Soo Line 2425 moved to Chisago City, MN

Stephen Hussar · **Posted:** Fri Jul 03, 2009 8:53 am

I guess vandals don't live that far north? Wow.

Howard P. · **Posted:** Fri Jul 03, 2009 2:26 pm

Not the most graceful of steam locomotives, but amazing to see that all of the collectibles are there-- bell, whistle, builder's plates, headlight, etc. And at least it is painted.

Howard P.

Dennis Storzek · **Posted:** Sat Jul 04, 2009 1:28 pm

The Wisconsin Central was fond of the Brooks engines with Stephenson valve gear and piston valves located between the frames. The WC tended to favor the 4-6-0 wheel arrangement, but did have 25 consolidations. All the WC engines from this period were Brooks engines with the "knock-kneed" look. Another example is 2645, preserved at North freedom:

The engine at Columbus, ND, Soo 2412, was built by Alco Brooks Works in 1905 as WC 172, construction number 37605. I don't have disposition data for Soo steam, but it was likely retired and sold to the coal company in the mid to late thirties. I find it odd that the coal company's choice of number is one digit off from the original WC number, and wonder if there is a recordkeeping error, and this is really Soo 2413, ex WC 173?

Les Beckman · **Joined:** Tue Aug 02, 2005 1:25 pm **Posts:** 6488

Dennis Storzek wrote:

The engine at Columbus, ND, Soo 2412, was built by Alco Brooks Works in 1905 as WC 172, construction number 37605. I don't have disposition data for Soo steam, but it was likely retired and sold to the coal company in the mid to late thirties. I find it odd that the coal company's choice of number is one digit off from the original WC number, and wonder if there is a recordkeeping error, and this is really Soo 2413, ex WC 173?

Dennis -

An interesting theory. And possibly explains where the number 173 came from. BUT, the Soo Line number plate that is still on the engine, as per the earlier photograph, is definitely 2412 and not 2413. There is also the possibility though, that the coal company purchased two Soo Line 2-8-0's, numbers 2412 and 2413. And maybe the numbers got mixed up later. Might need someone from the Soo Line Historical and Technical Society to give us what they have on the disposition of Soo Line steam. Anybody out there that's a member of SLHTS?

Les

Afboone · **Posted:** Sun Jul 05, 2009 6:12 pm

Jeff, can you ask the Erik if he can get some close up photos of the front pilot truck for me? I need good shots of the journals, the pin that holds the truck to the frame, and the brackets that go from the front driver springs to the equalizer bar. If she is an ALCO from 1909 then the parts may be very similar to 565. I can use those to make new ones.
Thanks in advance.

Steve B.

Dennis Storzek · **Posted:** Sun Jul 05, 2009 7:54 pm

Les Beckman wrote:

BUT, the Soo Line number plate that is still on the engine, as per the earlier photograph, is definitely 2412 and not 2413. There is also the possibility though, that the coal company purchased two Soo Line 2-8-0's, numbers 2412 and 2413. And maybe the numbers got mixed up later. Might need someone from the Soo Line Historical and Technical Society to give us what they have on the disposition of Soo Line steam. Anybody out there that's a member of SLHTS?

Les

Well, I am... I also run the SooLineHistory Yahoo group at:(shameless plug)

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SooLineHistory/

Here is a data dump from Stu Nelson, one of the society's more intense historians:

The 2412 is one of 7 Soo steam engines that were sold
to Truax-Traer Coal Co over the years.
The 2412 with tender 2420 was sold to Truax-Traer
on July 25, 1943.
The other Soo engines sold to Truax-Traer are;
2405, 2406, 2422, 113, 126, and 487 and were sold
between 1928 and 1953.
Truax-Traer was located between Voltaire and Velva
and had other lignite mines in various places in ND.
I believe Voltaire was the biggest operation that the
Soo served of Truax-Traer's. Their mine was about
7 1/2 miles from Voltaire which is why they needed
locomotives. The Soo had a 3 track yard and wye at
Voltaire just for handling the coal.

So, it looks like I was wrong, and there is really no relationship between the coal company's road number and the WC number from years before, UNLESS the Soo renumbering wasn't done in order. All my material has is the range of Soo numbers for the class F-20 engines, the range of WC numbers, and the range of builders numbers. It is my assumption that they all follow in numerical order, but that could be incorrect. If anyone ever gets out there (I understand Columbus is about eight miles from Portal, ND and five miles from the middle of nowhere) it would be nice if they could confirm the builder's number, and the tender number, found on a cast plate at the middle of the tender frame on both sides.

It seems we've hijacked this thread. I hope Erik reports back when the 2425 is safely at the Iron Horse Central, and what it's general condition is found to be.

Ted Miles · **Posted:** Mon Jul 06, 2009 12:06 pm

Jeff,

Thank you for that wonderful list of operating steam in the July Railfan & Railroad.

Now you give us a locomotive that even the great locomotive sluth David Conrad did not know about! That is a revelation!

i hope that the 122 people in that little town have some idea of what a treasure they have!

And Jeff , I just heard that the new boiler for the WW&F #9 has arrived at the WW&F Museum in Alna, Maine. so there is another (admittedly small) locomotive that you can add to the live list one of these years!

Ted Miles