Soo Line 1003
Encyclopedia
Soo Line 1003 is a restored 2-8-2
Mikado type steam locomotive
of the Minneapolis, St. Paul and Sault Ste. Marie Railway (“Soo Line”) L-1 class
. It is occasionally operated on the major railroads of the American
Upper Midwest
.
The locomotive was built in 1913 by ALCO
. It was used by the Soo Line until retirement in 1954, when it went into serviceable storage in Gladstone, Michigan
as part of the railroad's strategic reserve. In December 1959, the railroad donated the locomotive to the city of Superior, Wisconsin
, where it was put on public display. In the mid 1970s, Superior Shortline Steam Railroad Ltd. was organized to restore the locomotive to operations.
It made a few short runs in 1983 in Superior before going back in for a major overhaul. The work slowed due a lack of money and some notable errors (including ordering boiler flues that were three quarters of an inch too short). The locomotive was sold partially disassembled in 1994 to Wisconsin Railway Preservation Trust (WRPT), another organization whose goal was to return the locomotive to operations. WRPT raised $250,000 for the locomotive's restoration. It was originally hoped that the locomotive could be used for excursion trips on the weekend of October 5, 1996, but boiler tests showed the engine to not be ready in time.
The 1003's first run after restoration under its own power occurred on October 27, 1996, when it steamed up the Duluth, Missabe and Iron Range Railway
's Proctor Hill. It performed a few more test runs before its first public excursion in 1997.
2-8-2
Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 2-8-2 represents the wheel arrangement of two leading wheels on one axle , eight powered and coupled driving wheels on four axles, and two trailing wheels on one axle...
Mikado type steam locomotive
Steam locomotive
A steam locomotive is a railway locomotive that produces its power through a steam engine. These locomotives are fueled by burning some combustible material, usually coal, wood or oil, to produce steam in a boiler, which drives the steam engine...
of the Minneapolis, St. Paul and Sault Ste. Marie Railway (“Soo Line”) L-1 class
Soo Line L-1 class
The Soo Line L-1 class was a class of 2-8-2 steam locomotive built by the American Locomotive Company in 1913.Having acquired America's first Mikado type when it merged the Bismarck, Great Falls and Washburn Railway in 1904, it was eight years before the Soo Line ordered a 2-8-2 of its own...
. It is occasionally operated on the major railroads of the American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Upper Midwest
Upper Midwest
The Upper Midwest is a region in the northern portion of the U.S. Census Bureau's Midwestern United States. It is largely a sub-region of the midwest. Although there are no uniformly agreed-upon boundaries, the region is most commonly used to refer to the states of Minnesota, Wisconsin, and...
.
The locomotive was built in 1913 by ALCO
American Locomotive Company
The American Locomotive Company, often shortened to ALCO or Alco , was a builder of railroad locomotives in the United States.-Early history:...
. It was used by the Soo Line until retirement in 1954, when it went into serviceable storage in Gladstone, Michigan
Gladstone, Michigan
Gladstone is a city in Delta County in the U.S. state of Michigan. First settled in 1877, Gladstone's original name was Saunders Point. The population was 5,032 at the 2000 census....
as part of the railroad's strategic reserve. In December 1959, the railroad donated the locomotive to the city of Superior, Wisconsin
Superior, Wisconsin
Superior is a city in and the county seat of Douglas County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 26,960 at the 2010 census. Located at the junction of U.S. Highways 2 and 53, it is north of and adjacent to both the Village of Superior and the Town of Superior.Superior is at the western...
, where it was put on public display. In the mid 1970s, Superior Shortline Steam Railroad Ltd. was organized to restore the locomotive to operations.
It made a few short runs in 1983 in Superior before going back in for a major overhaul. The work slowed due a lack of money and some notable errors (including ordering boiler flues that were three quarters of an inch too short). The locomotive was sold partially disassembled in 1994 to Wisconsin Railway Preservation Trust (WRPT), another organization whose goal was to return the locomotive to operations. WRPT raised $250,000 for the locomotive's restoration. It was originally hoped that the locomotive could be used for excursion trips on the weekend of October 5, 1996, but boiler tests showed the engine to not be ready in time.
The 1003's first run after restoration under its own power occurred on October 27, 1996, when it steamed up the Duluth, Missabe and Iron Range Railway
Duluth, Missabe and Iron Range Railway
The Duluth, Missabe and Iron Range Railway is a railroad operating in northern Minnesota and Wisconsin that hauls iron ore and later taconite to the Great Lakes ports of Duluth and Two Harbors, Minnesota...
's Proctor Hill. It performed a few more test runs before its first public excursion in 1997.