Soo Line 2718 is a H-23 class 4-6-2 “Pacific” type steam locomotive that was originally owned by the Minneapolis, St. Paul and Sault Ste. Marie Railway (the “Soo Line”), but operated by their subsidiary, the Wisconsin Central Railway.
History
No. 2718 was built in May 1923 by the American Locomotive Company (ALCO) in Schenectady, New York.[1][2] It was one of six H-23 class Pacific steam locomotives built for the Soo Line.[1][2] In the Soo Line’s naming scheme, ‘H’ indicated the Pacific wheel arrangement.[1] The H-23 were their last Pacific class built.[2] No. 2718 was mostly assigned by the Soo Line to haul passenger trains between Chicago, Illinois, Minneapolis, Minnesota, and Winnipeg, Manitoba.[3][4]
No. 2718 was retired from revenue service in February 1958, and shortly thereafter, it was donated to the newly-established National Railroad Museum of Green Bay, Wisconsin. The following month, No. 2718, along with Milwaukee Road 261, were maneuvered into the museum’s site in W. D. Cooke Park of Ashwaubenon, and they became the museum’s first exhibits.[3][4] Since No. 2718 was still in operating condition, the museum would occasionally use it to move other locomotives, rolling stock, and other equipment around the property until the early 1960s.[3][5] As of 2026, No. 2718 sits on static display inside of the National Railroad Museum’s Victor McCormick Train Pavilion barn.[6][7]
Other H-23 class locomotives
There were six H-23 class locomotives built in May 1923. One of them is on display.
- 2719 – Preserved at Lake Superior Museum in Duluth, Minnesota
- 2720 – Scrapped at United States Steel, July 19, 1951
- 2721 – Scrapped at Purdy Company, November 13, 1950
- 2722 – Scrapped at American Iron & Supply, December 28, 1954
- 2723 – Scrapped at Purdy Company, November 13, 1950
References
- ^ a b c Suprey (1962).
- ^ a b c “Steam Locomotives of the Soo Line (MStP&SSM)”. loco-info.comm. Retrieved May 4, 2026.
- ^ a b c “Steam Era Rail Relics Roll to Museum Home”. Wisconsin State Journal. Madison, Wisconsin. March 16, 1958. p. 22. Retrieved April 10, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b “Two Steam Locomotives Moved to Rail Museum”. Green Bay Press-Gazette. Green Bay, Wisconsin. March 14, 1958. p. 1. Retrieved April 10, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Railfan & Railroad. Carstens Publications. 2003. p. 48.
- ^ “National Railroad Museum (Green Bay, WI): Roster & Overview”. American-Rails.com. Archived from the original on August 14, 2021. Retrieved August 14, 2021.
- ^ Steve Glischinski (October 23, 2019). “Soo Line steam locomotive to remain in Duluth NEWSWIRE”. Trains.com. Retrieved March 13, 2026.
Further reading
- Suprey, Leslie V. (1962). Steam trains of the Soo. B & W Printers & Publishers. ISBN 978-1-1121-2962-9.
{{cite book}}: ISBN / Date incompatibility (help) - Railroad Magazine. Carstens Publications. 1963. p. 28.
- Kean, Randolph (1973). The Railfan’s Guide to Museum & Park Displays. p. 194.
- The Soo Line. 1979. p. 32.
- Railfan & Railroad. Carstens Publications. 2003. p. 48.