The Fairmount and Veblen Railway (F&V) was a short line railroad

Rail transport

Rail transport is a means of conveyance of passengers and goods by way of wheeled vehicles running on rail tracks. In contrast to road transport, where vehicles merely run on a prepared surface, rail vehicles are also directionally guided by the tracks they run on...

 which operated in Richland County

Richland County, North Dakota

-History:Richland County wa formed in 1873. It was named for Morgan T. Rich, an early settler in the area.-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 17,998 people, 6,885 households, and 4,427 families residing in the county. The population density was 12 people per square mile . There...

, North Dakota

North Dakota

North Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States of America, along the Canadian border. The state is bordered by Canada to the north, Minnesota to the east, South Dakota to the south and Montana to the west. North Dakota is the 19th-largest state by area in the U.S....

; Roberts County

Roberts County, South Dakota

As of the census of 2000, there were 10,016 people, 3,683 households, and 2,618 families residing in the county. The population density was 9 people per square mile . There were 4,734 housing units at an average density of 4 per square mile...

, South Dakota

South Dakota

South Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is named after the Lakota and Dakota Sioux American Indian tribes. Once a part of Dakota Territory, South Dakota became a state on November 2, 1889. The state has an area of and an estimated population of just over...

; and Marshall County

Marshall County, South Dakota

As of the census of 2000, there were 4,576 people, 1,844 households, and 1,252 families residing in the county. The population density was 6 people per square mile . There were 2,562 housing units at an average density of 3 per square mile...

, South Dakota.

The railroad was established in 1912, and that year constructed trackage from Fairmount, North Dakota

Fairmount, North Dakota

As of the census of 2000, there were 406 people, 174 households, and 104 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,234.2 people per square mile . There were 202 housing units at an average density of 614.0 per square mile . The racial makeup of the city was 95.07% White, 2.46%...

 southward to the town of Rosholt

Rosholt, South Dakota

Rosholt is a town in Roberts County, South Dakota, United States. The population was 423 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Rosholt is located at ....

, then westward to Claire City

Claire City, South Dakota

Claire City is a town in Roberts County, South Dakota, United States. The population was 76 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Claire City is located at ....

, and Veblen

Veblen, South Dakota

Veblen is a city in Marshall County, South Dakota, United States. The population was 281 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Veblen is located at ....

, South Dakota. The line was extended southward the following year, from Veblen to the South Dakota towns of Roslyn

Roslyn, South Dakota

Roslyn is a town in Day County, South Dakota, United States. The population was 183 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Roslyn is located at .According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , all of it land....

 and then eastward to Grenville

Grenville, South Dakota

Grenville is a town in Day County, South Dakota, United States. The population was 54 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Grenville is located at ....

. A steam locomotive acquired from the Minneapolis, St. Paul and Sault Ste. Marie Railway (“Soo Line”) was used on the railroad.

The town of Rosholt was named for Julius Rosholt, builder of the F&V.

In 1915 the F&V was acquired by the Soo Line, and its trackage operated as a branch line

Branch line

A branch line is a secondary railway line which branches off a more important through route, usually a main line. A very short branch line may be called a spur line...

 by that railroad. The portion of the line between Veblen and Grenville was abandoned in 1971, and in 2000 the trackage between Rosholt and Veblen was sold to the newly-formed Sunflour Railroad

Sunflour Railroad

The Sunflour Railroad is a short-line railroad which owns trackage in Roberts County and Marshall County, South Dakota. The company owns approximately 26.3 route-miles of track, between the towns of Rosholt and Veblen; the line connects with the Canadian Pacific Railway at Rosholt.The trackage...

. Trackage north of Rosholt remains in use in 2006, operated by the Canadian Pacific Railway

Canadian Pacific Railway

The Canadian Pacific Railway , formerly also known as CP Rail between 1968 and 1996, is a historic Canadian Class I railway founded in 1881 and now operated by Canadian Pacific Railway Limited, which began operations as legal owner in a corporate restructuring in 2001...

, the Soo Line's corporate successor.