Soo Line

[darkdemon]

Does the CP own all of Soo Line's railways in Minnesota including their interests other lines such as BNSF? For example Soo line owned a half interest in the BNSF tracks from Cass Lake MN to somewhere near Bemidji is this still true? And CP has now taken on that 1/2 interest ownership?

[mtuandrew]

CP Rail owns the Soo Line in its entirety as of the mid-1990s, but continues to operate it as its midwestern United States subsidiary. In turn, the Soo operates most of the existing ex-Milwaukee Road trackage, minus some smaller segments owned by CN, BNSF, the E&LS and a few others.

I don't know whether the Soo still owns a part interest in the ex-GN line from Bemidji to east of Cass Lake. They at least have and exercise trackage rights from Erskine to Duluth, and from there to Shoreham Yards in Minneapolis. With the possible exception of this line and maybe terminal track near Duluth and Superior (though I think all that is gone too), the Soo has completely abandoned or sold all of their track in northeastern Minnesota.

[Ken V]

Although Canadian Pacific took full ownership of the Soo Line Railroad in the early 1990's and started operating it as a part of the larger CP Rail System, I though I should mention that the CPR has had control of the Minneapolis, St. Paul, and Sault Ste Marie (Soo Line) and other predecessor railroads for over 100 years before that. So, in effect, CP taking over the Soo is by no means a recent event.

[JayBee]

Although Canadian Pacific took full ownership of the Soo Line Railroad in the early 1990's and started operating it as a part of the larger CP Rail System, I though I should mention that the CPR has had control of the Minneapolis, St. Paul, and Sault Ste Marie (Soo Line) and other predecessor railroads for over 100 years before that. So, in effect, CP taking over the Soo is by no means a recent event.

CP has owned the majority of the Soo Line's stock since the 1880's. However until they acquired full control in 1992 they had exactly half of the seats on the Board of Directors. Also remember that the Soo Line went into bankruptcy during the 1930s, and during the period under Trusteeship CP would have had no control over the company. CP provided the push to merge the three immediate predecessors of the Soo Line Company to merge, but otherwise was pretty "Hands Off" towards management of it, at least until Soo Line started having problems after the MILW acquisition.

John Beaulieu