Spokane International Railroad
| Company type | Railroad |
|---|---|
| Industry | Rail transport |
| Predecessor | Spokane International Railway |
| Founded | October 1, 1941 |
| Founder | Daniel Chase Corbin |
| Defunct | December 31, 1987 |
| Fate | Merged into Union Pacific Railroad |
| Headquarters | Spokane , United States |
Area served | Washington, Idaho, British Columbia |
Key people | Daniel Chase Corbin (founder) |
| Products | Freight rail transport, passenger rail transport (discontinued) |
| Parent | Union Pacific Railroad (from 1958) |
The Spokane International Railroad was a short line railway that connected Spokane, Washington with the Canadian Pacific Railway (CP) at Kingsgate, British Columbia. This route played a significant role for CP by providing a vital link to the Union Pacific Railroad and access to Portland, Oregon.
Initially known as the Spokane International Railway, it was constructed by entrepreneur Daniel Chase Corbin through an arrangement with CP, which financed a large portion of the project and secured bonds. CP's ownership of the Minneapolis, St. Paul and Sault Ste. Marie Railroad (Soo Line) offered essential connections to Minneapolis, Saint Paul, and Chicago. The Spokane International facilitated CP’s competition against the Northern Pacific Railway and Great Northern Railway for freight traffic between the Midwest and Puget Sound, working in conjunction with Union Pacific's subsidiary, the Oregon-Washington Railroad and Navigation Company. Passenger express service was introduced under the name Soo-Spokane Train De Luxe.
In 1940, two locomotives originally owned by Ohio Match Company were sold to the U.S. Navy to assist in constructing a spur line for the Farragut Naval Base in Idaho; these engines were dismantled in 1944 for war material purposes.
After experiencing financial difficulties during the Great Depression, the Spokane International underwent reorganization on October 1, 1941, adopting its new name: Spokane International Railroad. Control of SI was acquired by Union Pacific Railroad on October 6, 1958. In 1962, UP leased eleven ALCO RS-1 locomotives from SI—repainting them in UP livery but maintaining SI markings—and sold four older steel cabooses back to SI with similar branding. Union Pacific continued leasing SI's operations until officially merging it into their system on December 31, 1987.
By 1960, Spokane International managed 150 miles of road on 190 miles of track, generating 141 million net ton-miles from freight revenue while having discontinued passenger services.
Today, this line operates as Union Pacific’s Spokane Subdivision, serving as an essential transportation corridor between southern British Columbia and the northwestern United States.
See also
References
External links
Further reading
- Predecessors of the Union Pacific Railroad
- Former Class I railroads in the United States
- Railway companies established in 1941
- Railway companies disestablished in 1987
- Defunct Washington (state) railroads
- Defunct Idaho railroads
- American companies established in 1941
- Standard-gauge railways in the United States