Saturday, May 18, 2024

Superior, WI: (MJ) Tower: BNSF/GN vs. (CN+CP)/SOO And SOO Stinson Railyard

Tower: (Satellite, the crossing has been replaced with connections)
Railyard: (Satellite)

SOO was the Minneapolis, St. Paul & Sault Ste Marie. Today, the route to the southwest is owned by CN and the route to the northeast is owned by CP.

I've learned that SOO meant more than just the Wisconsin Central. But I'm using the "rrWC" label because that is what I use for SOO before they bought a large part of the Milwuakee Road.

David Schauer posted
This is the BN coal traffic I remember here - a trio of ubiquitous SD40-2s pulling BN black steel coal cars. Say what you will, but these trains sure looked sharp with matched power and cars. Detroit Edison trains also had black steel hoppers (rotary dump) but with yellow ends before switching to aluminum cars. The Soo's MJ tower would be removed shortly after this to make way for a new connecting track from BN to Soo. Superior, WI - June 1986
 
Charles Geletzke Jr. posted
MILW 168 & 15__ at MJ tower in Superior, Wisconsin on May 19, 1982. (Jack G. Tyson photo)
Kent Rengo shared
Using trackage rights over the BN.

The tower was in the large angle on the east side. And Tower Road (WI-35) used to go over, instead of across, the SOO tracks.
1954 Superior Quad @ 24,000

David Schauer posted
A Friday flashback to the early 1980s as a westbound Soo Line empty grain train with caboose No. 9 rolls across the BN at MJ Crossing (not M&J as BN put on their station sign). Today the crossing is gone and a new connection between BN and Soo is where the tower was (part of Soo's purchase of Milwaukee Road so trackage rights trains could gain access to Stinson Yard). Also, on the far right a new connection from the DM&IR to BN was added when Pokegama Yard was built to allow DW&P transfers to interchange with BN using the Missabe. Superior, WI - Circa 1982

David Schauer commented on his post
[This was taken from the Tower Avenue Bridge looking a little west of North. Central Avenue Tower is in the right background.]
 
Lou Gerard posted
The Head Man hops aboard the 782 at the BN crossing at MJ Tower in Superior WI. June 1979.
Lee Rushenberg: What was the operation here, why was the headman on the ground in the first place?
David Schauer: Lee Rushenberg Smashboards that Soo crews had to activate.
TJ Gaspers: I know that head brakeman. He just verified it is him. He was my yardmaster when they still had them in Stinson. Only recently retired!
Michael 'Fish' Kaye: TJ Went to work at Stinson, Harve the yardmaster said "That Hagen's waiting for you out in the weeds" (Remember the drawer full of porn magazines in the yardmaster's desk?) We get a warrant from the Hinckley sub line 11 make all movements at restricted speed and we're following a UP guy out of Boylston and they got stopped right by that public works building south of the bridge. So now we know right where they're at and I'm just crawling along and wouldn't you know it a fusee right in that curve, well I stopped and whistled off to acknowledge it and they came out of the woodwork like a swat team, Hagen and BN officials climbed up on the engine and Neal says "Where the hell have you been?" and I said "well, you know, we had to double our train up and air test it and what not, do you want a cookie? (because it was chocolate chip Tuesday at the grocery store) and he bellowed "NO, I don't want a cookie!" I guess we passed the test and those were some damn good cookies.

1954 Superior Quad @ 24,000

This Flick photo has SOO locomtoives


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