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(Don't cry Jordan)

My sources tell me that work has started on demolition of the SOO line Ore dock in Ashland, WI this week. Work that will take a good 2 years.

It stands proudly over the city at the moment and is an incredible site, a symbol of when America was at its height as an industrial power.

Ashland won't be the same without it. Here's a selection of pictures I took to look at. I'm off back next weekend to see if I can take some more

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Ian

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Actually, if we're being technical, the dock in the "Ashland Iron and Steel" series is modelled on a steel based structure, more typical of the Docs in Two Harbours and Duluth, MN. The "real" Ashland structure is concrete based...

<nit picking hat off>

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I don't think so - I'm surprised he hasn't stepped in! :no:

:O Blimey give us a chance!! Anyone would think I live here.... (oh... I do.... :scratchhead: )

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No O Scale Soo Line locos are for sale, thankyou very much..... :nono:

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PGR is my Parallel Universe in HO Scale..... :locomotive:

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Any as to the OP.... don't worry no tears being shed here.... the Ashland Ore Dock has been out of use for how long, now, Ian? It's given us time to get used to the idea... I suppose the actual demolition is still rather sad though - it's so very Final, isn't it?

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Edit; it was originally a DSS&A property, anyway, which sort of softens the blow a bit.... :beee: :no:

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Any as to the OP.... don't worry no tears being shed here.... the Ashland Ore Dock has been out of use for how long, now, Ian? It's given us time to get used to the idea... I suppose the actual demolition is still rather sad though - it's so very Final, isn't it?

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Very final. The people of Ashland are still aghast. Knowing some folks in the town I think that they'd rather have the Oredock crumble naturally into Chequamegon Bay than have it demolished. It would have been nice to have something done with it. It's a part of the towns history. The High School sports teams are called the Ore Dockers, for instance.

The town won't be the same without it.

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Ian

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Oi! No slagging off the DSS&A if you don't mind. You rotten old SOO lot took it over, isn't that enough? :)

Yeah, unfortunately we know what take overs feel like.... *Hate CP Rail Mode ON* :mad:

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Anyway technically the DSS&A was merged with the Wisconsin Central & the Minneapolis, St Paul & Sault St Marie Railroads to form the much-less-of-a-mouthful "Soo Line".

Pre-1961, "Soo Line" was more of a nickname for the MStP&SStM, not it's "Official" name.

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But the Soo IS a fallen flag. There is no "Soo Line" any more. It's all CP Rail, plain & simple. :(

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Soo colours are only about still because CP Rail seem as reluctant to spend money on repaints as the Soo was... :D

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It's like the Company I work for... it is now called by another name because we got "merged" (although 'taken over' is more like it) and the new Company isn't a patch on the old one in many ways. Just because we still have some trailers with the old Company name on, and some trucks still in the old colours, doesn't mean that the old Company still exists in some way - much as I wish it did....

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That is a great set of of photos and its sad to see it go. Slightly off topic, but here are some images of the old Packard Car plant that I took in Detroit last week. I think the sign across the highway on the third photo used to say 'MOTORCITY INDUSTRIAL PARK'.

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It is such a shame that this industry has gone and a surprise to me, at least, that such a large structure is not secured from interlopers. The place was an empty ruin and people just popped up from nowhere! Don't worry Pete, I kept the car doors firmly locked on this trip!

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Tim

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Those structures are so typical of Industrial America.

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If you like that kind of stuff and are in the area try Red Hook in Brooklyn. I've always been fascinated with that place since reading H.P. Lovecraft when I was a kid in England.

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A tomahawk stuffed in your belt is always handy.................

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Best, Pete.

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Thanks Pete. If I get back to New York I'll take a look. In the meantime I'll source the tomahawk! As it happens the rest of Detroit seemed very quiet with not a lot going on. Went to the Motown Museum (Hitsville USA) which was a superb tour and also went to our first baseball game (Detroit Tigers v Cleveland Indians). It was superb - like a big party with a few blokes hitting a ball around!

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We called in to Toledo OH on the way back to Chicago but it was shut!!! Nothing going on there at all.

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If you take a look on Trainorders I put some photos up.

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Regards

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Tim

UK

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Point... But the SOO survived much longer as a CP subsidiary then it would have as an independent entity....

Yes, point taken, I think I see what you mean now.

CP was always a majority shareholder in the Soo; it's just a real pity they didn't leave it that way.... :(

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Those structures are so typical of Industrial America.

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If you like that kind of stuff and are in the area try Red Hook in Brooklyn. I've always been fascinated with that place since reading H.P. Lovecraft when I was a kid in England.

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A tomahawk stuffed in your belt is always handy.................

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Best, Pete.

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A tomahawk? That's bringing a knife to a gun fight in that place...

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Yes, point taken, I think I see what you mean now.

CP was always a majority shareholder in the Soo; it's just a real pity they didn't leave it that way.... :(

If only the SOO board had been happy with their lot and hadn't taken a shine to Kansas City, perhaps someone else might have had Milwaukee road debt and the good old SOO would still be rolling on.

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Colin

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A tomahawk? That's bringing a knife to a gun fight in that place...

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Ah, but you know what they say when training gunfighters? Keep the other guy away from you - so you get in close, right in their face - and a tomahawk is better than teeth and claws....

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Best, Pete.

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