The Minneapolis, St. Paul and Sault Ste. Marie Railroad (MStP&SSM) was a

Class I railroad In the United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, st ...

subsidiary A subsidiary, subsidiary company or daughter company is a company owned or controlled by another company, which is called the parent company or holding company. Two or more subsidiaries that either belong to the same parent company or having a ...

of the

Canadian Pacific Railway The Canadian Pacific Railway (french: Chemin de fer Canadien Pacifique) , also known simply as CPR or Canadian Pacific and formerly as CP Rail (1968–1996), is a Canadian Class I railway incorporated in 1881. The railway is owned by Canad ...

in the

Midwestern United States The Midwestern United States, also referred to as the Midwest or the American Midwest, is one of four census regions of the United States Census Bureau (also known as "Region 2"). It occupies the northern central part of the United States. I ...

. Commonly known since its opening in 1884 as the Soo Line 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 The Soo Line Railroad is the primary United States railroad subsidiary of the Canadian Pacific Railway , one of seven U.S. Class I railroads, controlled through the Soo Line Corporation. Although it is named for the Minneapolis, St. Paul and Sa ...

Passenger service

The Soo Line was never a major carrier of passenger traffic since its route between

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = List of sovereign states, Count ...

and

Minneapolis Minneapolis () is the largest city in Minnesota, United States, and the county seat of Hennepin County. The city is abundant in water, with thirteen lakes, wetlands, the Mississippi River, creeks and waterfalls. Minneapolis has its origin ...

was much longer than the competing Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad (Milwaukee Road),

Chicago and North Western Railway The Chicago and North Western was a Class I railroad in the Midwestern United States. It was also known as the "North Western". The railroad operated more than of track at the turn of the 20th century, and over of track in seven states bef ...

, and

Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad The Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad was a railroad that operated in the Midwestern United States. Commonly referred to as the Burlington Route, the Burlington, or as the Q, it operated extensive trackage in the states of Colorado, Illin ...

(Burlington Route) routes. It also had no direct access to

Milwaukee Milwaukee ( ), officially the City of Milwaukee, is both the most populous and most densely populated city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Milwaukee County. With a population of 577,222 at the 2020 census, Milwaukee i ...

. 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 Ashland is a city in Ashland and Bayfield counties in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. It is the county seat of Ashland County. The city is a port on Lake Superior, near the head of Chequamegon Bay. The population was 7,908 at the 2020 census, all ...

until January 1959. The ''Laker'' was discontinued completely on January 15, 1965. * The '' Winnipeger'' which operated overnight between Minneapolis–St. Paul and

Winnipeg Winnipeg () is the capital and largest city of the province of Manitoba in Canada. It is centred on the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine rivers, near the longitudinal centre of North America. , Winnipeg had a city population of 749 ...

. It was discontinued in March 1967. * A Minneapolis–St. Paul to

Western Canada Western Canada, also referred to as the Western provinces, Canadian West or the Western provinces of Canada, and commonly known within Canada as the West, is a Canadian region that includes the four western provinces just north of the Canada� ...

service. During the 1920s and 1930s, the Soo Line operated the ''Soo-Pacific'', a summer-only

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = List of sovereign states, Count ...

Vancouver Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the city, up from 631,486 in 2016. ...

service with the

. 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. During the non-summer months, the train ran as the ''Soo-Dominion'' from Minneapolis–St. Paul to

Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan Moose Jaw is the fourth largest city in Saskatchewan, Canada. Lying on the Moose Jaw River in the south-central part of the province, it is situated on the Trans-Canada Highway, west of Regina. Residents of Moose Jaw are known as Moose Javians ...

, 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 Portal is a city in Burke County, North Dakota, United States. The population was 125 at the 2020 census. Portal was founded in 1893. Portal sits along the Canada–United States border and is a major port of entry for road and rail traffic. No ...

run after CP discontinued passenger service to Portal at the end of 1960, before being discontinued entirely in December 1963. * 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 Thief River Falls, sometimes referred to as Thief River or abbreviated as TRF, is a city in Pennington County in the northwest portion of the U.S. state of Minnesota. The population was 8,749 at the 2020 census. Thief River Falls is the county ...

, and some summer-only services which relieved The ''Mountaineer'' of the local work along its route.

Presidents

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

William D. Washburn William Drew "W.D." Washburn, Sr. (January 14, 1831 – July 29, 1912) was an American politician. He served in both the United States House of Representatives and the United States Senate as a Republican from Minnesota. Three of his seven ...

, 1883–1889 *

Thomas Lowry Thomas Lowry (February 27, 1843 – February 4, 1909) was an American lawyer, real-estate magnate, and businessman who oversaw much of the early growth of the streetcar lines in the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis, St. Paul, and surrounding com ...

, 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

* September 29, 1883: A consortium of flour mill owners in

form the Minneapolis, Sault Ste. Marie and Atlantic Railway to build a railroad between its two namesake cities to avoid sending shipments through

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = List of sovereign states, Count ...

. * February 23, 1884: The presidents of the Minneapolis, Sault Ste. Marie and Atlantic Railway and the

Northern Pacific Railway The Northern Pacific Railway was a transcontinental railroad that operated across the northern tier of the western United States, from Minnesota to the Pacific Northwest. It was approved by Congress in 1864 and given nearly of land grants, wh ...

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 Saint Paul Union Depot is a historic railroad station and intermodal transit hub in the Lowertown neighborhood of the city of Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States. It serves light rail, intercity rail, intercity bus, and local bus services. I ...

. NP's board of directors approved the agreement on March 6. * March 1884: The first construction contracts are awarded for grading of line starting from a point near

Turtle Lake, Wisconsin Turtle Lake is a village in Barron County, Wisconsin, Barron and Polk County, Wisconsin, Polk counties in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. Its population was 1,064 at the 2010 United States Census, 2010 census. Of these, 972 were in Barron County and ...

. President Washburn receives authorization from the board of directors to place orders for rolling stock. * November 7, 1884: The ceremonial first train departed Minneapolis to tour from there to

Bruce, Wisconsin Bruce is a village in Rusk County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 779 at the 2010 census. The village was founded in 1884 by the Sault Ste. Marie Land and Improvement Company. The land company was incorporated and led by the princi ...

, the extent of the line that had been constructed so far. On its opening for regular service on November 15, the line measured . * January 5, 1888: The MStP&SSM's first train departed Minneapolis with 102 cars of flour divided into five sections for

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Since ...

London, England London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a major se ...

and

Glasgow, Scotland Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popu ...

. * June 11, 1888: The

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. * 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 The Minnesota Northwestern Electric Railway was an interurban gasoline-electric railway which operated passenger and freight service between Thief River Falls, Minnesota, Thief River Falls, Minnesota and Goodridge, Minnesota, operating from 1914 t ...

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

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 The Duluth, South Shore and Atlantic Railway (DSS&A) was an American railroad serving the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and the Lake Superior shoreline of Wisconsin. It provided service from Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, and St. Ignace, Michigan, west ...

Locomotives

Preservation

A number of the railroad's rolling stock has been preserved in museums across the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...

, some in operational condition. This list includes some of the more notable equipment.

Steam locomotives

* 321, restored B class

0-6-0 Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, represents the wheel arrangement of no leading wheels, six powered and coupled driving wheels on three axles and no trailing wheels. This was the most common wheel arrang ...

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 The American Locomotive Company (often shortened to ALCO, ALCo or Alco) was an American manufacturer of locomotives, diesel generators, steel, and tanks that operated from 1901 to 1969. The company was formed by the merger of seven smaller locomo ...

. *

353 __NOTOC__ Year 353 ( CCCLIII) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Magnentius and Decentius (or, less frequently, year 110 ...

, restored B-4 class 0-6-0 built in 1920 by ALCO. * 440, restored F-8 class

2-8-0 Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, represents the wheel arrangement of two leading wheels on one axle, usually in a leading truck, eight powered and coupled driving wheels on four axles, and no trailing wh ...

built by ALCO, displayed in Memorial Park in

Harvey, North Dakota Harvey is a city in Wells County, North Dakota, United States. The population was 1,650 at the 2020 census. Harvey was founded in 1893 as a division point by the Soo Line Railway. Harvey is believed to have been named for a director of the Soo ...

. * 735, restored H-3 class

4-6-2 Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, represents the wheel arrangement of four leading wheels on two axles, six powered and coupled driving wheels on three axles and two trailing wheels on one axle. The locomo ...

built by ALCO, displayed in Roosevelt Park in

Minot, North Dakota Minot ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Ward County, North Dakota, United States, in the state's north-central region. It is most widely known for the Air Force base approximately north of the city. With a population of 48,377 at the 2 ...

. * 950, a

2-10-0 Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 2-10-0 represents the wheel arrangement of two leading wheels on one axle, ten powered and coupled driving wheels on five axles, and no trailing wheels. This arrangement ...

, the only one of its type owned by Soo Line, displayed in front of the old depot in

. * 1003, restored L-1 class

2-8-2 Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, represents the wheel arrangement of two leading wheels on one axle, usually in a leading truck, eight powered and coupled driving wheels on four axles and two trailing w ...

built in 1913 by ALCO. * Soo Line 1024, restored 2-8-2, on display at city hall,

. * 2645, E-25 class

4-6-0 A 4-6-0 steam locomotive, under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives by wheel arrangement, has four leading wheels on two axles in a leading bogie and six powered and coupled driving wheels on three axles with the ...

built by

Brooks Locomotive Works The Brooks Locomotive Works manufactured railroad steam locomotives and freight cars from 1869 through its merger into the American Locomotive Company (ALCO) in 1901. History When the New York and Erie Railroad (NY&E) relocated its shops facili ...

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 located in Veterans Memorial Park in

Stevens Point, Wisconsin Stevens Point is the county seat of Portage County, Wisconsin, United States. The city was incorporated in 1858. Its 2020 population of 25,666 makes it the largest city in the county. Stevens Point forms the core of the United States Census Bur ...

. With it is Soo Line

caboose A caboose is a crewed North American railroad car coupled at the end of a freight train. Cabooses provide shelter for crew at the end of a train, who were formerly required in switching and shunting, keeping a lookout for load shifting, dam ...

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 located in Lakeside Park in

Fond du Lac, Wisconsin Fond du Lac () is a city in Fond du Lac County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 44,678 at the 2020 census. The city forms the core of the United States Census Bureau's Fond du Lac Metropolitan Statistical Area, which includes all ...

. * 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. Gilchinski, Steve (February 1997). pp. 24–25

References

Notes

Bibliography

* * * *

External links

Soo Line Historical and Technical Society

Soo Line Online

{{DEFAULTSORT:Minneapolis Saint Paul Sault Sainte Marie Railroad Soo Line Railroad Canadian Pacific Railway subsidiaries Defunct companies based in Minneapolis Upper Peninsula of Michigan Former Class I railroads in the United States Predecessors of the Canadian Pacific Railway Railway companies established in 1944 Railway companies disestablished in 1961 Defunct Montana railroads Defunct North Dakota railroads Defunct South Dakota railroads Defunct Minnesota railroads Defunct Wisconsin railroads Defunct Michigan railroads Defunct Illinois railroads Railroads in the Chicago metropolitan area American companies established in 1944 American companies disestablished in 1961