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

Class I railroad Railroad classes are the system by which Rail freight transport, freight railroads are designated in the United States. Railroads are assigned to Class I, II or III according to annual revenue criteria originally set by the Surface Transportatio ...

subsidiary of the

Canadian Pacific Railway The Canadian Pacific Railway () , 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 Canadian Pacific Kansas City, Canadian Pacific Ka ...

in the

Midwestern United States The Midwestern United States (also referred to as the Midwest, the Heartland or the American Midwest) is one of the four census regions defined by the United States Census Bureau. It occupies the northern central part of the United States. It ...

. Commonly known since its opening in 1884 as the Soo Line after the

phonetic spelling A phonemic orthography is an orthography (system for writing a language) in which the graphemes (written symbols) correspond consistently to the language's phonemes (the smallest units of speech that can differentiate words), or more generally ...

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 one of the primary United States railroad subsidiaries for the CPKC Railway , one of six U.S. Class I railroads, controlled through the Soo Line Corporation. Although it is named for the Minneapolis, St. Paul and Saul ...

Passenger service

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

Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

and

Minneapolis Minneapolis is a city in Hennepin County, Minnesota, United States, and its county seat. With a population of 429,954 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the state's List of cities in Minnesota, most populous city. Locat ...

was much longer than the competing

Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad The Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad (CMStP&P), better known as the Milwaukee Road , was a Class I railroad that operated in the Midwest and Northwest of the United States from 1847 until 1986. The company experienced financi ...

(Milwaukee Road),

Chicago and North Western Railway The Chicago and North Western was a Railroad classes#Class I, 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 t ...

, and

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

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

Milwaukee Milwaukee is the List of cities in Wisconsin, most populous city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. Located on the western shore of Lake Michigan, it is the List of United States cities by population, 31st-most populous city in the United States ...

. 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 The Duluth MN–WI Metropolitan Area, commonly called the Twin Ports, is a small metropolitan area centered around the cities of Duluth, Minnesota and Superior, Wisconsin. The Twin Ports are located at the western part of Lake Superior (the west ...

with a portion to Minneapolis–St. Paul. An additional portion served

Ashland, Wisconsin Ashland is a city in Ashland County, Wisconsin, Ashland and Bayfield County, Wisconsin, 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 ...

, 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 Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Manitoba. It is centred on the confluence of the Red River of the North, Red and Assiniboine River, Assiniboine rivers. , Winnipeg h ...

. 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 Western provinces of Canada, and commonly known within Canada as the West, is a list of regions of Canada, Canadian region that includes the four western provinces and t ...

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

Vancouver Vancouver is a major city in Western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the cit ...

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 List of cities in Saskatchewan, 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, Saskatchewan, Re ...

, 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 border crossing for road (c ...

, 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 Sault Ste. Marie ( ') is a city in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, Upper Peninsula of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is the county seat of Chippewa County, Michigan, Chippewa County and is the only city within the county. With a population of ...

, 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 abbreviated as TRF, is a city and county seat of Pennington County in the northwest portion of the U.S. state of Minnesota. The population was 8,749 at the 2020 census. History Thief River Falls takes its name fro ...

, 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, 1883–1889 * Thomas Lowry, 1889–1890, 1892–1909 * F. N. Finney, 1890–1892 * Edmund Pennington, 1909–1922 * George Ray Huntington, 1922–1923 * Clive T. Jaffray, 1924–1937 * George 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

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

Northern Pacific Railway The Northern Pacific Railway was an important American transcontinental railroad that operated across the northern tier of the Western United States, from Minnesota to the Pacific Northwest between 1864 and 1970. It was approved and chartered b ...

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 Saint Paul, Minnesota. It serves light rail, intercity rail, intercity bus, and local bus services. It is the eastern terminus ...

. 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 and Polk counties in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. Its population was 1,037 at the 2020 census. Of these, 959 were in Barron County, and 78 were in Polk County. The village is located between the towns of Alme ...

. 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, the extent of the line that had been constructed so far. On its opening for regular service on November 15, the line measured . * 1887: Minneapolis is chosen to be the location of the primary repair shops for locomotives and cars. The "Shoreham" Shops were located on a 230-acre plot of land at the intersection of Central and 27th Avenues, anchored by a substantial machine and erecting shop capable of overhauling and building locomotives. In 1949 a new diesel shop was built as an addition to the roundhouse, but the shop site was closed in 1990. The other large repair shops were the former

Wisconsin Central Railroad (1871–1899) The original Wisconsin Central Railroad Company was a major early railroad that operated throughout northern Wisconsin. It built lines up through the forested wilderness, and opened large tracts to logging and settlement. It established stations w ...

shops at

North Fond du Lac, Wisconsin North Fond du Lac is a village in Fond du Lac County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 5,378 at the 2020 census. Despite the name, North Fond du Lac is actually located northwest of Fond du Lac, as Lake Winnebago is directly north ...

. * January 5, 1888: The MSSM&A's first train departed Minneapolis with 102 cars of flour divided into five sections for

Boston Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

Philadelphia Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...

London, England London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

and

Glasgow, Scotland Glasgow is the Cities of Scotland, most populous city in Scotland, located on the banks of the River Clyde in Strathclyde, west central Scotland. It is the List of cities in the United Kingdom, third-most-populous city in the United Kingdom ...

. * 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 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.

Locomotives

Preservation

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

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

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

Steam locomotives

* 321, B class

0-6-0 is the Whyte notation designation for steam locomotives with a wheel arrangement of no leading wheels, six powered and coupled driving wheels on three axles, and no trailing wheels. Historically, this was the most common wheel arrangement used o ...

built in 1887 by the

Rhode Island Locomotive Works Rhode Island Locomotive Works was a steam locomotive manufacturing company in Providence, Rhode Island. The factory produced more than 3,400 locomotives between 1867 and 1906, when the plant's locomotive production was shut down. At its peak, the lo ...

. 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. Static display at Pinecrest Historical Village in

Manitowoc, Wisconsin Manitowoc ( ) is a city in Manitowoc County, Wisconsin, United States, and its county seat. It is located on Lake Michigan at the mouth of the Manitowoc River. According to the 2020 census, Manitowoc had a population of 34,626. History Purporte ...

. * 346, 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 that operated from 1901 to 1969, initially specializing in the production of locomotives but later diversifying and fabricating at various time ...

. Static display at Wheels Across the Prairie Museum in

Tracy, Minnesota Tracy is a city in Lyon County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 2,076 based on the 2020 census. U.S. Route 14 serves as a main arterial route in the community. History Tracy was platted in 1875. It was named for John F. Tracy, a ...

; lettered as C&NWR 850 with a balloon-style stack and cowcatcher-type pilot. *

353 __NOTOC__ Year 353 (Roman numerals, CCCLIII) was a common year starting on Friday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Magnentius and Decentius (or, less frequently, year 1106 ''Ab urbe condita''). ...

, restored B-4 class 0-6-0 built in 1920 by ALCO. Operational; owned by WMSTR based in

Rollag, Minnesota Rollag is an unincorporated community in Parke Township Clay County, Minnesota, United States. The community is located northeast of Barnesville and south of Hawley on Minnesota State Highway 32 Minnesota State Highway 32 (MN 32) is ...

. * 440, 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 wheels. ...

built in 1900 by ALCO; static display at 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 ...

. * 451, F-9 class

built in 1905 by ALCO; static display at the Municipal Court in

New Town, North Dakota New Town is a city in Mountrail County, North Dakota. The population was 2,764 at the time of the 2020 census, making it the 18th largest city in North Dakota. New Town was platted in 1950 as a replacement site for the residents of Sanish and ...

. * 730, 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 locomoti ...

built in 1911 by ALCO; static display in

Gladstone, Michigan Gladstone is a city in Delta County in the Upper Peninsula of the U.S. state of Michigan. First settled in 1877, Gladstone's original name was Minnewasca. The population was 5,257 according to the 2020 census, The U.S. Highways 2 and 41 run ...

. * 735, H-3 class

built in 1913 by ALCO; static display at the entrance to Roosevelt Park Zoo 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 ...

. * 736, H-3 class

built in 1913 by ALCO; static display at Telulah Park in

Appleton, Wisconsin Appleton () is the county seat of Outagamie County, Wisconsin, United States, with small portions extending into Calumet County, Wisconsin, Calumet and Winnebago County, Wisconsin, Winnebago counties. Located on the Fox River (Green Bay tributary ...

. * 950, G class

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 was of ...

built in 1900 by the

Baldwin Locomotive Works The Baldwin Locomotive Works (BLW) was an American manufacturer of railway locomotives from 1825 to 1951. Originally located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, it moved to nearby Eddystone, Pennsylvania, Eddystone in the early 20th century. The com ...

; the only 2-10-0 owned by Soo Line; static display at the former Soo Line Depot in

. * 1003, 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 wh ...

built in 1913 by ALCO. Operational; owned by Steam Locomotive Heritage Association based in

Hartford, Wisconsin Hartford is a city in Washington County, Wisconsin, Washington and Dodge County, Wisconsin, Dodge counties in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the city had a population of 16,000. All of this popul ...

. * 1024, L-4 class 2-8-2 built in 1902 by ALCO. Originally built for the

Monon Railroad The Monon Railroad , also known as the Chicago, Indianapolis, and Louisville Railway from 1897 to 1971, was an American railroad that operated almost entirely within the state of Indiana. The Monon was merged into the Louisville and Nashville R ...

as J-1 class 504; sold to the Soo Line in 1941 and renumbered 1024. Static display at

City Hall In local government, a city hall, town hall, civic centre (in the UK or Australia), guildhall, or municipal hall (in the Philippines) is the chief administrative building of a city, town, or other municipality. It usually houses the city o ...

. *

2645 __NOTOC__ Year 645 ( DCXLV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Julian calendar. The denomination 645 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe ...

, 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 abs ...

built in 1900 by the

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 faciliti ...

. Originally built for the Wisconsin Central Railway as E-25 Class 247; obtained by the Soo Line in 1909 and renumbered 2645. Static display at the

Mid-Continent Railway Museum The Mid-Continent Railway Museum is a railway museum, railroad museum in North Freedom, Wisconsin, North Freedom, Wisconsin, United States. The museum consists of static displays as well as a round trip ride aboard preserved railroad cars. Hi ...

in North Freedom, Wisconsin. * 2713, H-21 class

built in 1911 by ALCO; static display at Veterans Memorial Park in

Stevens Point, Wisconsin Stevens Point is a city in Portage County, Wisconsin, United States, and its county seat. Its population was 25,666 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. It forms the core of the Stevens Point micropolitan statistical area, which had a p ...

. * 2714, H-22 class 4-6-2 built in 1914 by ALCO; static display at Lakeside Park in

Fond du Lac, Wisconsin Fond du Lac () is a city in Fond du Lac County, Wisconsin, United States, and its county seat. It is located at the southern end of Lake Winnebago and had a population of 44,678 at the 2020 census. The city forms the core of the Fond du Lac met ...

. * 2718, H-23 class 4-6-2 built in 1923 by ALCO; static display at the

National Railroad Museum The National Railroad Museum is a railroad museum located in Ashwaubenon, Wisconsin, US. Founded in 1956 by community volunteers, the National Railroad Museum is one of the oldest and largest U.S. institutions dedicated to preserving and ...

Green Bay, Wisconsin Green Bay is a city in Brown County, Wisconsin, United States, and its county seat. It is located at the head of Green Bay (Lake Michigan), Green Bay (known locally as "the bay of Green Bay"), a sub-basin of Lake Michigan at the mouth of the F ...

. * 2719, H-23 class 4-6-2 built in 1923 by ALCO; pulled the Soo Line's last steam-powered train in excursion service in 1959. Gilchinski, Steve (February 1997). pp. 24–25 Operated in excursion service 1998-2013; static display awaiting overhaul at the Lake Superior Railroad Museum in

Duluth, Minnesota Duluth ( ) is a Port, port city in the U.S. state of Minnesota and the county seat of St. Louis County, Minnesota, St. Louis County. Located on Lake Superior in Minnesota's Arrowhead Region, the city is a hub for cargo shipping. The population ...

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