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Does anyone have information on the current operations of the old soo line that splits off towards Wisconsin at Hermansville? From what I've gathered,the Minorca trains from Minnesota used to take this line across Wisconsin and into Michigan, but I've heard they now take the line up from Green Bay. I think the EL&S uses the portion from Pembine-east to access Escanaba, but is there any CN traffic?

That line was the original line between Minneapolis and Sault Ste Marie. Some of it has been pulled now, I think west of Ladysmith but I'm not sure if that is right. Anyway the Minorca trains used that line when it was intact but now have to go south to Green Bay then north to get to Escanaba. E&LS uses the section between Pembine and Escanaba for trackage rights only. No switching. The CN uses that line all the way east to Sault Ste Marie. To go west (or south) to Green Bay the CN uses the old C&NW line to Powers, then south to Green Bay.

From what I've gathered, the line west of ladysmith has seen a rebirth in the last few years due to frac sand. I thought the Minorca trains took the Superior sub to ladysmith and then headed east on the old soo? do you know if CN runs a Gladstone-Rhinelander turn or anything like that, or is it just the EL&S on that portion of the line?

I haven't lived up there in quite a while so I don't know the current operations. I do know that the route CN uses now west from Gladstone goes to Escanaba, Powers, Menominee, then Green Bay. The E&LS only runs on CN track between Pembine WI and Escanaba. They don't go west of Pembine.

How often does the ELS make the run out of Escanaba on CN? I was under the impression they stopped that move and CN just moved the power and dropped cars off to them.

IDK if E&LS still makes the Pembine-Escanaba run but when they did it was usually once a week very early Sunday mornings

CAT345C wrote:How often does the ELS make the run out of Escanaba on CN? I was under the impression they stopped that move and CN just moved the power and dropped cars off to them.

I checked on another board to find out the line is removed from Amory to Almena Wisconsin, about 21 miles. The rails are still in place but out of service, unused from:
Almena to Poskin WI - about 35 miles
Ladysmith to Prentice WI - about 42 miles
Rhinelander to Goodman WI - about 60 miles
Hermansville to Escanaba - about 26 miles

Wow, so really most of the old soo mainline in Wisconsin is not in use. Is there a local out of Pembine that works Goodman and Hermansville?

GAP wrote:I checked on another board to find out the line is removed from Amory to Almena Wisconsin, about 21 miles. The rails are still in place but out of service, unused from:
Almena to Poskin WI - about 35 miles
Ladysmith to Prentice WI - about 42 miles
Rhinelander to Goodman WI - about 60 miles
Hermansville to Escanaba - about 26 miles

I drove US 2 through Hermansville last week. The Soo Line rails east of Hermansville have been removed and the highway overpass demolished and replaced by culvert for the trail now occupying the ROW. The line is still in place west of Hermansville to Pembine.

IIRC, the rails were pulled out not long after WC bought the exCNW lines north of Milwaukee in 1993. A connection was built at Algoma, just west of Escanaba to allow WB trains from Gladstone to connect to the CNW line west to Powers and Hermansville where the line connects to the former Soo and heads west to Pembine. I believe this line is still used by CN to move ore from Minnesota (Mnntac) to Escanaba after the locks close in January as needed.

I drove US 2 through Hermansville last week. The Soo Line rails east of Hermansville have been removed and the highway overpass demolished and replaced by culvert for the trail now occupying the ROW. The line is still in place west of Hermansville to Pembine.

IIRC, the rails were pulled out not long after WC bought the exCNW lines north of Milwaukee in 1993. A connection was built at Algoma, just west of Escanaba to allow WB trains from Gladstone to connect to the CNW line west to Powers and Hermansville where the line connects to the former Soo and heads west to Pembine. I believe this line is still used by CN to move ore from Minnesota (Mnntac) to Escanaba after the locks close in January as needed.

From what I understand, they now run the minntac trains on the line from Green Bay up to access Esky. The EL&S might still use that Pembine-Hermansville portion to access Escanaba, and the CN must run a local out to switch the roofing granule(??) plant near Pembine, and the Veneer plant in Goodman.