmiths, machinists and boiler-makers, some of them having their wages advanced from $2.90 to $3 per day and others getting an advance from $2.95 to $3. (The Minneapolis Journal, Tuesday, June 25, 1901, Page 7)