Soo Line Historical and Technical Society

Crummy Time in Portage - May 4, 2003

by Todd Brown

Riding out of the sunset, headed east twords Milwaukee on a Sunday evening in Portage was a former Soo caboose now designated for Maintenence of Way work.

When the colorful 3-unit consist pulled into the depot for a crew change, little did I know what was waiting at the other end.

As the rear of the train approached, the railfans present were quite thrilled to see a caboose bringing up the rear. Among those railfans present where four very hard-core blokes from Newcastle, England who had just arrived in Chicago that afternoon. I jokingly asked them if they came all that way to chase trains, and they said, "Yes, of course!" They were headed up to St. Paul on Monday and were going to make their way down the Mississippi and eventually over to Los Angeles where they would fly back to England. See the news article of the same date devoted to these true rail fans.

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