Soo Line 2718

Soo Line 2718
Soo Line 2718 on display at the National Railroad Museum, September 1963
Type and origin
Power typeSteam
BuilderAmerican Locomotive Company
Serial number64313
ModelH-23
Build dateMay 1923
Specifications
Configuration:
​
 • Whyte4-6-2
 • UIC2′C1′ h2
Gauge4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm)
Leading dia.36 in (914 mm)
Driver dia.75 in (1,905 mm)
Trailing dia.50 in (1,270 mm)
Wheelbase31 ft 10 in (9.70 m)
LengthLoco only: 46 ft 7+1⁄2 in (14.21 m);
Loco & tender: 82 ft 6+3⁄4 in (25.17 m)
Width10 ft 5 in (3.18 m)
Height15 ft 3+1⁄2 in (4.66 m)
Adhesive weight172,400 lb (78.2 tonnes)
Loco weight281,080 lb (127.5 tonnes)
Total weight497,080 lb (225.5 tonnes)
Fuel typeCoal
Fuel capacity35,000 lb (15.9 tonnes)
Water cap.12,000 US gal (45,000 L; 10,000 imp gal)
Firebox:​
 • Grate area52.75 sq ft (4.901 m2)
Boiler pressure200 lbf/in2 (1.38 MPa)
Feedwater heaterWorthington SCA-2A
Heating surface:​
 • Firebox207 sq ft (19.2 m2)
 • Flues3,172 sq ft (294.7 m2)
 • Total surface4,639 sq ft (431.0 m2)
Superheater:
​
 • Heating area1,260 sq ft (117 m2)
CylindersTwo, outside
Cylinder size25 in × 26 in (635 mm × 660 mm)
Valve gearWalschaerts
Valve typePiston valves
Loco brakeAir
Train brakesAir
CouplersKnuckle
Performance figures
Tractive effort36,833 lbf (163.84 kN)
Factor of adh.4.68
Career
Operators
ClassH-23
Number in class1st of 6
NumbersSOO 2718
DeliveredMay 1923
Retired
  • February 1958 (revenue service)
  • 1962 (excursion service)
PreservedMarch 1958
Restored1959
Current ownerNational Railroad Museum
DispositionOn static display

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. It was one of six H-23 class Pacific steam locomotives built for the Soo Line. In the Soo Line's naming scheme, 'H' indicated the Pacific wheel arrangement. The H-23 were their last Pacific class built. No. 2718 was mostly assigned by the Soo Line to haul passenger trains between Chicago, Illinois, Minneapolis, Minnesota, and Winnipeg, Manitoba.

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. 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. As of 2026, No. 2718 sits on static display inside of the National Railroad Museum's Victor McCormick Train Pavilion barn.

Other H-23 class locomotives

There were six H-23 class locomotives built in May 1923. One of them is on display.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Suprey (1962).
  2. 1 2 3 "Steam Locomotives of the Soo Line (MStP&SSM)". loco-info.comm. Retrieved May 4, 2026.
  3. 1 2 3 "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.
  4. 1 2 "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.
  5. ↑ Railfan & Railroad. Carstens Publications. 2003. p. 48.
  6. ↑ "National Railroad Museum (Green Bay, WI): Roster & Overview". American-Rails.com. Archived from the original on August 14, 2021. Retrieved August 14, 2021.
  7. ↑ Steve Glischinski (October 23, 2019). "Soo Line steam locomotive to remain in Duluth NEWSWIRE". Trains.com. Retrieved March 13, 2026.

Further reading