Nostalgia & History > ex-SOO LINE reefer-Whitetail, Montana-2009.

I found this ex-SOO LINE reefer sitting in Whitetail, Montana. The image was taken in 2009. It appears that the old reefer has been used as a garage or some kind of storage shed. I can't make out the old car number. THE SOO LINE lettering is getting faint.

Whitetail, Montana is the end of the line for this ex-Soo Line branch line. I believe it ran from Flaxton, North Dakota to Whitetail, Montana.

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That's a model railroader's dream project, especially the weathering! Cool!

I once saw a Soo Line dining car serving tray with a system map on it. The line to Whitetail, MT showed the line was in but west of there was drawing of a proposed line to be built through Great Falls, Twin Bridges and perhaps Dillon. This would cross GN, NP, MILW and maybe UP mainlines.

Does anyone know more about this project? Was it intended to go to the Pacific Ocean? Which port, Coos Bay? Would the line drop lower into Wyoming or would it leave Dillon, MT for Salmon, ID perhaps on Gilmore & Pacific row?

There would be lots of rugged territory with limited populations to cover in Idaho and arid eastern Oregon but railroad promoters were prone to sell unbuilt railroads as a way to encourage developments is areas not yet serve with trains.

I should have bought that tray when I had the chance but on that day it was a budget buster.

I wonder if a Soo Line Pacific extension would have fared any better than C&NW's line which ended not too far beyond Lander, WY.