Railroad Forums 

  • SOO LINE

  • Discussion relating to the past and present operations of CPR. Official web site can be found here: CPR.CA. Includes Kansas City Southern.
Discussion relating to the past and present operations of CPR. Official web site can be found here: CPR.CA. Includes Kansas City Southern.

Moderators: Komachi, Ken V

 #762737  by ItaliDe
 
Hi
I am a big SOO LINE fan in modeling as I love that white with red nose paint scheme. I am not sure how many SOO LINE engines are left now on CP rail so I have a couple of questions for anyone who is familiar with the trackage.

1) How many SOO LINE engines are left in the "Hocky Stick" white with red nose scheme and where is the best place on the system to see some?
2) What is the best rail-fan spot closest to Ohio to see SOO Line? i know they use to run into Indiana but I dont know if that line is still used or what? Things change so fast I cant keep up.

So I am trying to plan a railfan trip out to SOO Country in the spring and I want to go to the best spot to find SOO. I can see CP Rail all day long upstate NY but they never seem to run any SOO engines when I am around. Im hoping to get more luck out near SOO's original lines. Thanks for any info here...
 #762817  by SooLineRob
 
ItaliDe wrote:
1) How many SOO LINE engines are left in the "Hocky Stick" white with red nose scheme and where is the best place on the system to see some?
Exact number of SOO units unknown. The SD60's (SOO 6020 - 6062) are in 100% SOO paint, however many units are in long term storage. Several SD60's have been placed in service over the last month, but their numbers are small (half the SD60 fleet). The GP38-2's are mostly in SOO paint, but stick close to yards/local freights.
ItaliDe wrote: 2) What is the best rail-fan spot closest to Ohio to see SOO Line? i know they use to run into Indiana but I dont know if that line is still used or what? Things change so fast I cant keep up.
Chicago, Illinois. Specifically, CP's Bensenville Yard, which stradles the towns of Bensenville and Franklin Park, Illinois. Directly south of O'Hare International Airport. Canadian Pacific does run Through Freights via trackage rights on Norfolk Southern between Chicago and Detroit (actually Windsor, ON) via Elkhart, Indiana. The chances of SOO power being used on these trains is slim.

Hope this helps.
 #763062  by ItaliDe
 
Thanks for your response... It's a shame SOO is mostly gone.. It's one of the most classic paint schemes in railroading.. And they are famous for their Boxcars, Which by the way, I havent seen a SOO LINE Black/White with red door box car in years! Are they all gone too? I grew up on Long Island, NY and a couple times a week the NY&A would bring in a SOO LINE box car loaded with Bakary goods for a bakery distributer in Farmingdale, Long Island... I havent seen SOO in about 7 years now.. The box cars serving that customer are some generic box car.. Not even a CP boxcar.. Maybe they lost the account? But the SOO LINE box car is actually what got me into railroading.. Ya couldnt miss the big SOO LINE across the side of it and the colors were great.
 #763262  by SooLineRob
 
You may see SOO SD60's as trailing units in a consist east of Chicago.

Likewise, the GP38's and GP40's are primarily used as wayfreight/local/yard power, which there are none east of Chicago (SOO side).

The farther west you go, the more likely you'd be to see a SOO unit leading a train. West of Minneapolis/St Paul, your chances would be pretty good. Quite a distance from your Ohio goal, however...

The reason for this is SOO units are not equipped to be lead units in Canada. Any SOO units leading a train would indicate a U.S.A. origin/destination, or a locomotive swap would be performed prior to the train being run by a Canadian CP Rail crew.
 #763455  by ItaliDe
 
Yea, Must be the in cab signal control stuff... ugggh! I'm not big on CP... Wish we had just SOO still as it's own... Same with BN.. not a fan of the BNSF. NS is the same across PA.. You will never see anything other than a NS unit leading a train because of the incab signals ... Eh, what can ya do.. Railroading isnt like it use to be.. it's kida frustrating now from the fun view point.
 #764921  by num1hendrickfan
 
SooLineRob wrote:You may see SOO SD60's as trailing units in a consist east of Chicago.

Likewise, the GP38's and GP40's are primarily used as wayfreight/local/yard power, which there are none east of Chicago (SOO side).

The farther west you go, the more likely you'd be to see a SOO unit leading a train. West of Minneapolis/St Paul, your chances would be pretty good. Quite a distance from your Ohio goal, however...

The reason for this is SOO units are not equipped to be lead units in Canada. Any SOO units leading a train would indicate a U.S.A. origin/destination, or a locomotive swap would be performed prior to the train being run by a Canadian CP Rail crew.
Would think there would be great odds of that equipment being seen on the UP of Michigan, Minnesota,Wisconsin ( areas near the Iron Range ), Iowa.... . Major service areas for the Soo line, and it's sister road Duluth South Shore & Atlantic.
Living on Long Island the only freight I see is handled by NY&A, might be worth a trip to see a little history left. I know for sure some units are preserved in museums up there.
 #765250  by mtuandrew
 
num1hendrickfan wrote:Would think there would be great odds of that equipment being seen on the UP of Michigan, Minnesota,Wisconsin ( areas near the Iron Range ), Iowa.... . Major service areas for the Soo line, and it's sister road Duluth South Shore & Atlantic.
Living on Long Island the only freight I see is handled by NY&A, might be worth a trip to see a little history left. I know for sure some units are preserved in museums up there.
CP Rail doesn't own the old Soo Line track in Wisconsin and the UP anymore, that's CN's now (through their purchase of Wisconsin Central, Ltd.) and you mostly see CN power, with some smattering of IC, WC and EJ&E power. You'd see Soo locomotives in Wisconsin and Illinois on the old Milwaukee main though.
 #765302  by ItaliDe
 
what are some towns along the Old Milwaukee mainline? If this is the best line to hopefully see SOO power than thats where I want to go. Also, How many trains a day on this main line? Hopefully it's busy enough for a trip out there... The worst is when you ride 5 hours a way and only see one freight! That happened to me up in MA on the old Guilford. Waited 5 hours to see a 30 car freight... wasnt worth my time. :(
 #766037  by ItaliDe
 
Does anyone see any SOO LINE classic White, with Red door box cars anymore? They were the best! I havent seen one in years! SHAME!
 #766316  by trainiac
 
Does anyone see any SOO LINE classic White, with Red door box cars anymore? They were the best! I havent seen one in years! SHAME!
I saw one a couple of years ago on the MMA in Sherbrooke, QC. It was extremely beat-up but was still in red and white, with SOO reporting marks.

http://trainiax.net/mephotosearchresult ... perpage=50
 #766452  by atsf sp
 
ItaliDe wrote:Does anyone see any SOO LINE classic White, with Red door box cars anymore? They were the best! I havent seen one in years! SHAME!
Saw one just the other day in Worcester. Tried to get a picture but there was no good angle.
 #812277  by scharnhorst
 
ItaliDe wrote:Does anyone see any SOO LINE classic White, with Red door box cars anymore? They were the best! I havent seen one in years! SHAME!

last time I saw one of them was 10 maybe 12 years ago? Saw a Black Gondola with just Demi Dara and SOO reporting marks in real beat up shape. Color Mark Series 3 Bay covered Hoppers (White cars with a big gold color Grain stalk painted on the side) I see on occation going into a fertalizer company in town.
 #812667  by ItaliDe
 
Well I have seen a lot of regular SOO LINE freight cars still..but that wasnt my question.. I see plenty of the boring white grain hoppers but I was talking exclusively about the SOO LINE Box Cars... The classic ones that are White with a Red Door and have Black ends and black SOO on the left side and LINE on the ride side. Great classic american freight car :)
 #819466  by scharnhorst
 
ItaliDe wrote:Well I have seen a lot of regular SOO LINE freight cars still..but that wasnt my question.. I see plenty of the boring white grain hoppers but I was talking exclusively about the SOO LINE Box Cars... The classic ones that are White with a Red Door and have Black ends and black SOO on the left side and LINE on the ride side. Great classic american freight car :)
heres one that I found on this link its the most recent pic taken on 02/20/2008 in New Haven IN.
http://www.rr-fallenflags.org/soo/soo19110aga.jpg

link to more SOO Pics: http://www.rr-fallenflags.org/soo/soo.html
 #857399  by scharnhorst
 
You'll catch a few stray Red and White SOO units in and around Toronto, Ontario Canada as well as parked in the small yard in Smiths Falls, Ontario Canada they run them up and into North Bay and into Sudbury, Ontario, Canada and back with mixed Ottawa Valley Railink Traffic.