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Minneapolis, St. Paul and Sault Ste. Marie Railroad

December 20, 2023

The Minneapolis, St. Paul and Sault Ste. Marie Railroad (MStP&SSM) (reporting mark SOO) was a Class I railroad subsidiary of the Canadian Pacific Railway in the Midwestern United States. Commonly known since its opening in 1884 as the Soo Line[1] after the phonetic spelling of Sault, it was merged with several other major CP subsidiaries on January 1, 1961, to form the Soo Line Railroad.

Minneapolis, St. Paul and Sault Ste. Marie Railroad
A postcard advertisement for the railroad's service between Minneapolis/St. Paul and Duluth/Superior, circa 1910
Overview
Parent companyCanadian Pacific Railway
HeadquartersMinneapolis, Minnesota
Reporting markSOO
LocaleNorth Dakota to Chicago
Dates of operation1883–1961
SuccessorSoo Line Railroad
Technical
Track gauge4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge

Passenger service edit

 
A well-used Soo Line ore car, built in 1916. Hauling iron ore was an important part of the Soo Line's business.

The Soo Line was never a major carrier of passenger traffic since its route between Chicago and Minneapolis was much longer than the competing Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad (Milwaukee Road), Chicago and North Western Railway, and Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad (Burlington Route) routes.[2] It also had no direct access to Milwaukee.

The primary trains operated by the Soo Line were:

  • The Laker which operated an overnight service from Chicago's Grand Central Station to Duluth–Superior with a portion to Minneapolis–St. Paul. An additional portion served Ashland, Wisconsin, until January 1959. The Laker was discontinued completely on January 15, 1965.
  • The Winnipeger which operated overnight between Minneapolis–St. Paul and Winnipeg. It was discontinued in March 1967.[3]
  • A Minneapolis–St. Paul to Western Canada service. During the 1920s and 1930s, the Soo Line operated the Soo-Pacific, a summer-only Chicago to Vancouver service with the Canadian Pacific Railway. This later became The Mountaineer, which was then reduced to Minneapolis–St. Paul to Vancouver, before being discontinued in early August 1960. The Mountaineer was a summer-season-only train that carried exclusively sleeping cars but no coaches.[4] During the non-summer months, the train ran as the Soo-Dominion from Minneapolis–St. Paul to Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, where it was combined into Canadian Pacific's The Dominion transcontinental passenger train. It was cut back to a St. Paul to Portal, North Dakota, run after CP discontinued passenger service to Portal at the end of 1960,[4] before being discontinued entirely in December 1963.[3]
  • A Minneapolis–St. Paul to Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, overnight train, which was discontinued in March 1959.

Additionally, local trains served Chicago to Minneapolis–St. Paul, Duluth–Superior to Minneapolis–St. Paul, Duluth to Thief River Falls, Minnesota, and some summer-only services which relieved The Mountaineer of the local work along its route.

Presidents edit

The Presidents of the Minneapolis, St. Paul and Sault Ste. Marie Railroad were:[5]

  • William D. Washburn, 1883–1889
  • Thomas Lowry, 1889–1890, 1892–1909
  • F. N. Finney, 1890–1892
  • Edmund Pennington, 1909–1922
  • George Ray Huntington, 1922–1923
  • C. T. Jaffray, 1924–1937
  • G. W. Webster, 1937–1944
  • H. C. Grout, 1944–1949
  • G. Allen MacNamara, 1950–1960

Timeline edit

 
The Soo Line Building in Minneapolis served as company headquarters.
  • September 29, 1883: A consortium of flour mill owners in Minneapolis form the Minneapolis, Sault Ste. Marie and Atlantic Railway to build a railroad between its two namesake cities to avoid sending shipments through Chicago.[6][7][8]
  • February 23, 1884: The presidents of the Minneapolis, Sault Ste. Marie and Atlantic Railway and the Northern Pacific Railway sign an agreement allowing the MSSM&A to use in perpetuity NP track and facilities in Minneapolis and granting an entry to Saint Paul Union Depot.[9] NP's board of directors approved the agreement on March 6.[10]
  • March 1884: The first construction contracts are awarded for grading 60 miles (97 km) of line starting from a point near Turtle Lake, Wisconsin.[11] President Washburn receives authorization from the board of directors to place orders for rolling stock.[12]
  • November 7, 1884: The ceremonial first train departed Minneapolis to tour from there to Bruce, Wisconsin, the extent of the line that had been constructed so far.[13] On its opening for regular service on November 15,[1] the line measured 46 miles (74 km).[14]
  • January 5, 1888: The MSSM&A's first train departed Minneapolis with 102 cars of flour divided into five sections for Boston, New York City, Philadelphia, London, England and Glasgow, Scotland.
  • June 11, 1888: The Canadian Pacific Railway acquires control of the Minneapolis, Sault Ste. Marie and Atlantic Railway, consolidating it with the Minneapolis and Pacific Railway, Minneapolis and St. Croix Railway, and Aberdeen, Bismarck and North Western Railway to form the Minneapolis, St. Paul and Sault Ste. Marie Railway.
  • 1904: The Soo Line acquires the Bismarck, Washburn and Great Falls Railway.[15]
  • 1908: The Soo Line acquires a majority interest in the Wisconsin Central Railway, and obtains a 99-year lease of the property in 1909.
  • 1910: The Soo line acquires the Cuyuna Iron Range Railway.
  • 1913: The Soo Line acquires the Minnesota Northwestern Electric Railway and the Fairmount and Veblen Railway.
  • 1921: The Soo Line acquires the Wisconsin and Northern Railroad.
  • 1932: The Wisconsin Central Railway enters receivership.
  • December 31, 1937: The Minneapolis, St. Paul and Sault Ste. Marie Railway files for bankruptcy.
  • 1944: The Wisconsin Central Railway enters bankruptcy.
  • September 1, 1944: The Soo Line reorganization takes effect, emerging as the Minneapolis, St. Paul and Sault Ste. Marie Railroad.
  • 1953: The Valley City Street and Interuban Railway is sold to the Soo Line.
  • 1954: The Wisconsin Central emerges from its bankruptcy as the Wisconsin Central Railroad.
  • January 1, 1961: The Soo Line Railroad is formed through a merger of the Minneapolis, St. Paul and Sault Ste. Marie Railroad, Wisconsin Central Railroad, and Duluth, South Shore and Atlantic Railroad.[16]

Locomotives edit

Main article: Soo Line locomotives

Preservation edit

 
Soo Line 1003, a 2-8-2, in Slinger, Wisconsin, on November 2, 2019.

A number of the railroad's rolling stock have been preserved in museums across the United States, some in operational condition. This list includes some of the more notable equipment.

Steam locomotives edit

References edit

Notes edit

  1. ^ a b "Opening of the "Soo"". Eau Claire News. Eau Claire, WI. November 15, 1884. p. 4 – via Newspapers.com.  
  2. ^ Glischinski, Steve; Ingles, J. David (June 1, 2023). "Soo Line history remembered". Classic Trains News. Kalmbach Media. Retrieved June 12, 2023.
  3. ^ a b Abbey 1984, p. 99.
  4. ^ a b Abbey 1984, p. 97.
  5. ^ Gjevre 1990, p. 203–207.
  6. ^ "Commendation and Wet Blankets". Star Tribune. Minneapolis, MN. August 19, 1883. p. 4 – via Newspapers.com.  
  7. ^ "A New Railroad in Northern Wisconsin". Chicago Tribune. August 17, 1883. p. 6 – via Newspapers.com.  
  8. ^ "New Railway Enterprises". Chicago Tribune. October 2, 1883. p. 3 – via Newspapers.com.  
  9. ^ "The Northern Pacific's Eastern Extension". Chicago Tribune. February 24, 1884. p. 6 – via Newspapers.com.  
  10. ^ "Minnesota News". The Northern Pacific Farmer. Wadena, MN. March 6, 1884. p. 2 – via Newspapers.com.  
  11. ^ "(untitled)". Eau Claire Leader. March 5, 1884. p. 4 – via Newspapers.com.  
  12. ^ "The Sault Ste. Marie Road". Chicago Tribune. March 11, 1884. p. 7 – via Newspapers.com.  
  13. ^ "A Minneapolis Road - The First Trip Over the Minneapolis and Sault Ste. Marie Railroad". Star Tribune. Minneapolis, MN. November 8, 1884. p. 4 – via Newspapers.com.  
  14. ^ "Railway Intelligence - Sault Ste Marie". The Gazette. Montreal, Canada. November 13, 1884. p. 1 – via Newspapers.com.  
  15. ^ Gjevre 1990, p. 19.
  16. ^ Lennon, J. Establishing Trails on Rights-of-Way. Washington, D.C.: United States Department of the Interior. p. 49.
  17. ^ Gilchinski, Steve (February 1997). pp. 24–25

Bibliography edit

  • Abbey, Wallace W. (1984). The Little Jewel. Pueblo, Colorado: Pinon Productions. ISBN 0-930855-00-0. LCCN 84014873.
  • Dorin, Patrick C. (1979). The Soo Line. Burbank, California: Superior Publishing Company. ISBN 0-87564-712-X. LCCN 79012204.
  • Glichinski, Steve (February 1997). "Soo Line 2-8-2 back in steam". Trains Magazine. 57 (2): 24–25.
  • Gjevre, John A. (1990) [1973]. Saga of the Soo, west from Shoreham (second ed.). Morehead, Minnesota: Gjevre Books. OCLC 23244801.

External links edit

 
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Soo Line Railroad.
  • Soo Line Historical and Technical Society
  • Soo Line Online
  • Soo Line Online: preserved steam locomotives
  • A 100-year timeline of the Soo Line Railroad and its predecessors

December 20, 2023
minneapolis, paul, sault, marie, railroad, mstp, reporting, mark, class, railroad, subsidiary, canadian, pacific, railway, midwestern, united, states, commonly, known, since, opening, 1884, line, after, phonetic, spelling, sault, merged, with, several, other, . The Minneapolis St Paul and Sault Ste Marie Railroad MStP amp SSM reporting mark SOO was a Class I railroad subsidiary of the Canadian Pacific Railway in the Midwestern United States Commonly known since its opening in 1884 as the Soo Line 1 after the phonetic spelling of Sault it was merged with several other major CP subsidiaries on January 1 1961 to form the Soo Line Railroad Minneapolis St Paul and Sault Ste Marie RailroadA postcard advertisement for the railroad s service between Minneapolis St Paul and Duluth Superior circa 1910OverviewParent companyCanadian Pacific RailwayHeadquartersMinneapolis MinnesotaReporting markSOOLocaleNorth Dakota to ChicagoDates of operation1883 1961SuccessorSoo Line RailroadTechnicalTrack gauge4 ft 8 1 2 in 1 435 mm standard gauge Contents 1 Passenger service 2 Presidents 3 Timeline 4 Locomotives 5 Preservation 5 1 Steam locomotives 6 References 6 1 Notes 6 2 Bibliography 7 External linksPassenger service edit nbsp A well used Soo Line ore car built in 1916 Hauling iron ore was an important part of the Soo Line s business The Soo Line was never a major carrier of passenger traffic since its route between Chicago and Minneapolis was much longer than the competing Chicago Milwaukee St Paul and Pacific Railroad Milwaukee Road Chicago and North Western Railway and Chicago Burlington and Quincy Railroad Burlington Route routes 2 It also had no direct access to Milwaukee The primary trains operated by the Soo Line were The Laker which operated an overnight service from Chicago s Grand Central Station to Duluth Superior with a portion to Minneapolis St Paul An additional portion served Ashland Wisconsin until January 1959 The Laker was discontinued completely on January 15 1965 The Winnipeger which operated overnight between Minneapolis St Paul and Winnipeg It was discontinued in March 1967 3 A Minneapolis St Paul to Western Canada service During the 1920s and 1930s the Soo Line operated the Soo Pacific a summer only Chicago to Vancouver service with the Canadian Pacific Railway This later became The Mountaineer which was then reduced to Minneapolis St Paul to Vancouver before being discontinued in early August 1960 The Mountaineer was a summer season only train that carried exclusively sleeping cars but no coaches 4 During the non summer months the train ran as the Soo Dominion from Minneapolis St Paul to Moose Jaw Saskatchewan where it was combined into Canadian Pacific s The Dominion transcontinental passenger train It was cut back to a St Paul to Portal North Dakota run after CP discontinued passenger service to Portal at the end of 1960 4 before being discontinued entirely in December 1963 3 A Minneapolis St Paul to Sault Ste Marie Michigan overnight train which was discontinued in March 1959 Additionally local trains served Chicago to Minneapolis St Paul Duluth Superior to Minneapolis St Paul Duluth to Thief River Falls Minnesota and some summer only services which relieved The Mountaineer of the local work along its route Presidents editThe Presidents of the Minneapolis St Paul and Sault Ste Marie Railroad were 5 William D Washburn 1883 1889 Thomas Lowry 1889 1890 1892 1909 F N Finney 1890 1892 Edmund Pennington 1909 1922 George Ray Huntington 1922 1923 C T Jaffray 1924 1937 G W Webster 1937 1944 H C Grout 1944 1949 G Allen MacNamara 1950 1960Timeline edit nbsp The Soo Line Building in Minneapolis served as company headquarters September 29 1883 A consortium of flour mill owners in Minneapolis form the Minneapolis Sault Ste Marie and Atlantic Railway to build a railroad between its two namesake cities to avoid sending shipments through Chicago 6 7 8 February 23 1884 The presidents of the Minneapolis Sault Ste Marie and Atlantic Railway and the Northern Pacific Railway sign an agreement allowing the MSSM amp A to use in perpetuity NP track and facilities in Minneapolis and granting an entry to Saint Paul Union Depot 9 NP s board of directors approved the agreement on March 6 10 March 1884 The first construction contracts are awarded for grading 60 miles 97 km of line starting from a point near Turtle Lake Wisconsin 11 President Washburn receives authorization from the board of directors to place orders for rolling stock 12 November 7 1884 The ceremonial first train departed Minneapolis to tour from there to Bruce Wisconsin the extent of the line that had been constructed so far 13 On its opening for regular service on November 15 1 the line measured 46 miles 74 km 14 January 5 1888 The MSSM amp A s first train departed Minneapolis with 102 cars of flour divided into five sections for Boston New York City Philadelphia London England and Glasgow Scotland June 11 1888 The Canadian Pacific Railway acquires control of the Minneapolis Sault Ste Marie and Atlantic Railway consolidating it with the Minneapolis and Pacific Railway Minneapolis and St Croix Railway and Aberdeen Bismarck and North Western Railway to form the Minneapolis St Paul and Sault Ste Marie Railway 1904 The Soo Line acquires the Bismarck Washburn and Great Falls Railway 15 1908 The Soo Line acquires a majority interest in the Wisconsin Central Railway and obtains a 99 year lease of the property in 1909 1910 The Soo line acquires the Cuyuna Iron Range Railway 1913 The Soo Line acquires the Minnesota Northwestern Electric Railway and the Fairmount and Veblen Railway 1921 The Soo Line acquires the Wisconsin and Northern Railroad 1932 The Wisconsin Central Railway enters receivership December 31 1937 The Minneapolis St Paul and Sault Ste Marie Railway files for bankruptcy 1944 The Wisconsin Central Railway enters bankruptcy September 1 1944 The Soo Line reorganization takes effect emerging as the Minneapolis St Paul and Sault Ste Marie Railroad 1953 The Valley City Street and Interuban Railway is sold to the Soo Line 1954 The Wisconsin Central emerges from its bankruptcy as the Wisconsin Central Railroad January 1 1961 The Soo Line Railroad is formed through a merger of the Minneapolis St Paul and Sault Ste Marie Railroad Wisconsin Central Railroad and Duluth South Shore and Atlantic Railroad 16 Locomotives editMain article Soo Line locomotivesPreservation edit nbsp Soo Line 1003 a 2 8 2 in Slinger Wisconsin on November 2 2019 A number of the railroad s rolling stock have been preserved in museums across the United States some in operational condition This list includes some of the more notable equipment Steam locomotives edit This list is incomplete you can help by adding missing items August 2008 321 restored B class 0 6 0 built in 1887 by Rhode Island Locomotive Works Later rebuilt as an 0 6 0 tank engine numbered X 90 and used as a shop switcher Rebuilt back to a tender engine in preservation 346 restored B 4 class 0 6 0 built in 1915 by ALCO 353 restored B 4 class 0 6 0 built in 1920 by ALCO 440 restored F 8 class 2 8 0 built by ALCO displayed in Memorial Park in Harvey North Dakota 735 restored H 3 class 4 6 2 built by ALCO displayed in Roosevelt Park in Minot North Dakota 950 a 2 10 0 the only one of its type owned by Soo Line displayed in front of the old depot in Ashland Wisconsin 1003 restored L 1 class 2 8 2 built in 1913 by ALCO Soo Line 1024 restored 2 8 2 on display at city hall Thief River Falls Minnesota 2645 E 25 class 4 6 0 built by Brooks Locomotive Works in 1900 for the Wisconsin Central Railway as their 247 2713 restored H 21 class 4 6 2 built in 1913 by ALCO Schenectady It is in Veterans Memorial Park in Stevens Point Wisconsin With it is Soo Line caboose 99052 built in 1908 for the Wisconsin Central Railway their 158 2714 restored H 22 class 4 6 2 built in 1914 by ALCO Schenectady It is in Lakeside Park in Fond du Lac Wisconsin 2718 restored H 23 class 4 6 2 built in 1923 by ALCO 2719 restored H 23 class 4 6 2 built in 1923 by ALCO This locomotive hauled the Soo Line s last steam powered train in excursion service in 1959 17 References editNotes edit a b Opening of the Soo Eau Claire News Eau Claire WI November 15 1884 p 4 via Newspapers com nbsp Glischinski Steve Ingles J David June 1 2023 Soo Line history remembered Classic Trains News Kalmbach Media Retrieved June 12 2023 a b Abbey 1984 p 99 a b Abbey 1984 p 97 Gjevre 1990 p 203 207 Commendation and Wet Blankets Star Tribune Minneapolis MN August 19 1883 p 4 via Newspapers com nbsp A New Railroad in Northern Wisconsin Chicago Tribune August 17 1883 p 6 via Newspapers com nbsp New Railway Enterprises Chicago Tribune October 2 1883 p 3 via Newspapers com nbsp The Northern Pacific s Eastern Extension Chicago Tribune February 24 1884 p 6 via Newspapers com nbsp Minnesota News The Northern Pacific Farmer Wadena MN March 6 1884 p 2 via Newspapers com nbsp untitled Eau Claire Leader March 5 1884 p 4 via Newspapers com nbsp The Sault Ste Marie Road Chicago Tribune March 11 1884 p 7 via Newspapers com nbsp A Minneapolis Road The First Trip Over the Minneapolis and Sault Ste Marie Railroad Star Tribune Minneapolis MN November 8 1884 p 4 via Newspapers com nbsp Railway Intelligence Sault Ste Marie The Gazette Montreal Canada November 13 1884 p 1 via Newspapers com nbsp Gjevre 1990 p 19 Lennon J Establishing Trails on Rights of Way Washington D C United States Department of the Interior p 49 Gilchinski Steve February 1997 pp 24 25 Bibliography edit Abbey Wallace W 1984 The Little Jewel Pueblo Colorado Pinon Productions ISBN 0 930855 00 0 LCCN 84014873 Dorin Patrick C 1979 The Soo Line Burbank California Superior Publishing Company ISBN 0 87564 712 X LCCN 79012204 Glichinski Steve February 1997 Soo Line 2 8 2 back in steam Trains Magazine 57 2 24 25 Gjevre John A 1990 1973 Saga of the Soo west from Shoreham second ed Morehead Minnesota Gjevre Books OCLC 23244801 External links edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Soo Line Railroad nbsp Trains portalSoo Line Historical and Technical Society Soo Line Online Soo Line Online preserved steam locomotives A 100 year timeline of the Soo Line Railroad and its predecessors Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Minneapolis St Paul and Sault Ste Marie Railroad amp oldid 1188407466, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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