Soo Line 2500

Soo Line 2500 is a restored FP7A diesel locomotive originally owned by the Soo Line Railroad. It was built in 1949 as an EMD demonstrator locomotive, numbered 7001. Soo Line bought 7001, and the other demonstrator locomotives 7002 & 7003, for its subsidiary Wisconsin Central. Number 7001 was renumbered 2500-A, and 7002 & 7003 were renumbered 2500-B and 2501-B respectively.^[1]

History

With steam operations on North American Railroads being converted to diesel operations, Electro-Motive, along with other locomotive builders, began building demonstrator units to be tested by various railroads. Electro-Motive built a set of three FP7 units, 7001 (A-unit) and 7002 & 7003 (B-units). In November 1949, Canadian Pacific Railway tested these units. Canadian Pacific owned most of the Soo Line, and after testing the three demonstrator units, they were sent to the Soo Line.

In April 1950, Soo Line ran the set from Minneapolis, MN to Portal, ND then Duluth, MN to Winnipeg. 7001 hosted the United Kingdom's Duke of Windsor, the former King Edward VIII, in its cab through North Dakota. Soo Line was so impressed with the set, that it purchased them for use on Wisconsin Central. In May 1950, they were delivered as WC 2500-A, 2500-B, and 2501-B.

WC 2500-A often pulled Soo's Laker from Chicago to Duluth. Although numbered as Wisconsin Central, 2500 was painted in Soo Line's maroon and gold scheme. In 1960 Wisconsin Central became part of the Soo Line, and 2500 was repainted into the red and gray Soo Line scheme. When passenger service was discontinued in the 1960s, 2500 was used to pull freight trains.

In 1980, 2500 was converted to provide compressed air and electrical power to snowplows in the winter months. In August 1986, Soo 2500 was donated to the Lake Superior Railroad Museum. Soo 2500 went through a lengthy and complete overhaul. Much of its interior was repaired or replaced. Its exterior was repainted back into Soo Line's old maroon and gold scheme. In 1995, Soo Line 2500 pulled passenger trains, this time for the North Shore Scenic Railroad.

Present-day operations

Soo Line 2500 leads a streamliner special in Duluth, July 12, 2014

Soo Line 2500 often pulls special excursions on the North Shore Scenic Railroad, and operates a minimum of a few times each year. Much of its time, however, is spent inside the Lake Superior Railroad Museum on static display. Soo 2500 is one of three Soo Line locomotives in the Lake Superior Railroad Museum's collection, the others being Soo Line (GP-30) #700 and Soo Line (4-6-2 Pacific) #2719.

In March 2014, it pulled an empty coal hopper train along the North Shore Scenic Railroad's "Lakefront Line". In April 2014, a new radiator was installed in 2500, allowing 2500 to operate a longer schedule on the NSSR.

In January 2014, it was announced that the Soo 2500 would be one of 26 locomotives participating in the Streamliners at Spencer event, held May 29-June 1 in Spencer, NC.^[2] On May 11 it departed for and participated in the Streamliners event. On June 18 it returned from the Streamliners event, having been transported by BNSF and Norfolk Southern freight trains both ways. On June 21, 2014, Soo Line 2500 pulled a special round-trip train from Duluth to Two Harbors for "Grandma's Marathon". On July 11, it pulled the NSSR's Music & Pizza train with Duluth, Missabe & Iron Range 193. On July 12 it pulled the "Streamliner to Two Harbors"^[3] special with Erie Mining Company 4211 to honor the 130th anniversary of the first ore train in Two Harbors. Since then, Soo 2500 has been on numerous excursions, averaging about one per week, much more than it had in the past several years at the Lake Superior Railroad Museum.

The locomotive is also occasionally featured in photo charters for "railfan weekend". Most recently Soo 2500 was featured with Northern Pacific 3617 in a 2015 photo charter.

In 2016 the locomotive was brought down to St. Paul Union Depot for "Depot Train Days" celebrating the station's 90th anniversary April 30 and May 1. It was featured in a night photo shoot at Union Depot with Milwaukee Road 261. It was then ferried by the Minnesota Transportation Museum, in cooperation with the Lake Superior Railroad Museum with Great Northern SDP40 #325 to Osceola, WI. It was featured in a one-day photographer special on May 2 on the Osceola and St. Croix Valley Railway, which is the original Soo Line main line. It co-starred with former Duluth bunk-mate Great Northern 400. On May 3 the 2500 departed Osceola and was ferried back to Duluth and was returned to the Lake Superior Railroad Museum, where it returned to Excursion service for the 2016 season.

References

External links

• Lake Superior Railroad Museum Where Soo 2500 is on display.
• North Shore Scenic Railroad Where Soo 2500 is operated.