Old Cars in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan

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SarahZ

Quality Control
Joined
May 8, 2011
Messages
8,427
Location
KAL
My parents, Brent, and I drove up to the Soo last weekend to show Brent the Mackinac Bridge and Soo Locks.

While we were on our way to the locks, we spotted two old train cars near the International Bridge.

Sadly, I was wearing flip-flops and couldn't clamber around, so Brent and my dad took a bunch of pictures for me.

When I saw Brent climb onto and INTO one of the train cars, I was wicked jealous. :p But, he got some nice pictures for me.

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We rode the Algoma Central RR train a number of years ago and it was a very nice ride. (Except for the black flies that nearly ate us alive :( ) It looks like some of their former cars are being vandalized and that is too bad. Never could understand the deviant behaviors in destroying other people's property.

Hopefully some wealthy railroad foamers will take possession and restore them to their former self. :)
 
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Looks like they were previously used on the Algoma Central's excursion train out of Sault St. Marie, Ont. The former CZ car has the Algoma Central purple stripe and name "Spirit of Superior," so it also was probably used by AC. The Algoma Central is now owned by Canadian National which uses the old Denver ski train equipment on the AC excursion train. The cars are probably privately owned, looking for a new home.
 
We were actually surprised at how much they hadn't been vandalized. If they'd been downstate, they'd have been covered in graffiti, every window would have been broken, and homeless would have been using them as shelter. :(

Everything looks like it's still in decent condition. They just need a few windows, and someone needs to sweep up the glass and vacuum the seats. (I'm not sure if they smell like mold/mildew. I'd have to ask Brent.)
 
Nice find and pics Sarah, that'll teach you to wear shoes on trips! LOL

Its a shame when jewels like this sit on sidings for years deteriorating! As was said, hopefully someone or some group with deep pockets will buy them and get them back into service!
 
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Anyone have a guess as to what such a set of cars might be had for? I know a lot of the private varnish cars are in the million or near such range... but something like these... any guesses? Or, maybe what is a lower limit, ie, what are they worth simple in terms of the scrap metal value? Almost seems like an opportunity for a crowd-source rescue... and would be a shame to have them simply rust into nothingness or be vandalized into likewise.
 
I'm not sure who owns them currently. My dad figured out the back way in, as they were behind a fence, and we drove through a gate that had an official No Trespassing sign on it. I can't remember which logo was on it. It wasn't a typical sign you can buy in a store.

This is a satellite view of where they were sitting (they aren't in the image): http://goo.gl/maps/3HywE

This is the view from the road where we obtained access. The fence wasn't there yet. I'm not sure when the fence was put in, but it was wide open when we showed up. I don't remember seeing an actual gate, come to think of it: http://goo.gl/maps/dCidx

My dad loves an adventure, even if it IS technically illegal. He always took us to abandoned buildings and stuff when we were young. The rental car had Illinois plates, so he told me and my mom to watch for cops and then just tell them we got lost and stopped by the pretty train cars to check our maps if they asked what we were doing. :cool:
 
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