Soo Line Railroad: Difference between revisions
imported>SimLibrarian m periods only for complete-sentence image captions (MOS:CAPFRAG), comma style (MOS:COMMA) |
imported>Georgeirwin m Correction to information: the merger that created Soo Line in 1961 was of three Canadian Pacific, not CPKC, railroads. CPKC did not yet exist. |
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| gauge = {{Track gauge|ussg|allk=on}} | | gauge = {{Track gauge|ussg|allk=on}} | ||
| hq_city = [[Minneapolis]], [[Minnesota]]<ref name=report-2007/> | | hq_city = [[Minneapolis]], [[Minnesota]]<ref name=report-2007/> | ||
|successor=[[Canadian National Railway]], [[Canadian Pacific Railway]]}} | |successor=[[Canadian National Railway]], [[Canadian Pacific Railway]] (now [[Canadian Pacific Kansas City]])}} | ||
The '''Soo Line Railroad''' {{reporting mark|SOO}} is one of the primary [[United States]] [[Rail transport|railroad]] [[subsidiary|subsidiaries]] for the [[CPKC|CPKC Railway]] {{reporting mark|CPKC}}, one of six U.S. [[Class I railroad]]s, controlled through the '''Soo Line Corporation'''. Although it is named for the [[Minneapolis, St. Paul and Sault Ste. Marie Railroad]] (MStP&SSM), which was commonly known as the Soo Line after the [[Phonemic orthography|phonetic spelling]] of [[Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan|Sault]], it was formed in 1961 by the consolidation of that company with two other subsidiaries of CPKC predecessor Canadian Pacific: The [[Duluth, South Shore and Atlantic Railway]], and the [[Wisconsin Central Railway (1897–1954)|Wisconsin Central Railway]]. It is also the successor to other Class I railroads, including the [[Minneapolis, Northfield and Southern Railway]] (acquired 1982) and the [[Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad]] (Milwaukee Road, acquired at bankruptcy in 1985). On the other hand, a large amount of mileage was spun off in 1987 to [[Wisconsin Central Ltd.]], now part of the [[Canadian National Railway]]. The Soo Line Railroad and the [[Delaware and Hudson Railway]], CPKC's other major subsidiary (before the 2008 [[Dakota, Minnesota and Eastern Railroad|DM&E]] acquisition), presently [[Trade name|do business as]] the [[Canadian Pacific Railway]] (CP). Most equipment has been repainted into the CP scheme, but the U.S. [[Surface Transportation Board]] groups all of the company's U.S. subsidiaries under the Soo Line name for reporting purposes.<ref name=report-2007>[https://web.archive.org/web/20090227080643/http://www.stb.dot.gov/econdata.nsf/f039526076cc0f8e8525660b006870c9/f149963fc7fe3321852574430067e616/$FILE/2007%20Annual%20report%20Form%20R-1%27s%20Soo%20Line%20Railroad%20Company.pdf Annual Report of Soo Line Railroad Company to the Surface Transportation Board for the Year Ended December 31, 2007], p. 18</ref> The [[Minneapolis]] headquarters are in the [[Canadian Pacific Plaza]] building, having moved from the nearby [[Soo Line Building]]. | |||
The '''Soo Line Railroad''' {{reporting mark|SOO}} is one of the primary [[United States]] [[Rail transport|railroad]] [[subsidiary|subsidiaries]] for the [[CPKC|CPKC Railway]] {{reporting mark|CPKC}}, one of six U.S. [[Class I railroad]]s, controlled through the '''Soo Line Corporation'''. Although it is named for the [[Minneapolis, St. Paul and Sault Ste. Marie Railroad]] (MStP&SSM), which was commonly known as the Soo Line after the [[Phonemic orthography|phonetic spelling]] of [[Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan|Sault]], it was formed in 1961 by the consolidation of that company with two other CPKC | |||
== System description == | == System description == | ||
| Line 34: | Line 33: | ||
Passenger service was mostly eliminated by the 1961 merger, but several trains remained for a few more years. These were a Saint Paul to Duluth daytime train known only as Trains 62 and 63 (discontinued June 1961),<ref name=Abbey-097>{{harvnb|Abbey|1984|p=97}}</ref> the overnight Chicago to Duluth ''Laker'' and its Saint Paul connection (both discontinued January 15, 1965),<ref name=Dorin-097>{{harvnb|Dorin|1979|p=97}}</ref> the Twin Cities to [[Winnipeg]] ''[[Winnipeger]]'' (discontinued March 25, 1967),<ref name=Dorin-097 /> and the Saint Paul to Portal ''Soo-Dominion'' that, during the summer, ran through to [[Vancouver]] via a connection with Canadian Pacific's ''[[The Dominion (train)|The Dominion]]'' at [[Moose Jaw]]. It was discontinued in December 1963,<ref name=Abbey-099>{{harvnb|Abbey|1984|p=99}}</ref> and the western Canada cars were handled on the ''Winnipeger'' for two more summers before they too were pulled. The Soo Line's last passenger train was the ''[[Copper Country Limited]]'', a joint service with the Milwaukee Road inherited from the Duluth, South Shore and Atlantic. This Chicago-[[Champion, Michigan|Champion]]-[[Calumet, Michigan|Calumet]] service was discontinued May 8, 1968.<ref name=Dorin-097 /> In addition, there were several mixed trains, with additional ones created to enable the discontinuance of the Saint Paul to Portal passenger train. Some mixed train services gained notoriety because passengers were conveyed in one direction only. | Passenger service was mostly eliminated by the 1961 merger, but several trains remained for a few more years. These were a Saint Paul to Duluth daytime train known only as Trains 62 and 63 (discontinued June 1961),<ref name=Abbey-097>{{harvnb|Abbey|1984|p=97}}</ref> the overnight Chicago to Duluth ''Laker'' and its Saint Paul connection (both discontinued January 15, 1965),<ref name=Dorin-097>{{harvnb|Dorin|1979|p=97}}</ref> the Twin Cities to [[Winnipeg]] ''[[Winnipeger]]'' (discontinued March 25, 1967),<ref name=Dorin-097 /> and the Saint Paul to Portal ''Soo-Dominion'' that, during the summer, ran through to [[Vancouver]] via a connection with Canadian Pacific's ''[[The Dominion (train)|The Dominion]]'' at [[Moose Jaw]]. It was discontinued in December 1963,<ref name=Abbey-099>{{harvnb|Abbey|1984|p=99}}</ref> and the western Canada cars were handled on the ''Winnipeger'' for two more summers before they too were pulled. The Soo Line's last passenger train was the ''[[Copper Country Limited]]'', a joint service with the Milwaukee Road inherited from the Duluth, South Shore and Atlantic. This Chicago-[[Champion, Michigan|Champion]]-[[Calumet, Michigan|Calumet]] service was discontinued May 8, 1968.<ref name=Dorin-097 /> In addition, there were several mixed trains, with additional ones created to enable the discontinuance of the Saint Paul to Portal passenger train. Some mixed train services gained notoriety because passengers were conveyed in one direction only. | ||
[[File:Soo Line boxcar.jpg|thumbnail|left|A Soo Line [[boxcar]] in 2010|alt=]] | [[File:Soo Line boxcar.jpg|thumbnail|left|A Soo Line [[boxcar]] in 2010|alt=]] | ||
In 1984, CP incorporated the Soo Line Corporation in Minnesota as a [[holding company]], exchanging stock in December to give the Soo Line Corporation total control over the railroad. Two months later, on February 19, 1985, the Soo Line purchased the property of the bankrupt [[Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad]] and assigned it to a newly created subsidiary, The Milwaukee Road, Inc. This company and the MN&S were both merged into the Soo Line Railroad effective January 1, 1986. To cut costs, the Soo Line created the [[Lake States Transportation Division]] (LSTD) on February 10, 1986<ref>''[[Modern Railroads]]'', February 15, 1988, p. 37</ref> to operate the less-important lines, including the ex-Wisconsin Central line between Chicago and the Twin Cities. Unable to implement its proposed labor rule changes, the Soo Line sold the approximately {{convert|2000|mi|km|adj=on}} LSTD to a new [[regional railroad]], [[Wisconsin Central Ltd.]], in 1987<!--Moody's Soo Line Railroad entry says April; Soo Line Corp entry says October 11--> for $133 million.<ref>Steve Glischinski, Regional Railroads of the Midwest, Voyageur Press, 2007, p. 137</ref> (The WC folded into the [[Canadian National Railway]] in 2001). In 1990, CP gained full control of the Soo Line Corporation, of which it had previously owned about 56% of the [[common stock]].<ref name=Moodys/> In the 2000s, the Soo | In 1984, CP incorporated the Soo Line Corporation in Minnesota as a [[holding company]], exchanging stock in December to give the Soo Line Corporation total control over the railroad. Two months later, on February 19, 1985, the Soo Line purchased the property of the bankrupt [[Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad]] and assigned it to a newly created subsidiary, The Milwaukee Road, Inc. This company and the MN&S were both merged into the Soo Line Railroad effective January 1, 1986. To cut costs, the Soo Line created the [[Lake States Transportation Division]] (LSTD) on February 10, 1986<ref>''[[Modern Railroads]]'', February 15, 1988, p. 37</ref> to operate the less-important lines, including the ex-Wisconsin Central line between Chicago and the Twin Cities. Unable to implement its proposed labor rule changes, the Soo Line sold the approximately {{convert|2000|mi|km|adj=on}} LSTD to a new [[regional railroad]], [[Wisconsin Central Ltd.]], in 1987<!--Moody's Soo Line Railroad entry says April; Soo Line Corp entry says October 11--> for $133 million.<ref>Steve Glischinski, Regional Railroads of the Midwest, Voyageur Press, 2007, p. 137</ref> (The WC folded into the [[Canadian National Railway]] in 2001). In 1990, CP gained full control of the Soo Line Corporation, of which it had previously owned about 56% of the [[common stock]].<ref name=Moodys/> In the 2000s, the Soo Line was consolidated into CP. | ||
== Named passenger trains == | == Named passenger trains == | ||
| Line 63: | Line 62: | ||
<!-- Please do not add steam locomotives to this list. They belong on the [[Minneapolis, St. Paul and Sault Ste. Marie Railroad]] article as they were all retired before the Soo Line Railroad came into existence. Thank you. --> | <!-- Please do not add steam locomotives to this list. They belong on the [[Minneapolis, St. Paul and Sault Ste. Marie Railroad]] article as they were all retired before the Soo Line Railroad came into existence. Thank you. --> | ||
In addition, a number of the railroad's 145 steel [[caboose]]s have been preserved along with | In addition, a number of the railroad's 145 steel [[caboose]]s have been preserved along with Soo Line 4402 which (as of 2025) has returned to active duty. | ||
[[File:SOO 4598.jpg|thumb|SOO 4598, an [[EMD GP39-2]], trails on a train through [[Oconomowoc, Wisconsin]], on October 13, 2019.]] | [[File:SOO 4598.jpg|thumb|SOO 4598, an [[EMD GP39-2]], trails on a train through [[Oconomowoc, Wisconsin]], on October 13, 2019.]] | ||
| Line 70: | Line 69: | ||
* The Soo Line Trail in Minnesota was created from former pieces of the railroad which has extended down into the [[Lake Wobegon Trails|Lake Wobegon Trail]]. The trails are enjoyed by walkers, runners, and bikers in the area, and are prized for how flat they are. | * The Soo Line Trail in Minnesota was created from former pieces of the railroad which has extended down into the [[Lake Wobegon Trails|Lake Wobegon Trail]]. The trails are enjoyed by walkers, runners, and bikers in the area, and are prized for how flat they are. | ||
* The ''[[Copper Country Limited]]'' railroad lines in Michigan's [[Keweenaw Peninsula]], along with former lines owned by the [[Copper Range Railroad]], have been turned into [[All-terrain vehicle|ATV]] trails.<ref name="Railways of the Keweenaw">{{cite web |last1=Burr |first1=Jenni |title=Railways of the Keweenaw |url=https://www.nps.gov/kewe/learn/photosmultimedia/railways-of-the-keweenaw.htm |website=National Park Service |publisher=Keweenaw National Historical Park |access-date=20 September 2022}}</ref> Some, like the {{convert|17|mi||adj=mid|-long}} Jack Stevens Hancock-Calumet Trail, are multi-purpose and are enjoyably used by hikers and bikers year-round.<ref name="Jack Stevens Hancock-Calumet Trail">{{cite web |title=Jack Stevens Hancock-Calumet Trail |url=https://mitrails.org/jack-stevens-hancock-calumet-trail.php |website=Michigan Trails |publisher=Michigan Trails Magazine |access-date=20 September 2022}}</ref> | * The ''[[Copper Country Limited]]'' railroad lines in Michigan's [[Keweenaw Peninsula]], along with former lines owned by the [[Copper Range Railroad]], have been turned into [[All-terrain vehicle|ATV]] trails.<ref name="Railways of the Keweenaw">{{cite web |last1=Burr |first1=Jenni |title=Railways of the Keweenaw |url=https://www.nps.gov/kewe/learn/photosmultimedia/railways-of-the-keweenaw.htm |website=National Park Service |publisher=Keweenaw National Historical Park |access-date=20 September 2022}}</ref> Some, like the {{convert|17|mi||adj=mid|-long}} Jack Stevens Hancock-Calumet Trail, are multi-purpose and are enjoyably used by hikers and bikers year-round.<ref name="Jack Stevens Hancock-Calumet Trail">{{cite web |title=Jack Stevens Hancock-Calumet Trail |url=https://mitrails.org/jack-stevens-hancock-calumet-trail.php |website=Michigan Trails |publisher=Michigan Trails Magazine |access-date=20 September 2022}}</ref> | ||
* The Wolf River State Trail was created on a section of the Soo | * The Wolf River State Trail was created on a section of the Soo Line's Shawano Subdivision. Tracks were removed in 2001 by Wisconsin Central between Shawano and Crandon, and a segment from White Lake to Crandon later became the Wolf River State Trail. It is open to ATVs, snowmobiles, hikers and horseback riders.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Wolf River State Trail {{!}} Wisconsin DNR |url=https://dnr.wisconsin.gov/topic/parks/wolfriver |access-date=2024-07-29 |website=dnr.wisconsin.gov}}</ref> | ||
== See also == | == See also == | ||
Latest revision as of 15:11, 7 December 2025
Template:Short description Template:Use mdy dates Script error: No such module "Infobox".Template:Template otherScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".Script error: No such module "Check for clobbered parameters". The Soo Line Railroad (reporting mark SOO) is one of the primary United States railroad subsidiaries for the CPKC Railway (reporting mark CPKC), one of six U.S. Class I railroads, controlled through the Soo Line Corporation. Although it is named for the Minneapolis, St. Paul and Sault Ste. Marie Railroad (MStP&SSM), which was commonly known as the Soo Line after the phonetic spelling of Sault, it was formed in 1961 by the consolidation of that company with two other subsidiaries of CPKC predecessor Canadian Pacific: The Duluth, South Shore and Atlantic Railway, and the Wisconsin Central Railway. It is also the successor to other Class I railroads, including the Minneapolis, Northfield and Southern Railway (acquired 1982) and the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad (Milwaukee Road, acquired at bankruptcy in 1985). On the other hand, a large amount of mileage was spun off in 1987 to Wisconsin Central Ltd., now part of the Canadian National Railway. The Soo Line Railroad and the Delaware and Hudson Railway, CPKC's other major subsidiary (before the 2008 DM&E acquisition), presently do business as the Canadian Pacific Railway (CP). Most equipment has been repainted into the CP scheme, but the U.S. Surface Transportation Board groups all of the company's U.S. subsidiaries under the Soo Line name for reporting purposes.[1] The Minneapolis headquarters are in the Canadian Pacific Plaza building, having moved from the nearby Soo Line Building.
System description
The company's main line begins at Portal, North Dakota, on the Canada–U.S. border, and extends southeast along former MStP&SSM trackage to the Twin Cities (Minneapolis–Saint Paul). Ex-Milwaukee Road trackage takes the Soo Line from the Twin Cities to Chicago via Milwaukee. Between Chicago and Detroit, where the CPKC-owned Detroit River Tunnel connects back into Canada, the Soo Line has trackage rights over the Norfolk Southern Railway and haulage rights over CSX Transportation.
Major branches include a connection from the border at Noyes, Minnesota, to Glenwood and, until it was sold to the Indiana Rail Road in 1983, a line from Chicago to Louisville, Kentucky.
Through trackage rights over the BNSF Railway, the Soo Line also serves Duluth from the Twin Cities.[2]
At the end of 1970, the Soo Line operated Script error: No such module "convert". of road on Script error: No such module "convert". of track; that year it reported 8,249 million ton-miles of revenue freight and no passengers.
History
The present Soo Line Railroad was incorporated in Minnesota on October 19, 1949, as the Duluth, South Shore and Atlantic Railroad, as part of the plan for reorganizing the Duluth, South Shore and Atlantic Railway (DSA) and subsidiary Mineral Range Railroad. When CP consolidated several subsidiaries on January 1, 1961, it used this company to merge the Minneapolis, St. Paul and Sault Ste. Marie Railroad and the Wisconsin Central Railway into, and renamed it to the present name, the Soo Line Railroad. The Soo Line gained control of the Minneapolis, Northfield and Southern Railway (MNS), a Twin Cities–area shortline railroad, in June 1982.[3]
Passenger service was mostly eliminated by the 1961 merger, but several trains remained for a few more years. These were a Saint Paul to Duluth daytime train known only as Trains 62 and 63 (discontinued June 1961),[4] the overnight Chicago to Duluth Laker and its Saint Paul connection (both discontinued January 15, 1965),[5] the Twin Cities to Winnipeg Winnipeger (discontinued March 25, 1967),[5] and the Saint Paul to Portal Soo-Dominion that, during the summer, ran through to Vancouver via a connection with Canadian Pacific's The Dominion at Moose Jaw. It was discontinued in December 1963,[6] and the western Canada cars were handled on the Winnipeger for two more summers before they too were pulled. The Soo Line's last passenger train was the Copper Country Limited, a joint service with the Milwaukee Road inherited from the Duluth, South Shore and Atlantic. This Chicago-Champion-Calumet service was discontinued May 8, 1968.[5] In addition, there were several mixed trains, with additional ones created to enable the discontinuance of the Saint Paul to Portal passenger train. Some mixed train services gained notoriety because passengers were conveyed in one direction only.
In 1984, CP incorporated the Soo Line Corporation in Minnesota as a holding company, exchanging stock in December to give the Soo Line Corporation total control over the railroad. Two months later, on February 19, 1985, the Soo Line purchased the property of the bankrupt Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad and assigned it to a newly created subsidiary, The Milwaukee Road, Inc. This company and the MN&S were both merged into the Soo Line Railroad effective January 1, 1986. To cut costs, the Soo Line created the Lake States Transportation Division (LSTD) on February 10, 1986[7] to operate the less-important lines, including the ex-Wisconsin Central line between Chicago and the Twin Cities. Unable to implement its proposed labor rule changes, the Soo Line sold the approximately Script error: No such module "convert". LSTD to a new regional railroad, Wisconsin Central Ltd., in 1987 for $133 million.[8] (The WC folded into the Canadian National Railway in 2001). In 1990, CP gained full control of the Soo Line Corporation, of which it had previously owned about 56% of the common stock.[3] In the 2000s, the Soo Line was consolidated into CP.
Named passenger trains
The railroad ran several long distance named trains.
- Laker, Minneapolis, Minnesota – Duluth, Minnesota – Ashland, Wisconsin
- Soo-Dominion, Chicago, Illinois – Vancouver, British Columbia
- Winnipeger, Saint Paul, Minnesota – Winnipeg, Manitoba
Presidents
The Presidents of the Soo Line Railroad were:[9]
- Leonard H. Murray, 1961–1978, previously President of the Duluth, South Shore and Atlantic Railway[10]
- Thomas M. Beckley, 1978–1983
- Dennis Miles Cavanaugh, 1983–1986, 1987–1989
- Robert C. Gilmore, 1986–1987
- Edwin V. Dodge, 1989–1996
Remaining locomotives
Preserved
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Some of the railroad's diesel locomotives have been preserved:
- 500, an EMD FP7A, on display in Ladysmith, Wisconsin.
- 700, an EMD GP30, at the Lake Superior Railroad Museum in Duluth, Minnesota. Restored for use on their North Shore Scenic Railroad.
- 703, an EMD GP30, and 991, a Barney and Smith heavyweight passenger car, at the Colfax Railroad Museum in Colfax, Wisconsin.
- 715, an EMD GP30, at the National Railroad Museum in Ashwaubenon, Wisconsin, although it wears a Wisconsin Central Ltd. paint scheme.
- 2500, an EMD FP7A, at the Lake Superior Railroad Museum in Duluth. Also restored for use on their North Shore Scenic Railroad.
In addition, a number of the railroad's 145 steel cabooses have been preserved along with Soo Line 4402 which (as of 2025) has returned to active duty.
Rail trails
- The Soo Line Trail in Minnesota was created from former pieces of the railroad which has extended down into the Lake Wobegon Trail. The trails are enjoyed by walkers, runners, and bikers in the area, and are prized for how flat they are.
- The Copper Country Limited railroad lines in Michigan's Keweenaw Peninsula, along with former lines owned by the Copper Range Railroad, have been turned into ATV trails.[11] Some, like the Script error: No such module "convert". Jack Stevens Hancock-Calumet Trail, are multi-purpose and are enjoyably used by hikers and bikers year-round.[12]
- The Wolf River State Trail was created on a section of the Soo Line's Shawano Subdivision. Tracks were removed in 2001 by Wisconsin Central between Shawano and Crandon, and a segment from White Lake to Crandon later became the Wolf River State Trail. It is open to ATVs, snowmobiles, hikers and horseback riders.[13]
See also
References
<templatestyles src="Reflist/styles.css" />
- ↑ Annual Report of Soo Line Railroad Company to the Surface Transportation Board for the Year Ended December 31, 2007, p. 18
- ↑ Canadian Pacific Railway, In Motion: 2007 Annual Information Form, February 19, 2008, pp. 5, 7-9
- ↑ a b Moody's Transportation Manual, 1992, pp. 221, 223
- ↑ Script error: No such module "Footnotes".
- ↑ a b c Script error: No such module "Footnotes".
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- ↑ Modern Railroads, February 15, 1988, p. 37
- ↑ Steve Glischinski, Regional Railroads of the Midwest, Voyageur Press, 2007, p. 137
- ↑ Script error: No such module "Footnotes".
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Bibliography
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External links
Template:North America class I Script error: No such module "Navbox". Template:Authority control
- Pages with script errors
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- Soo Line Railroad
- Canadian Pacific Railway subsidiaries
- Companies based in Minneapolis
- North Dakota railroads
- South Dakota railroads
- Minnesota railroads
- Wisconsin railroads
- Illinois railroads
- Indiana railroads
- Michigan railroads
- Defunct Kentucky railroads
- Defunct Missouri railroads
- Defunct Iowa railroads
- Montana railroads
- Railroads in the Chicago metropolitan area
- Economy of the Midwestern United States
- Predecessors of the Canadian Pacific Railway
- Railway companies established in 1961
- American companies established in 1961
- Former Class I railroads in the United States