Soo Line 1003
From Railroad Depot
| |
| Soo 1003 operating in the rain at WSOR's 25th anniversary party in Madison, Wisconsin, on July 23, 2005 | |
| Power type | Steam |
|---|---|
| Builder | American Locomotive Company (ALCO) |
| Build date | 1913 |
| Configuration | 2-8-2 |
| Gauge | 4 ft 8½ in |
| Career | Soo Line Railroad |
| Locale | United States Upper Midwest |
| Retired | 1954 |
| Restored | October 27 1996 |
| Current owner | 1003 Operations, LLP |
| Disposition | operated in occasional excursion service |
Soo Line 1003 is a restored 2-8-2 Mikado type steam locomotive from the Soo Line Railroad. 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. In December 1959, the railroad donated the locomotive to the city of Superior, Wisconsin, where it was put on public display. In the mid 970s, 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.
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.
[edit] References
- Gilchinski, Steve (February 1997). "Soo Line 2-8-2 back in steam". Trains magazine 57 (2): 24-25.
