Containers

There's definitely no container traffic that runs to or through Sault Ste. Marie. So no, I don't believe any form of container traffic runs in the upper pennisula.

Expect to see lots of this sort of thing on the former main lines between the Twin Cities and Chicago, but not the northern Wisconsin and Michigan routes.

Containers in the UP

Thank you for the information.  I was pretty sure that was the case but wanted to know before I started selling off stack cars, trailers and containers.

Bob

CP-Soo COFC

I believe CP & Soo used to run COFC (pre-double stack era) across the UP, via the Sault Ste. Marie gateway. Might have run to Chicago as well.  Train number 943 sticks out to me. 

I want to say this was before CP got trackage rights from Detroit area to Chicago. 

Before you sell everything

Before you sell off all the containers, check to see if there's container trucks in the area.  Also, in Northern Massachusetts, a fair distance from any container traffic, there's a junkyard that sells containers--but I don't ever recall seeing any intermodal traffic there.

You are right , Mike. The

You are right , Mike.

The Soo did run COFC on trains 909/910 between Minneapolis and S.St. Marie prior to acheiving trackage rights out of Chicago to Detroit on the then Chessie system.

Barry  

CP/SOO

Yes, in the 1960s/70s CP used to use Sault Ste. Marie as a Montreal to Minneapolis gateway. CP trains 911/912 ran between Montreal and Sault Ste. Marie.

Of course that's when CP had a northern main line the offered a more or less direct route from Montreal to Sault Ste. Marie, and the American side was SOO line, which was controlled by CP.

Today, the American side is CN (former SOO lines sold to WC, sold to CN), and on the Canadian side the route has been further fragmented: from Sault Ste Marie to Sudbury is one shortline (Huron Central), Sudbury to North Bay (well, actually a little bit farther than North Bay, but details...) is a different shortline (Ottawa Valley Railway) and a large portion beyond that has been abandoned and torn up, so there is no route to use anymore.

Northward out of Sault Ste Marie CN controls the former Algoma Central Railway (sold to WC to CN), but there is no bridge container traffic over that line and I can't see that ever happening for a number of reasons. (Mainly geographical.)