SOO LINE 800 SERIES GE'S

Classic Trains General Discussion
1

This post is regarding the SOO Line 800 series GE’s.

Can anyone enlighten me about the number of units the SOO purchased and what was the date of purchase. Also, I understand that the SOO did not like those units and withdrew them from service within two or so years and they sat in the Shoreham dead line until their trust’ s were paid off.

Also what was the disposition on those units? Did they have dynamic brakes? If they did, it is strange that the BN did not purchase them.

I remember them struggling up the hill from Camden Place in North Minneapolis to Shoreham. Quite a site!

Ed Burns

Happily retired NP-BN-BNSF

P. S… I got paid to watch trains!

2
  • The Soo bouth them in 1968. The series was 800-809. In the early days they ran in three unit sets mostly from Chicago, including transfers to Clearing Yard (BRC) to Minneapolis (Shoreham). After the SD40s arrived in 1969 the U30Cs got demoted to lesser duties and sent north to be near the Shoreham shops. The U30Cs were leased, not owned, though Soo bought out the lease after more or less retiring them so they wouldn’t have to be returned to running condition. Like all pre-MILW perger Soo power except for one ex-DSS&A Baldwin, the U30Cs did not have dynamic brakes.
3

Here is a U30C roster: http://www.trainweb.org/jaydeet/u30c.htm .

4

Also check sites like http://www.railpictures.net/ for images of the SOO U30C Locos in action.

Andrew