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Soo Line 2645

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Soo Line 2645
Soo Line 2645 at Mid-Continent Railway Museum in June 2015
Type and origin
Power typeSteam
BuilderBrooks Locomotive Works
Serial number3687
Build dateNovember 1900
Specifications
Configuration:
 • Whyte4-6-0
 • UIC2'C'
Gauge4 ft 8+12 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Driver dia.57 in (1,400 mm)
Wheelbase24.83 ft (7.57 m) ​
 • Engine52.95 ft (16.14 m)
Adhesive weight122,000 ft (37,000 m)
Loco weight158,000 ft (48,000 m)
Tender weight102,000 ft (31,000 m)
Total weight260,000 ft (79,000 m)
Fuel typeCoal
Fuel capacity9.50 t (9.35 long tons; 10.47 short tons)
Water cap.5,000 US gal (19,000 L; 4,200 imp gal)
Firebox:
 • Grate area54.40 sq ft (5.054 m2)
Boiler pressure200 psi (1,400 kPa)
CylindersTwo, outside
Cylinder size20 in × 26 in (510 mm × 660 mm)
Valve gearStephenson
Performance figures
Maximum speed63 mph (101 km/h)
Tractive effort31,018 lbf (137,970 N)
Career
OperatorsMinneapolis, St. Paul and Sault Ste. Marie Railway ("Soo Line")
ClassE-25
LocaleUnited States Upper Midwest
RetiredOctober 1952
Current ownerMid-Continent Railway Museum
DispositionStatic display, based in North Freedom, Wisconsin

Soo Line No. 2645 is a preserved class E-25 4-6-0 "Ten Wheeler" type steam locomotive. It was built in November 1900 by the Brooks Locomotive Works as part of the E-25 class for the Wisconsin Central as No. 247. In 1909, the Wisconsin Central leased by the Soo Line Railroad,[1] and from there on, the locomotive was renumbered 2645. No. 2645 spent its entire career in Wisconsin. Often it was stationed in Manitowoc and, Fond du Lac.[2] The locomotive also received a class 5 overhaul in early 1952, and it was reassigned to Neenah.

Its last revenue freight assignment occurred on October 29, 1952, and it was afterwards donated to Frame Park in Waukesha, Wisconsin, where it remained on static display until 1972. That year, it was moved to the nearby ex-Chicago and North Western station that eventually became a restaurant. On September 20, 1988, the Waukesha City Council donated No. 2645 to the Mid-Continent Railway Museum. The following year, a realignment of ex-C&NW trackage was made for a new connection on the Wisconsin Central mainline, and the Wisconsin & Calumet Railroad ordered the locomotive to be moved, so when volunteers arrived at Waukesha, they quickly prepped the locomotive for movement to North Freedom on its own wheels.

No. 2645 arrived on the property in July 1989. During the Soo Line Historical & Technical Historical Society’s annual convention during the summer of 2004, it received a cosmetic restoration to improve its overall appearance as a static display. As of 2024, No. 2645 continues to reside at North Freedom for static display.[3] Whether or not it will be restored for operational purposes is yet to be determined.[4]

References

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  1. ^ "Minneapolis, St Paul & Sault Ste Marie / Wisconsin & Northern / Wisconsin Central 4-6-0 "Ten-Wheeler" Locomotives in the USA". www.steamlocomotive.com. Retrieved 2021-03-07.
  2. ^ "Soo Line 2645". Mid-Continent Railway Museum.
  3. ^ "Pictures of SOO 2645". www.rrpicturearchives.net. Retrieved 2021-03-07.
  4. ^ "Railway Preservation News • View topic - Soo Line 2645". rypn.org. Retrieved 2021-03-07.