Spokane International Railroad
Encyclopedia
The Spokane International Railroad was a short line railroad between Spokane, Washington
and the Canadian Pacific Railway
(CP) at Kingsgate, British Columbia
. The line became an important one for the CP with its connections to the Union Pacific Railroad
and Portland, Oregon
.
The line, originally named the Spokane International Railway, was built by local businessman and railroader Daniel Chase Corbin following an agreement between him and the CP, with CP agreeing to fund much of the line's construction and to secure the loan by holding the new line's bonds.
Especially significant was the fact that the CP controlled the Minneapolis, St. Paul and Sault Ste. Marie Railway (Soo Line) and its connections to Minneapolis, Minnesota
, St. Paul, Minnesota and Chicago, Illinois. Completion of the Spokane International now meant that the CP could compete with the Northern Pacific Railway
and Great Northern Railway lines for transportation between the midwest and the Puget Sound
area (in conjunction with the Union Pacific Railroad
subsidiary Oregon-Washington Railroad and Navigation Company west of Spokane). Express passenger service was soon introduced on the line via the Soo-Spokane Train De Luxe.
The SI was reorganized October 1, 1941 following financial difficulties and receivership during the Great Depression
. The line was renamed the Spokane International Railroad as part of the restructuring agreement until the 1950s.
On October 6, 1958, the Union Pacific Railroad
(UP) took control of Spokane International Railroad. In 1962 UP leased SI's 11 ALCO RS-1
locomotives for operation. The locomotives were later repainted to UP's yellow and gray paint scheme, but retained their SI lettering. Also in 1962, UP sold four of its older steel caboose
s to SI. These were also painted in UP's yellow scheme, but also retained their SI lettering and numbers. After UP's 1958 control of SI, Union Pacific continued to lease SI for operation. On December 31, 1987, Union Pacific formally merged SI into its corporate structure.
The line remains in operation as an important UP connection between southern British Columbia and the northwest United States.
Spokane, Washington
Spokane is a city located in the Northwestern United States in the state of Washington. It is the largest city of Spokane County of which it is also the county seat, and the metropolitan center of the Inland Northwest region...
and the Canadian Pacific Railway
Canadian Pacific Railway
The Canadian Pacific Railway , formerly also known as CP Rail between 1968 and 1996, is a historic Canadian Class I railway founded in 1881 and now operated by Canadian Pacific Railway Limited, which began operations as legal owner in a corporate restructuring in 2001...
(CP) at Kingsgate, British Columbia
Kingsgate, British Columbia
Kingsgate is a port of entry in southeastern British Columbia, just north of the Canada-U.S. border at Eastport, Idaho.Kingsgate is on the Columbia Highway, BC 95, the north-south highway in the southeastern corner of the province, opened in 1957. The highway connects with U.S. Route 95, from...
. The line became an important one for the CP with its connections to the Union Pacific Railroad
Union Pacific Railroad
The Union Pacific Railroad , headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, is the largest railroad network in the United States. James R. Young is president, CEO and Chairman....
and Portland, Oregon
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
.
The line, originally named the Spokane International Railway, was built by local businessman and railroader Daniel Chase Corbin following an agreement between him and the CP, with CP agreeing to fund much of the line's construction and to secure the loan by holding the new line's bonds.
Especially significant was the fact that the CP controlled the Minneapolis, St. Paul and Sault Ste. Marie Railway (Soo Line) and its connections to Minneapolis, Minnesota
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Minneapolis , nicknamed "City of Lakes" and the "Mill City," is the county seat of Hennepin County, the largest city in the U.S. state of Minnesota, and the 48th largest in the United States...
, St. Paul, Minnesota and Chicago, Illinois. Completion of the Spokane International now meant that the CP could compete with the Northern Pacific Railway
Northern Pacific Railway
The Northern Pacific Railway was a railway that operated in the west along the Canadian border of the United States. Construction began in 1870 and the main line opened all the way from the Great Lakes to the Pacific when former president Ulysses S. Grant drove in the final "golden spike" in...
and Great Northern Railway lines for transportation between the midwest and the Puget Sound
Puget Sound
Puget Sound is a sound in the U.S. state of Washington. It is a complex estuarine system of interconnected marine waterways and basins, with one major and one minor connection to the Strait of Juan de Fuca and the Pacific Ocean — Admiralty Inlet being the major connection and...
area (in conjunction with the Union Pacific Railroad
Union Pacific Railroad
The Union Pacific Railroad , headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, is the largest railroad network in the United States. James R. Young is president, CEO and Chairman....
subsidiary Oregon-Washington Railroad and Navigation Company west of Spokane). Express passenger service was soon introduced on the line via the Soo-Spokane Train De Luxe.
The SI was reorganized October 1, 1941 following financial difficulties and receivership during the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
. The line was renamed the Spokane International Railroad as part of the restructuring agreement until the 1950s.
On October 6, 1958, the Union Pacific Railroad
Union Pacific Railroad
The Union Pacific Railroad , headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, is the largest railroad network in the United States. James R. Young is president, CEO and Chairman....
(UP) took control of Spokane International Railroad. In 1962 UP leased SI's 11 ALCO RS-1
ALCO RS-1
The ALCO RS-1 was a 4-axle diesel-electric locomotive built by Alco-GE between 1941 and 1953 and the American Locomotive Company from 1953 to 1960. This model has the distinction of having the longest production run of any diesel locomotive for the North American market.The carbody configuration of...
locomotives for operation. The locomotives were later repainted to UP's yellow and gray paint scheme, but retained their SI lettering. Also in 1962, UP sold four of its older steel caboose
Caboose
A caboose is a manned North American rail transport vehicle coupled at the end of a freight train. Although cabooses were once used on nearly every freight train, their use has declined and they are seldom seen on trains, except on locals and smaller railroads.-Function:The caboose provided the...
s to SI. These were also painted in UP's yellow scheme, but also retained their SI lettering and numbers. After UP's 1958 control of SI, Union Pacific continued to lease SI for operation. On December 31, 1987, Union Pacific formally merged SI into its corporate structure.
The line remains in operation as an important UP connection between southern British Columbia and the northwest United States.