Soo Line 2500
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 Soo Line 2500 operating on the North Shore Scenic Railroad. | |||||||||||||||||||
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Soo Line 2500 is a restored EMD FP7 diesel locomotive originally owned by the Soo Line Railroad. It was built in 1949 as an Electro-Motive Diesel (EMD) demonstrator locomotive, numbered 7001. Soo Line bought 7001 and the other demonstrator locomotives 7002 and 7003 for its subsidiary Wisconsin Central Railway. Number 7001 was renumbered 2500A, and 7002 and 7003 were renumbered 2500B and 2501B respectively.[1] It is now owned by the Lake Superior Railroad Museum for use on their North Shore Scenic Railroad.
History
With steam operations on North American Railroads being converted to diesel operations, EMD, along with other locomotive builders, began building demonstrator units to be tested by various railroads. They built a set of three FP7 units, 7001 (A unit) and 7002 and 7003 (B units). In November 1949, the 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 to Portal, North Dakota then Duluth, Minnesota 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 the Wisconsin Central Railway. In May 1950, they were delivered as WC 2500A, 2500B, and 2501B.
WC 2500A often pulled Soo Line's Laker from Chicago to Duluth. Although numbered as Wisconsin Central, 2500 was painted in Soo Line's maroon and gold scheme. In 1961, 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, 2500 was donated to the Lake Superior Railroad Museum in Duluth. It then 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 returned to active status pulling passenger trains, this time for the North Shore Scenic Railroad.
Present-day operations
Soo Line 2500 often pulls special excursions on the North Shore Scenic Railroad or occasional freight service for the Lake Superior Railroad Museum. Much of its time, however, is spent inside the Lake Superior Railroad Museum on static display. SOO 2500 is one of four Soo Line locomotives in the Lake Superior Railroad Museum's collection, the others being Soo 320 (SW1, the first diesel purchased by the Soo Line), Soo Line 700 and Soo Line 2719.
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, North Carolina.[2] Soo 2500 operated multiple "streamliner" special trips on the North Shore Scenic Railroad[3] along with Erie Mining Company 4211 to honor the 130th anniversary of the first ore train in Two Harbors.
The locomotive is also occasionally featured in photo charters for "railfan weekend."
In 2016, the locomotive was brought down to Saint Paul Union Depot for "Train Days" celebrating the station's 90th anniversary. It was later featured in a one-day photographer special on the Osceola and St. Croix Valley Railway, which is part of the original Soo Line mainline. Soo 2500 remains on display at the Lake Superior Railroad Museum
References
- ^ Glischinski 2013.
- ^ "Streamliners at Spencer". North Carolina Transportation Museum.
- ^ "Streamliner Special to Two Harbors". Archived from the original on September 26, 2014.
- Glischinski, Steve (2013). "Official Guidebook" Lake Superior Railroad Museum and North Shore Scenic Railroad. Duluth, MN: Jeff Terry. pp. 21 of 76.