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Winter 2000 Issue IN EVERY ISSUE Soo News STAFF Editor Associate Editor Associate Editor/Soo News Soo News Wiconsin Central News Modeling Editor Contributing Editors Editorial Consultants Technical Consultants Commercial Accounts Advertising Manager Back Issues
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Winter 2000 Issue Hightlights |
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Wisconsin Central Newsedited by Galen FrommWisconsin Central News appears in every issue of the SOO, with news on the Wisconsin Central LTd. |
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GalleryThis photo section in each issue covers all eras of the Soo Line, from steam, through the 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s and 90s. |
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Turn of the CenturyBy J. Michael HarringtonSaturday, May 1, 1999, was a truly glorious day with plenty of sun and clear skies. For a select few it was also an opportunity to revisit the turn-of-the-century 100 years ago with steam locomotives and wooden cars of the Soo and DSS&A at their finest. Although many of the scenes could easily have been in Michigan's upper peninsula or northern Wisconsin, in fact they occurred at the Mid-Continent Railway Museum in North Freedom, Wis. The occasion was the Jeffris Special. On board were special guest Tom Jeffris, president of the Jeffris Family Foundation, and a group of other invited persons. The passengers enjoyed the resplendent restorations, beautiful weather, and first class service during the one-hour train ride. After three runs with guests, it was time for the curator's staff and other workers to enjoy a special trip. Although the earlier runs were provided for specially invited guests of the museum, it would be hard to imagine a group of persons who appreciated the trip more than the riders on the last run of the day. The two vintage coaches, DSS&A no. 213 and the former Wisconsin Central "Oak Park" (restored to its Minneapolis, St. Paul and Sault Ste. Marie appearance) had not been used for passenger service since they appeared for the Soo Line Historical and Technical Society's annual convention of September 17 and 18, 1988. |
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The LRC and the Sooby George A. Forero Jr.In 1974 the Soo Line would have been the last railroad on which you would have expected to find a specialized, futuristic passenger locomotive, but that's what happened. The prototype LRC (Light, Rapid, Comfortable), was built in 1973 by a Canadian consortium (MLW, Alcan and Dofasco). After a few demonstration runs in mid-1974, it spent the latter part of that year on the test track at Pueblo, Colorado. In early December it was heading back to Canada and routed over the Soo Line between Chicago and Noyes. Leaving Schiller Park on the evening of December 1, 1974, LRC no. JV-1 (for Joint Venture no. 1) ran through Wisconsin mostly under the cover of darkness, but then traversed Minnesota under brilliant, if cold, skies. This is the story of that trip. |
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The Soo where it ain't supposed to beThis photo series covers Soo Line power in all parts of the country. |
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Waupaca WisconsinThe Wisconsin Central yearsBy David LeiderWaupaca was first settled in 1849 by five Vermonters who came to an area known as "the falls" by the natives. They were so impressed with the abundant waterpower and beauty that they decided to stay. Within a short time others came looking for the Vermonters' camp, and Waupaca Falls, as it was originally known, was founded Waupaca grew steadily, becoming the county seat of Waupaca County. By 1870, with a population of a few hundred, it boasted several gristmills, two machine shops, two tanneries, two hotels, planing mills, and a foundry. Still, Waupaca was considered merely a frontier town in the woods, although it served as a gateway for much of the supply trade for the adjacent pineries. For the town to prosper and find further markets for its goods, a railroad was a necessity. The Iron Horse ArrivesThe first railroad to lay track in Waupaca County was the Green Bay and Lake Pepin, a predecessor of the Green Bay and Western. The railroad reached New London in February 1871, where it paused for a short time before continuing west, passing within eight miles to the north of Waupaca. In 1870, promoters of the Wisconsin Central were trying to get financing to run a railroad from Doty's Island (Menasha) to Stevens Point. The city of Waupaca was asked to purchase $50,000 in bonds, which was voted on and passed December 10, 1870. Within two weeks, the remaining subscriptions of the road were sold for a total of $2,000,000. Construction began at Doty's Island in 1871, working westward toward Stevens Point On a very cold Thursday evening, September 28, 1871, the first iron horse snorted into Waupaca. The entire town was in attendance for a glimpse of the first train and excitement ran so high that fistfights broke out with several bloodied noses. The train, consisting of a single engine and passenger car, was heard long before it was seen. The engineer started to whistle in Weyauwega, continuing until he reached town. Years of waiting paid off, and Waupaca would no longer be thought of as a sleepy little town on the Waupaca River. "A new era has dawned upon us here in this pleasant village. Now let us sing the praises of the Wisconsin Central Railroad Company. Their name is "Energy," their motto "Forward" and our wish, "God-speed to the end." |
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Modeler's RoundtableModeling ex-DSS&A 50-foot double-door boxcarsBy Chuck DerusPullman-Standard introduced a new design for 40-foot boxcars in 1947. Their new PS-1 design was applied to 50-foot boxcars two years later in 1949. About 24,000 cars were constructed to this 50-foot design between 1949 and 1961. The DSS&A received 100 cars in number series 15500 to 15599 as lot no. 8350 in 1957. They featured double doors with a 15'-4" clear opening, 55-ton capacity and a 25K floor. At the time of the merger in 1961, they were the newest 50-foot cars on the newly-merged railroad. They wore at least four paint schemes in their lifetime-the original DSS&A lettering on Chinese red with black ends, a similar scheme on boxcar red, a hasty soo line reporting mark paint job, and the block lettering soo line complete repaint. Modelers in HO scale are lucky in terms of the 50-foot double door PS-1. Intermountain currently makes an excellent model of this car with very fine freestanding detail parts. Bob Rivard was inspired by Dan Hollbrook's May 1991 Railmodel Journal article on these cars. He modified the intermountain model with a very simple side sill change, a 7-foot and 8-foot door, and lowered A-end ladders. |
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