| Railroad Name: | Bismarck, Washburn and Great Falls Railway |
| Length: | 58miles |
| Locale: | North Dakota |
| Start Year: | 1899 |
| End Year: | 1904 |
| Successor Line: | Minneapolis, St. Paul and Sault Ste. Marie Railway |
| Hq City: | Bismarck, North Dakota |
The Bismarck, Washburn and Great Falls Railway (BW&GF) was a railroad that was organized in North Dakota on May 12, 1899. Its offices were located in Bismarck, North Dakota.
The BW&GF started as the Bismarck, Washburn & Fort Buford Railroad in 1889 by General William D. Washburn, a U.S. Senator and Surveyor-General from Minnesota. He was the main owner of the Washburn-Crosby Flour Mills. By 1903, the railroad ran from Bismarck to Washburn, a distance of 44.81 miles.[1] In 1904, the road was extended to Underwood.[2]
The railroad primarily carried passengers, mail, coal, and grain.[3] It also included a steamboat operation.[4]
In 1903, the railroad owned 3 steam engines, 2 passenger cars, 34 freight cars, and 1 caboose.[5] In 1901, the BW&GF was one of the first US railroads to roster the Mikado 2-8-2 steam engine design.[6]
The railroad was purchased by the Minneapolis, St. Paul and Sault Ste. Marie Railway in 1904.[7]