I was raised on the Iron Range of Minnesota. Many of the DM&IR locos passed 50 yards behind my boyhood home. I wonder if any other modelers have noticed how under represented the DM&IR is both in Publications and models. The DM&IR Yellowstones (almost impossible to find) were on a par with the B&O EM1s, The N&W Y6Bs & As and the UP Big Boys. The DM&IR S6 and S7 switchers were some of the largest switch engines ever built. The DM&IR carried more iron ore than The Great Northern, Soo Line or any other railroad. On its last day of service one DM&IR Yellowstone hauled 190 loaded ore cars to the docks in Duluth. Does anyone else wonder why this railroad is so under represented.
I don't think enough people model the Massabe for model railroader manufacturers to recover their investment and make a profit. Having said that, there are pleny of brass models, including the Yellowstones and the cabooses. And didn't someone do a wood caboose in plastic? However, I think you will see a high-end plastic model of a Yellowstone one of these days soon by BLI or someone else. It's a beautiful engine that even those not modeling the Missabe will want.
Victor A. Baird
www.erstwhilepublications.com
Fifty or more years ago, I drooled over pictures of the Duluth Missabe & Iron Range Yellowstone brass models that were advertised in Model Railroader; however, back then I was only earning $20 a week and could never hope to own one.
Now that I have the finances, they're no longer available.
I have an HO scale Bachmann Spectrum DM&IR 2-10-2, 16 Walthers DM&IR ore cars, and a Walthers DM&IR wood caboose.
So, there is at least some product available.
Rich
Alton Junction
A great thing about the DMIR is it's 'transition era' was so short - bought it's first diesel switcher in 1953, first road diesel in 1955, and officially retired steam from general service in 1960.
As far as HO models, I was very surprised when Walthers came out with their wood DMIR caboose. I have two of them (so far). For diesels, Life-Like Proto (pre-Walthers) made a RTR Missabe SD-9, and Athearn and Kato have done Missabe SD-38s (and Athearn's done DMIR 'tunnel' diesels too). Plus you can get GN and B&LE F-units that were leased to the Missabe.
For steam, as noted the Spectrum 2-10-2 is a good DMIR model. You'd have to paint it yourself, but the BLI model of the C&O's 2-10-4 is very close to the Missabe's ex-B&LE engines. There are some 2-8-0 and 2-8-2 models that are good starting points for Missabe models. Plus as noted, Walthers has made both DMIR and DM&N "Minnesota" ore cars.
I was at the Missabe Road Historical Society's convention last weekend, by the way. Jeff Otto was there, his DMIR/GN iron ore railroad was on the cover of the 2013 Model Railroad Planning issue and is a great example of what can be done in the field.
http://mrr.trains.com/videos/layout-visits/2013/02/video-jeff-ottos-ho-scale-missabe-northern-ry
http://www.missabe.com/cms/
wjstixYou'd have to paint it yourself, but the BLI model of the C&O's 2-10-4 is very close to the Missabe's ex-B&LE engines.
I thought this statement sounded bogus so I went searching....
This is one of the DMIR 2-10-4s.
A shot of a C&O T1 2-10-4.
Now they're imo nothing alike and some stats to quantify:
Firstly the DMIR Texans.
Driver Wheelbase 22.30'Engine Wheelbase 45.50'Overall Wheelbase (engine & tender) 95.22'Engine Weight 524440 lbsTender Light Weight 382550 lbsTotal Engine and Tender Weight 906990 lbsDriver Diameter 64"Cylinders (dia x stroke) 31" x 32"
And to compare, the C&O T1 as suggested.
Driver Wheelbase 24.30'Engine Wheelbase 49.20'Overall Wheelbase (engine & tender) 99.50'Engine Weight 566000 lbsTender Light Weight 415000 lbsTotal Engine and Tender Weight 981000 lbsDriver Diameter 69"Cylinders (dia x stroke) 29" x 34"
So the T1 has bigger drivers, is longer in all metrics, weighs more, etc. And visually other than being a steam loco I would not think one could stand in for another. I thought maybe using the BLI ATSF 2-10-4 #3829 (2-10-2 with a 4 wheel trailling truck) as a starting point it may end up with a better result, the wheelbase, drivers, etc are within a foot of the DMIR 2-10-4s dimensions so would make a more reasonable model imo.
ML
Which raises the question, how close is the Bachmann Spectrum 2-10-2 that I own to the actual prototype?
GDRMCo wjstix You'd have to paint it yourself, but the BLI model of the C&O's 2-10-4 is very close to the Missabe's ex-B&LE engines. I thought this statement sounded bogus so I went searching....
wjstix You'd have to paint it yourself, but the BLI model of the C&O's 2-10-4 is very close to the Missabe's ex-B&LE engines.
After all, how many brass or plastic models totally reflect the prototype?
Not many, if any, I suspect.
richhotrain Which raises the question, how close is the Bachmann Spectrum 2-10-2 that I own to the actual prototype? Rich
As delievered pretty close. As they ended up after the merger...there's some work to be to be done. Three Air tanks to the top of the boiler is a start.
The Bachmann model is of DMIR 511. The DMIR 2-10-2s had many, many detail variations, and I believe the Bachmann 511 is at least reasonably close to the prototype 511 in the 1950s -- no air tanks on top of the boiler needed. It's worth pointing out that as far as I can tell, Bachmann made many individual detail changes to each of the USRA light 2-10-2 models they brought out. The KCS appears to be very good for the heavily modified KCS ex Wabash locos in the late 1940s, for instance. And they were available in the $100-150 range. Best to be informed when posting.
For what it's worth, the cab number on my Spectrum is 508.
Going all the way back to the OP's original statement:
Imagine if you grew up with one picket fence between your back door and the Podunk and Northern, in an area where the entire population wouldn't fully fill the Rose Bowl. Would it surprise you that models of P&N #10 (2-8-0, Baldwin catalog loco built 1896) are, to put it kindly, uncommon?
While the DM&IR had some noteworthy locomotives and some interesting infrastructure, northeastern Minnesota is neither a major metropolitan area nor a major tourist destination. To most people, it's rather like Antarctica - we know it's there, but we seldom think about it in general, never mind in detail.
For that matter, I doubt that anyone notices that the Six Companies Railroad isn't modeled, even though it had some interesting infrastructure and rolling stock, and, for its rather brief existence, very heavy traffic. Of course, it was located in the approximate heart of nowhere, and I doubt that the locals, all of whom were busy building Boulder (now Hoover) Dam, ever gave it much thought.
Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964 - not far from the heart of nowhere)
tomikawaTT While the DM&IR had some noteworthy locomotives and some interesting infrastructure, northeastern Minnesota is neither a major metropolitan area nor a major tourist destination. To most people, it's rather like Antarctica - we know it's there, but we seldom think about it in general, never mind in detail.
richhotrain For what it's worth, the cab number on my Spectrum is 508. Rich
508 is also close, though the running boards and steps are a little different. A reasonable model. Not sure if this is a Bachmann bash or not -- but I think these were very good locos, very reasonably priced for what you get.
I found a crane made by Walters for this RR.
http://www.trainworld.com/manufacturers/walthers-ho-n/walthers-ho-freight-cars-932-series/walthers-ho-n-crane-car/platinum-linetm-american-crane-powered-rigged-standard-dc-duluth-missabe-iron-range-x-18-932-41958/
Missabemodeler Does anyone else wonder why this railroad is so under represented.
Does anyone else wonder why this railroad is so under represented.
Well, I wasn't. But if I were to do so, I would think it was because it was a specialty railroad, much like the BA&P. Both were busy doing their own local thing, but had little to do with the outside world. To me, the wonder is that N&W interest is so big, considering that it was mostly a coal road.
Myself, I'd rather have an NP Yellowstone than a DM&IR one.
Ed
I'm not sure I agree that location is what makes a railroad noteworthy. Rather modelgenicness (??) and interesting equipment and ops makes a railroad something modelers would like. For example the D&RG was and is in a pretty isolated part of the country, yet is highly modeled and supported by manufacturers. Likewise the Clinchfield is very modelgenic in ops and location. The DMIR is a very modelgenic railroad, with probably the biggest limitation for most modelers like me is the shear size of the docks, boats, and mines for a small room.
My point was more about specialization, rather than location. Though that is an interesting point. There seems to be a kinda largeish interest in commuter railroads, and that is pretty specialized. And then there's subways. Still, multi-faceted railroads offer, uh, more facets--more varied kinds of cars going to a larger variety of places. And it doesn't hurt to have had a nice looking streamlined passenger train on the route, either.
Single-commodity railroads like the DM&IR hava a built-in limitation to their appeal because there is a fairly consistent sameness to their operations from day to day. However, the impressive nature of Missabe's 2-8-8-4's alone would seem to offset that limitation in many people's eyes. Maybe somebody will produce a Missabe 2-8-8-4 some day, but it could be a long wait.
If you really want one of the Missabe's Mallets, you might start by putting a Centipede tender behind a Bachmann B&O EM-1 and changing the engine's details to suit. The boiler would be slightly small, but probably not enough to ruin the effect. If you want the articulation to be more like that of the prototype, you might start with a turned-around Intermountain Cab Forward instead, although mods to the engine might be a major nightmare. Heck, you could do two engines, one with Worthington and one with Elesco feedwater heater.
I can almost guarantee that the day after you finish the project, you'll read that some manufacturer plans to produce the engine in your scale, cheaper than the cost of your rebuild.
Tom
It's worth pointing out that while the DMIR hauled mainly ore, it also hauled a lot of lumber and pulpwood, and it had a fair amount of what it called "commercial" (i.e., general freight) traffic. In addition, there were joint trackage operations with Great Northern's own very impressive ore operation. I can think of ways to design a very interesting small-to-medium layout based on the joint operation, which would involve DMIR SDs and GN and B&LE Fs, so curves to handle articulateds wouldn't be needed.
In fact, I think you could start with something a lot like the MR Virginian project layout, flattening out the scenery a little.
I have always enjoyed all of the Iron Ore Roads. I have been waiting for 15 years for someone to make a Missabe Yellowstone, it would be a great addition to my collection. I have a proto 2000 SD-9, Athearn SD-40T-2 (I believe this is suppose to replicate a rebuild program that Missabe had before CN bought them), I have a custom painted athearn SD-38, and I painted a SOO SD40-2 to be a Missabe patch job. It is still white and red, but with a yellow Missabe arrow and the Messabe safety seal on the long hood. I also have the Bachamm 2-10-2, which is a light puller but a good engine.
My iron ore car fleet has all type of roads represented, most of the fleet is BN, Missabe, and LS&I. However I have some old Roundhouse cars painted for B&O and C&O. I know the real roads don't usually interchange or have other ore cars on their roads nor do they mix Mich and Minn type cars. Oh well, I'm like my layout.
Keep in mind the drivers on BLI's C&O 2-10-4 are several inches undersized, I believe 66" diameter, so they're actually part way between the C&O and DMIR engines. Obviously there are differences between the two engines. But if your primary goal was modeling the DMIR in say 1955, painting / decorating a couple of BLI 2-10-4s for the Missabe (and perhaps adding or changing a couple of details) may be more "realistic" financially than buying a couple of brass engines that are exactly correct (and probably don't run near as well).
Sometimes it comes down to whether you're looking at the model as a "memory model" or a "photo model". If you took a stock BLI engine and painted and lettered it for the DMIR, many people looking at the model that were familiar with the DMIR engines would say it looked 'right'. Sure, if you took a photo of the prototype and compared it to the model, you could find some discrepancies. It wouldn't be a contest model or anything, but could be a good working model on a layout.
The Missabe's 2-10-2s were USRA engines, so the Spectrum version is correct for the engines "as built", except that it's lettered for the DMIR...which didn't exist until 1938 (well technically late 1937). By the time the engines were lettered DMIR, they'd had some additional appliances applied to them - but those wouldn't be hard to add if you wanted to. You'd have to do a little research (like Frank King's books) because different Missabe engines had different appliances added or removed at different times, so didn't all look alike.
I think ore and steel roads are on their way to becoming the next big niche. Coal roads are really played out at this point. I love the DM&IR almost as much as the GN, and it's not just the Yellowstones. The Twin Ports have awesome modeling opportunities that include interchanges and other bulk goods. A number of plastic models have come out recently and modeling the post steam era would not be hard. Just be patient, more prototypical models are coming every year!
As someone who's been doing it since the 1980's, I'd love to see iron ore modeling become more popular. It's a different type of railroading; I've seen "iron ore" layouts that are basically coal hauling railroads only using ore cars. It's not really the same, coal tended to have more but smaller shippers, some places only loading a few cars at a time. Iron ore roads tended to run 30-40 car trains from the marshalling yards to the mines / loading areas (which would be a great model railroad theme), then back to the yards to make up the huge mainline trains. Plus of course, natural ore operations are different from taconite operations. Taconite trains tend to operate as unit-trains, often with balloon tracks so no switching of cars is needed; also, many ore docks have been converted to conveyor belt operation so cars are no longer taken out on the dock to be dumped.
A number of years ago was having one of my GN.steamers professionally painted and my painter knowing my weakness for articulateds asked if I be interested in a DM&IR Yellowstone? (Akane 1960-62)
said don't know let's see it.
feller brought it out and it was the saddest thing i ever did see. previous owner must of painted it with a 4" brush and a can of black house paint.
Asked'em how much ya gotta have for it........said $250
says me' tell Ya what.......you repainted the way I want it and if I like it I'll give $350. Feller says ok.
thinking back on it now it's been over 20 years and Queen (my name for her) still has her warm spot near the top of my roster.
was just in the back shop for upgrading for DCC and sound (Tsunami heavy steam)
couldn"t sell her now anymore than I could my wife :)
Missabemodeler I was raised on the Iron Range of Minnesota. Many of the DM&IR locos passed 50 yards behind my boyhood home. I wonder if any other modelers have noticed how under represented the DM&IR is both in Publications and models. The DM&IR Yellowstones (almost impossible to find) were on a par with the B&O EM1s, The N&W Y6Bs & As and the UP Big Boys. The DM&IR S6 and S7 switchers were some of the largest switch engines ever built. The DM&IR carried more iron ore than The Great Northern, Soo Line or any other railroad. On its last day of service one DM&IR Yellowstone hauled 190 loaded ore cars to the docks in Duluth. Does anyone else wonder why this railroad is so under represented.
I feel your pain, buddy! I model the Northern Pacific and at this time, I believe only one steam locomotive is available for my line, the USRA 0-8-0 from Walthers Proto. Did you know that the N.P. rented DMIR's Yellowstones during the winter when they would have been idle? I've heard all kinds of reasons why the N.P. is not very well represented, you will (and have) heard some of the same reasons. You have had some runs of DM&IR cabooses by Walthers. I would keep an eye out at Ebay and big hobby shops like Caboose Hobbies for brass locos. With the high prices of production plastic locos, the price differences between brass and plastic isn't very much, anymore.
I just looked through Ebay and Caboose and you are rightm there was very little available.
NP 2626 "Northern Pacific, really terrific"
Northern Pacific Railway Historical Association: http://www.nprha.org/
A look through Ebay this morning with the search criteria being: Duluth Messabi & Iron Range produced 39 results, mostly Ore Cars. However there where some diesel locos, Proto 2000 SD-9s, an SD-45T2 and a RS-15.
NP2626,
Spell Missabe correctly when you search, and you may get better results.
If you were to model the DMIR in the steam/diesel transition era (which for the Missabe was 1953-60), you could get by without doing brass steam engines, or maybe just one or two. As noted the Spectrum DMIR 2-10-2 could be used, and the Walthers Proto 0-8-0 is pretty close to engines the Missabe had. Add in some DMIR SD-9s, GN and BLE F-units (all available RTR), plus maybe add a Proto RDC-3 (decals available from the Missabe Road Hist. Soc.) and EMD end cab switchers (SW-7s IIRC?) and your motive power would be good for an average home layout. Over time you could add a couple of brass engines to that.
Walthers makes DMIR "Minnesota" ore cars and the wood DMIR caboose, a couple of companies make DMIR extended-vision cabooses that were I believe developed specifically for the Missabe in 1952. Accurail and one or two other manufacturers have made DMIR freight cars.
cacole NP2626, Spell Missabe correctly when you search, and you may get better results.
Actually no, as Ebay caught my mistake and corrected the spelling. Right now there are 52 items for Duluth Missabe & Iron Range.