looking for some CP fans for help. after the CP took over control of the SOO and starting painting loco's Candy apple red, did any of the SOO motive power after painting, keep the SOO markings/logo for use in the heavy haul operations in the US? thanks, michael.
Here in St.Paul MN there's still quite a few SOO engines in the old red and white scheme, and some in the later all-red scheme...there's even one or two MP-15 still in Milwaukee black and orange, with the "bandit" black paint over largely faded away.
Between their yard in the SE part of St.Paul and the oil refinery down the Mississippi in St.Paul Park, they have I believe two white and one dark brown SOO cabooses that are used as shoving platforms and often appear on trains.
We still see the occasional SOO painted engines even here in Calgary, mostly SD60s and GP38-2s. Some in candy apple red, others in the older red&white. More than likely any that actually did get a new coat of paint were stencilled for CPR. Repainting, however, has become a low priority for many roads, not just CPR, and I've seen numerous examples that were long past their "best before date".
Some types of SOO engines were repainted into Canadian Pacific liveries, and those were renumbered CP.
But many SOO locomotives remained in SOO colours and reporting marks. Most of the SD40-2 series were repainted CP, but the SD60s remained in SOO colours. Only within the last few years did many of the SD60s lease expire and many of them went back to CEFX, and CP started repainting and renumbering the ones they kept. Now there might finally be none left in SOO colours, but there could still be a few out there.
On a similar note, there's even I think still two D&H GP38-2s out there in DH paint, although most of that series was repainted CP.
Chris van der Heide
My Algoma Central Railway Modeling Blog
Shouldn't the title be SOO Line after the CP take over?
NP 2626 "Northern Pacific, really terrific"
Northern Pacific Railway Historical Association: http://www.nprha.org/
Keep in mind the Soo Line is still in existance. CP took over control of it (after having substantial ownership stake in it for generations) but it's still a separate corporate entity. As engines need repainting, they're being repainted CP, but it's not quite the same as some other situations where railroad A buys railroad B, and railroad B ceases to exist.