Soo Line No. 2645 is a preserved class E-25 4-6-0 "Ten Wheeler" type steam locomotive. It was built in November 1900 by the Brooks Locomotive Works as part of the E-25 class for the Wisconsin Central as No. 247. In 1909, the Wisconsin Central leased by the Soo Line Railroad,[1] and from there on, the locomotive was renumbered 2645. No. 2645 spent its entire career in Wisconsin. Often it was stationed in Manitowoc and, Fond du Lac.[2] The locomotive also received a class 5 overhaul in early 1952, and it was reassigned to Neenah.

This article relies largely or entirely on a single source. (December 2016)

Soo Line 2645
Soo Line 2645 at Mid-Continent Railway Museum in June 2015
Type and origin Power type Steam Builder Brooks Locomotive Works Serial number 3687 Build date November 1900
Specifications Configuration: ​  • Whyte 4-6-0  • UIC 2'C' Gauge 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge Driver dia. 57 in (1,400 mm) Wheelbase 24.83 ft (7.57 m)  • Engine 52.95 ft (16.14 m) Adhesive weight 122,000 ft (37,000 m) Loco weight 158,000 ft (48,000 m) Tender weight 102,000 ft (31,000 m) Total weight 260,000 ft (79,000 m) Fuel type Coal Fuel capacity 9.50 t (9.35 long tons; 10.47 short tons) Water cap. 5,000 US gal (19,000 l; 4,200 imp gal) Firebox:  • Firegrate area 54.40 sq ft (5.054 m2) Boiler pressure 200 psi (1,400 kPa) Cylinders Two, outside Cylinder size 20 in × 26 in (510 mm × 660 mm) Valve gear Stephenson
Performance figures Maximum speed 63 mph (101 km/h) Tractive effort 31,018 lbf (137,970 N)
Career Operators Minneapolis, St. Paul and Sault Ste. Marie Railway ("Soo Line") Class E-25 Locale United States Upper Midwest Retired October 1952 Current owner Mid-Continent Railway Museum Disposition Static display, based in North Freedom, Wisconsin

Its last revenue freight assignment occurred on October 29, 1952, and it was afterwards donated to Frame Park in Waukesha, Wisconsin, where it remained on static display until 1972. That year, it was moved to the nearby ex-Chicago and North Western station that eventually became a restaurant. On September 20, 1988, the Waukesha City Council donated No. 2645 to the Mid-Continent Railway Museum. The following year, a realignment of ex-C&NW trackage was made for a new connection on the Wisconsin Central mainline, and the Wisconsin & Calumet Railroad ordered the locomotive to be moved, so when volunteers arrived at Waukesha, they quickly prepped the locomotive for movement to North Freedom on its own wheels.

No. 2645 arrived on the property in July of 1989. During the Soo Line Historical & Technical Historical Society’s annual convention during the summer of 2004, it received a cosmetic restoration to improve its overall appearance as a static display. As of 2021, No. 2645 continues to reside at North Freedom for static display.[3] Whether or not it will be restored for operational purposes is yet to be determined.[4]

References

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