History of the Soo Line Passenger Trains

[@monsieur_le_prof]

This is a great channel for railroad history. I have a lot of memories of these lines from growing up in Minnesota in the 1980s. Passenger traffic was gone by then. There was a Minneapolis-Duluth Amtrak that ran on the BN line through Cambridge, MN, until the mid-80s. There's talk of bringing that one back. The Soo mainline through Wisconsin was still in use throughout the 80s. I remember seeing freights run through Danbury and Siren, WI when I was a kid. Same for the Glenwood-Duluth subdivision. All those lines disappeared in the early 90s. It seemed intentional that those lines were taken up. The buy-up of Milwaukee was odd given the smaller size of the Soo. Their lines had a distinct regional flavor to them, even the ballast, ties and locomotives were distinct. Some major infrastructure survives, notably the Arcola High Bridge as well as the approach to Superior WI built on the former SL main. The former Milwaukee in MN through Montevideo is run by TC Western. Was double-tracked at one time but is at least still active. At one time in Hopkins there were 9 tracks crossing where Hwy 169 is today, including the M&StL, Milwaukee and a former trolley line. Today there is just 1 track remaining but it is being used for a LRT corridor. These right-of-ways are what built the country. It would be great if CP could revive part of the former Milwaukee western extension. These were excellent railroads in their day. You can see from the route maps how forward-thinking their designs were.

[@marksteiner3810]

True about Duluth service. They are taking their time, however, since the legislative action June 2023 produces no train until about 2027-28. The train you spoke of at Cambridge was called the Arrowhead. It operated as an overnight Chicago-St. Paul, then on to Duluth. Beside the obvious attraction of train travel to Duluth, Amtrak offered packages for skiers to Lutsen. Then along came anti-AMtrak Reaganites, and this train was removed. My dad worked for the NP, and we took a family trip on the Soo Line from Duluth to St Paul in the late 1950s.

[@tannerrobinson5110]

At 8:30 that is the Milwaukee Road Depot in Minneapolis, MN. This Depot does still stand as a hotel and event center, but is locked in by large buildings in all directions at this point.

[@marktaylor9975]

Yes that was Mpls, the Milwaukee Road depot in Mpls is in background, Cerasota flour mill both are still there but motel and a Apt building. 395 is not a Geep but looks like a Baldwin locomotive. BNSF operates a bit of the Milwaukee in SD,ND to Miles City Montana.

[@osmanjeffrey]

Cool overview of one of the Also Rans of the midwest, TH. I now live two blocks west of the CP (nee Milwaukee Road) in the Irving Park neighborhood of Chicago. CP sends several freights by here each week, I'm guessing routed through Pacific Junction to the south of me. Mayfair Jct. is not too far from here, also. This is closest I've ever lived to any tracks and I'm lovingit. I can still see the trains from out my front door, but not for long, as the trees between here and the railroad embankment are almost fully leafed. Thanks for the video. Looking forward to more. Cheers.

[@gregsells8549]

Now CPKC, if you haven't heard.

[@osmanjeffrey]

@@gregsells8549 Oh, yeah. That has some folks living out in the Sprawl concerned about additional rail traffic blocking at grade crossings. Different show with the same script for them I guess.

[@Petemonster62]

I beg to differ with you on the GP7 or GP9 at 8:30. You can make out the air brake tanks on the roof of the locomotive, so it is a passenger equipped GP. The Milwaukee Road depot in Minneapolis was also used by the Soo Line and Rock Island railroads. There was also the "Enderlin Local" which ran between St. Paul and Enderlin North Dakota. The Transportation Act of 1958 had a provision that help railroads fight state departments of commerce in discontinuing passenger trains that had low ridership. The Enderlin Local was discontinued in 1959 and the mixed train that ran between Glenwood and Thief River Falls Minnesota was also discontinued about that time.

[@roberthunerberg1509]

I saw my only Soo Line passenger train I was 6 in Mundelein with my dad it was dark and westbound.