Re: Soo/CPR Postcard Advertising
- From: "soolinehistory" <destorzek@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: cpsig@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Tue, 29 Dec 2009 18:51:31 -0000
--- In cpsig@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, "bridgejoe1" <jmf@...> wrote:
Although the cards are promoting the Soo, I have strong reason to believe
that the advertising effort was directed by the Canadian Pacific. CPR had a
network of trains and steamships at the time, and the Soo Line could
potentially bring a lot of passenger traffic from south of the border. A
good majority of the postcards depict scenes from western Canada, and many of
the advertised trains, services, vacation packages and one-way settlers'
fares are promoting those areas. The "Train DeLuxe" to Spokane, "By Way of
the Canyons," is a popular advertising subject.
I was given a contact to someone in the CPR Archives a few months ago, but he
told me they had nothing related to the advertising. Any information, links
or contacts about this advertising would be very much appreciated.
Regards,
Joe Fishbein, West St. Paul, MN
Joe,
You might want to contact the Canadian Museum of Rail Travel in Cranbrook, BC.
I believe they have contact info on their web site at:
http://www.crowsnest.bc.ca/cmrt/
When you read their history of the "Soo-Spokane Train De Luxe", you will come
to realize that during this period CP was for the first time in a position to
compete for the US trans-continental business. With the completion of the
Spokane International, jointly owned by CP and the Union Pacific, trains could
depart Minneapolis on the Soo, cross the Rockies via Crowsnest Pass, then drop
back south into the states of the US Pacific Northwest. This route was really
aimed at the US market; it passed through no major Canadian city, but competed
directly with both the NP and GN (the Milwaukee Road Pacific extension was yet
to be built). So, it makes sense that they should advertise heavily in the US,
under the Soo Line name when appropriate, and under their own name when
extolling the splendors of western Canada. Unfortunately, with Canada's entry
into WWI in 1914 (as part of the British Empire) CP'[s attention was diverted
elsewhere, and the route was discontinued. It was replaced, however, and much
of the same equipment continued to serve, other trains to western Canada after
the armistice in 1918.
Dennis Storzek
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