Soo Line Mikes: Former Monon

[Eric Reinert]

I found these photos that were taken by Ron V. Nixon. Soo Line 2-8-2's 1034 and 1036 are both former Monon Mikes that were among the second batch of four J-1 locomotives they bought from the Monon in 1941. The 1036 is the former 505, but I can't seem to find what number the 1034 was in it's prior life. They both have been "Soo-ified" with a new cab, stack, etc. in these views from July 1946. There are plenty of photos of Soo 1024 (CIL 504) that survives up in Minnesota, but I hadn't seen either these before.

Eric Reinert

[George Lortz]

Eric,

According to my former-Monon records, SOO #1034 was Monon #502.

Thanks for posting the photos.  They'll go nicely in our Former-Monon Database.

George L.

[Eric Reinert]

A shot of Soo Line 2-8-2 #1025, former Monon 508. Not a terribly high quality photo, but it's the best I could find of this particular locomotive. In fact, this is the only photo I can find of it on the Soo.

[George Lortz]

Thanks for the photos, Eric.  Don't think I have those two, but I have dozens of others.  The last THL article in the series I'm writing will be on these Monon locomotive that went to SOO.  That article is currently scheduled for Feb. 2017.  There were a total of 8 Monon steam locomotives bought by the SOO.

George L.

[Eric Reinert]

Looking forward to seeing your article George!

[Eric Reinert]

My latest Bing Image search has yielded a new crop of former Monon Mikados at work on the Soo Line. The website is one devoted to Mikados built in 1912:  https://sites.google.com/site/mikado282typesteamlocomotives/built-1912

Here we have Soo 1024, 1035 and 1036. There are no dates on the photos but the photo of the 1024 must have been fairly soon after sale to the Soo since the capped stack is still in place.
I've also attached an eBay photo of 1025. I believe this is the engine that the Soo offered to the city of Rhinelander Wisconsin, but changed their mind after the city balked at maintaining it. All after the Soo had prettied her up too, which is obvious in this photo of her. She's lost her main rod, but has a glossy, recently repainted boiler, and nicely whitelined valve gear, running boards, drivers and wheels. What a shame.

[Eric Reinert]

I found several nice color photos of SOO 1025 (Ex-Monon Mikado 508) at the Soo Line's Schiller Park yard on its way to a scrap yard in East Chicago, Indiana in 1962. I am sifting through all the non-Monon specific photos of the Lake States archives. This was among the Jack Bailey collection, in the SOO folder.:

https://www.lakestatesarchive.org/Jack-Bailey-Collection/SOO/i-mfpwdH7

https://www.lakestatesarchive.org/Jack-Bailey-Collection/SOO/i-Qvm7RRb/A

https://www.lakestatesarchive.org/Jack-Bailey-Collection/SOO/i-cXT5NvH/A

https://www.lakestatesarchive.org/Jack-Bailey-Collection/SOO/i-wPnfWsJ/A

https://www.lakestatesarchive.org/Jack-Bailey-Collection/SOO/i-hdFTqM4/A

https://www.lakestatesarchive.org/Jack-Bailey-Collection/SOO/i-cW357r8/A

https://www.lakestatesarchive.org/Jack-Bailey-Collection/SOO/i-fQRSpsC/A

[Eric Reinert]

More SOO 1025 photos from the Lake States Archives from the Harry Evans collection:

https://www.lakestatesarchive.org/Harry-Evans-Collection/Soo-Line-DSSA/i-RXLHHfM/A

https://www.lakestatesarchive.org/Harry-Evans-Collection/Soo-Line-DSSA/i-PpKhVXM/A

[Eric Reinert]

SOO 1027 (Ex-Monon Mikado 510) at Neenah, WI, a couple of SOO 1036 (Ex-Monon 505) caught in 1946 in Rhinelander, WI, and SOO 1034 (Ex-Monon 502) from the Lake States Archives:

https://www.lakestatesarchive.org/Ed-Wilkommen-BW-Collection/Soo-Line-Locomotives/i-sGtGZTv/A

https://www.lakestatesarchive.org/Ed-Wilkommen-BW-Collection/Soo-Line-Locomotives/i-KqPNQTG/A

https://www.lakestatesarchive.org/Ed-Wilkommen-BW-Collection/Soo-Line-Locomotives/i-JK7PmjT/A

https://www.lakestatesarchive.org/William-C-Brandt-Collection/SOO/i-fKqSFMj

https://www.lakestatesarchive.org/Ralph-Wehlitz-Collection/Soo-Line-Equipment/i-dMLG69d/A

[George Lortz]

Eric,

Good finds on these SOO (former-Monon) locomotives.  I believe that SOO 1025 (#508) was "the other" Monon locomotive that was donated to a town by the SOO and available at one time for a move to Indiana.  The most famous, of course was SOO 1024 (#504) which is still in Thief River Falls, WI.

Not sure what happened to SOO 1027 (#510).

George L.

[Eric Reinert]

Yes, the 1025 (508) was going to be donated to Rhinelander, WI but the city fathers there assumed the SOO would maintain it. When they found out it would be their responsibility, they refused the donation, and off it went to scrap. All nicely repainted for display. And the former 504 is in Thief River Falls, but in Minnesota, not Wisconsin. I need to make time to see that engine in person the next time I travel to see my Sister that lives in Central MN. In the Summer though...