Shipment of the first five cabooses, numbers 1-5, was made in February 1966 with the Soo taking delivery at Burlington, Wisconsin. They were then moved to the Shoreham car shop for installation of two-way radios and roof-mounted amber warning lights. In addition, the cupola sides and ends were covered with red reflective Scotchlite sheeting manufactured by 3M Company. With the additional expense items, each caboose cost $25,668. The Soo had finally entered the modern era with a modest fleet of new steel cabooses resplendently displaying a bright red extended cupola mounted on a bright white carbody on which was stenciled SOO in large, four-foot high black letters.
The new cabooses offered a study in contrasts with their traditional, wood-bodied predecessors. In all aspects, the new cars were a vast improvement, ushering in a host of new features previously unimagined in the ancient wooden cars. As a result, a lifestyle change was in order for the conductors and rear brakemen. Electrical systems replaced oil lamps; the coal-fired stove gave way to a propane (later fuel oil) heater; revolving, high-backed vinyl seats replaced cushioned, wooden bench seats; and roller-bearing equipped trucks replaced wood-beamed arch-bar trucks with oil-filled journal boxes.
The new steel cars also featured a number of improvements over the older cars. The welded steel construction provided a carbody and center sill that was both stronger and safer. The cushioned underframe was also an improvement, although it didn't eliminate the effects of slack running out. The roller bearing equipped swing-motion trucks provided a reasonably smooth ride, although some trainmen considered the new steel cabooses to be more noisy despite the wall and ceiling insulation.
The car interiors were equipped with four black, rotating, high-backed vinyl seats with armrests, and the cupola was outfitted with two walk-around seats of a similar design. Other amenities included a water cooler, a propane-fueled heater, and an incineration-type toilet. With three windows on each side, and two at each end in addition to the cupola windows, excellent all-around visibility was afforded.
Perhaps the most significant advancement came with the onboard electrical system, which provided power for the interior and exterior lighting, and radio system. The use of two-way radio equipment was becoming increasingly important, and it required a power source that would have been impractical to install on the old wooden cabs.
Over the next several years, the Soo Line progressively ordered small groups of wide-vision cabooses to expand pooled caboose operations over the other mainlines throughout the system. In 1966, ten additional cabooses were ordered and numbered 6-15, authorized by AFE SE-14-66. These ten cars were virtually identical to the first five and were shipped from Kenton, Ohio in September 1966. Radio equipment and the roof mounted flashing lights were installed by the builder. In what was to become a familiar pattern, these new cabooses were billed to Shoreham for application of the reflective cupola sheeting and for checking out the electrical and radio systems prior to their entry into service.
The train seemed different on this late March evening. Walking toward the head end locomotive, I carefully surveyed the activity and passengers across the 600-foot long iron train shed that was home to three major railroads in Minneapolis. As departure time approached, I could feel the excitement building within the confines of the old three-story building. The 170-foot spire would light up the night one last time with its neon "Soo Line" announcing the last performance of the Winnipeger. As a young brakeman on the Soo Line, I had already used a few opportunities to deadhead aboard the Winnipeger. Riding up to Glenwood, Minnesota on no. 89, I had connected with several work extras, such as train wreck and weed sprayer assignments. Like many memorable railroad experiences in my life, the Soo Line was often the railroad that provided the framework. This midwest road was host to many events that provided the most lasting memories. I would ride the train tonight not as an employee, but as a railroad enthusiast. As the final curtain came down on an era of great Soo passenger trains that ran between the Twin Cities and Winnipeg, I would be in the audience.
As passengers began boarding the train, I took a quick inventory of the equipment. At the business end of no. 89 was Soo GP9 2552, followed by a Soo Line consist: baggage car 47, first-class coach 1954, and one sleeper, 1259, which was a six section-five double bedroom car, ex-Pullman Fort Gibbon. Black wreathes decorated the sleeper's rear markers, while her side bore the epitaph, "Rest in Peace." As I stepped aboard the coach, a festive, welcoming group of passengers greeted me with smiles and railroad songs from several talented musicians in the crowd. I made my way quickly to a window seat near the head end of the coach. I felt that I now had my "box seat" to view the drama that was about to unfold before me.
After several blasts from the horn of the boiler-equipped Geep, the Winnipeger slowly backed out of the depot's illuminated, stub-end track. Traveling slowly past the yard office and a silent Milwaukee Road Baldwin switcher, our train went over the Washington Avenue bridge and disappeared into the cold Minneapolis night. I soon noticed that the train's mood was in stark contrast to my previous trip on no. 89 only several months before. On a frigid night, just three days after Christmas, I was deadheading up to Glenwood to work a "wrecker" extra assignment on the Brooten Line. As in tonight's consist, the first class coach that night was the reclining seat, air-conditioned 1954. Unlike tonight, the mood was more subdued, with five or six passengers riding quietly in the dimly lit coach. The movement of a neatly dressed porter broke the silence. He would walk through the coach holding a pillow wrapped in Soo Line linen, announcing in a resonant voice, "Pillows for 35 . . . Pillows for 35."
With the back-up movement completed, the Geep began to pick up speed at the Soo Line connection. My mind was jogged back into the present moment by the gentleman seated next to me. He asked me to sign a journal listing the names of all the passengers who were aboard for the last run. As I scanned the list of names, I realized that tonight's trip was one of the few times in recent memory that the train was full. After we traded a few Soo stories, I settled back to enjoy the passengers and music.
Art is wonderful. It makes it possible for us to lessen our awareness of the present and to enjoy the pleasant feelings of another place and time. The art of cinematography lets us be there in the midst of Pickett's Charge. The art of music takes us back 40 years to a first date when we hear Bert Kempfert's "Wonderland by Night." The fine-art painting of Russ Porter allows us to stand at trackside at Mellen, Wis., to feel the earth shake as a Soo Line passenger train approaches the snowy depot.
The art form of model railroading is a similarly effective way of capturing special feelings. Whether we build an isolated model for the book shelf, a small diorama to be exhibited at shows or a room-size operational layout, the three-dimensional art of model railroading enables us to do our railfanning in miniature. And, we can have this railfanning experience in any era we choose.
The era I like to visit the most is the steam-to-diesel transition era of about 1950. I have constructed an HO-scale representation of the Duluth, South Shore & Atlantic in my basement. The time is September 1952-a time I clearly remember. The layout occupies an irregularly shaped space of about 15 x 80 feet. An 18-track hidden staging yard in the workshop represents Duluth. Scenes in the finished portion of the train room represent Superior, Iron River, Ashland, Saxon, the fictionally representative north woods town of Birch Lake, Champion, Soo Junction, St. Ignace and Sault Ste. Marie.