Memorial Weekend Judy and I went to Duluth Minnesota with the main thing in mind to visit the Duluth Depot train museum and all the other railroad orientated sights we could fit in.
The Duluth Depot was abundantly full of old classic railroad locomotives and cars. I almost felt like I died and went to Railroad heaven. This was a lot of fun we were in the depot for hours and hours. I think I took a hundred pictures or better I haven't counted.
I would like to start by sharing with you the DMIR 2-8-8-4 number 227 steam locomotive. It was said to be more powerful than the 4-8-8-4 big boy.
This machine was so huge and because it was sandwiched between other locomotives and cars you could not get the whole thing in one picture.
Imgur is only letting me post one photo at a time
I would have no idea what to do with all these valves. I would hate to turn one the wrong way. Who knows what would happen if you did?
Great photos, I think the 2-8-8-4 were named "Yellowstone". I also remember reading that SP had some.
I think the DM&IR "yellowstones" were slightly different than the SP's. I don't know the details. Maybe someone will chime in.
Mike.
My You Tube
I found the log loader interesting.
The first Yellowstones were built around 1930 for Northern Pacific, who named the type after the Yellowstone river (and park?). IIRC the DMIR Yellowstones were to some extent designed to be improved / enlarged versions of Western Pacific's successful 2-8-8-2 engines.
So, besides The Depot, did you ride the North Shore Scenic RR to Two Harbors, or the Lake Superior & Mississippi line along the St.Louis river?
There is a LOT of great stuff in Duluth.It's too bad that you can't get a better picture of the Yellowstone. BUT... it is INSIDE, in a climate-controlled space! It doesn't get much better than that for long-term preservation.
Disclaimer: This post may contain humor, sarcasm, and/or flatulence.
Michael Mornard
Bringing the North Woods to South Dakota!
Plus you can climb up into the cab! You can get pictures of the Yellowstone on display at the depot at the other end of the line at Two Harbors.
There's a third Yellowstone in Proctor outside and without a roof over it.
Lee
wjstix The first Yellowstones were built around 1930 for Northern Pacific, who named the type after the Yellowstone river (and park?). IIRC the DMIR Yellowstones were to some extent designed to be improved / enlarged versions of Western Pacific's successful 2-8-8-2 engines. So, besides The Depot, did you ride the North Shore Scenic RR to Two Harbors, or the Lake Superior & Mississippi line along the St.Louis river?
Yes we did. We took a ride up the North Shore. We chose the shorter ride. It was the right choice because those old coach cars were knee to knee. I guess they packed you in pretty tight back then.
I wanted the Great Northern RS 1 but we ended up with the Soo Line. First class in the observation car was sold out.
The last two pictures weren't very good, it was very chaotic with the crowd. The sun was really bright so I couldn't see my phone screen so I kind of had to guess.
Here is the first class observation car that was sold out.
If you're wondering why I do multiple posts. I got to tell you posting from a smartphone is quite the trick. It demands a lot of patience.....
Track fiddlerIf you're wondering why I do multiple posts. I got to tell you posting from a smartphone is quite the trick. It demands a lot of patience.....Wink
It works fine, thanks for posting.
Henry
COB Potomac & Northern
Shenandoah Valley
BigDaddy Track fiddler If you're wondering why I do multiple posts. I got to tell you posting from a smartphone is quite the trick. It demands a lot of patience.....Wink It works fine, thanks for posting.
Track fiddler If you're wondering why I do multiple posts. I got to tell you posting from a smartphone is quite the trick. It demands a lot of patience.....Wink
Thanks
This was extremely interesting to me. Something I never knew.
A deluxe train car was built for Abraham Lincoln. This car was equivalent to Air Force One we have today. Abraham Lincoln never got to ride in his car. He was shot the day before in the theater by John Wilkes Booth.
Sadly his wife Mary Todd Lincoln lost her way and needed help to the extent of a Sanitarium.
From what I understood, years later a dear friend resurrected Abraham Lincoln and his son from the grave to ride in the car that was built for him. He said this car was built for Abe. He will ride in it dead or alive.
I was never much of a history buff when I was young. I'm finding history much more interesting as I get older. Somehow more appreciated now.
Track fiddler wjstix The first Yellowstones were built around 1930 for Northern Pacific, who named the type after the Yellowstone river (and park?). IIRC the DMIR Yellowstones were to some extent designed to be improved / enlarged versions of Western Pacific's successful 2-8-8-2 engines. So, besides The Depot, did you ride the North Shore Scenic RR to Two Harbors, or the Lake Superior & Mississippi line along the St.Louis river? Yes we did. We took a ride up the North Shore. We chose the shorter ride. It was the right choice because those old coach cars were knee to knee. I guess they packed you in pretty tight back then. I wanted the Great Northern RS 1 but we ended up with the Soo Line. First class in the observation car was sold out.
That's not an RS-1, it's an NW-5.
Track fiddler I would hate to turn one the wrong way. Who knows what would happen if you did?
A: A scalding from live steam.
B: A scolding from the engineer.
C: Both.
Thanks for sharing great photos.
Re: Lincoln Funeral Car, the original was lost in a fire. IIRC a grass fire that engulfed the car.
https://www.mprnews.org/story/2015/07/06/bcst-lincoln-funeral-car
Thank You, Ed
If you want a ride in a dome observation car like that, check out a ride on the VIA in Canada. They also have the old sleepers with curtains as well as the tail end bullet observation car. I rode in one about 10 years ago and hopefully they still have them.
Paul D
N scale Washita and Santa Fe RailroadSouthern Oklahoma circa late 70's
PED...hopefully they still have them.
Yup, they're still in-service. I rode one a couple of years ago, on The Ocean (no longer "Limited")...
Wayne
mbinsewi Great photos, I think the 2-8-8-4 were named "Yellowstone". I also remember reading that SP had some. I think the DM&IR "yellowstones" were slightly different than the SP's. I don't know the details. Maybe someone will chime in. Mike.
Deano
The Baldwin-built 2-8-8-4s WERE more pwoerful thant he Big Boy, but not (quite) as large. There's a good comparison on the page with one of them in the book "The Locomotives that baldwin Built". I don;t have mine handy to get the number, but IIRC the Yellowstones beat the Big Booy in tractive effort, horsepower, and weight on drivers.
There are two reaosns I'm not the hug eBig Boy fan that so many are - one is that they have just been way overdone in themodel world, more variations from various manufacturers then there ever even existed as a total number of locos, and secoond because I've had that Baldwin history book around since I was 5 or 6 years old and that page showing that the Big Boy may have been the biggest, but it wasn;t the most powerful has always stuck with me. Plus I've lived in more or less Baldwin Country my entire life.
Not that I won't make an attempt to see 4014 in steam, steam is getting rare and ANY steam is better than no steam. I've seen all the ones around here. I've ridden behind ones here that are now stuffed and mounted in the RR Museum of PA.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
PED If you want a ride in a dome observation car like that, check out a ride on the VIA in Canada. They also have the old sleepers with curtains as well as the tail end bullet observation car. I rode in one about 10 years ago and hopefully they still have them.
Drew's Trackside Adventures...
Thanks for all the feedback guys. As always much appreciated.
I learned some things and I even stood corrected. I'm not a very good labeler of locomotives
Randy I will have to agree with you. I'm not a big, big boy fan. I don't know? That front deck thing out on the front of it looks like kind of an after thought.
I'm very much into cosmetics. Design. The perfect classic cars they could not be improved. I don't have to tell you. You know the ones.
The same thing for steam locomotives. Some of them. The design could not be improved. The Challenger. Perfect. No room for improvement. Cosmetically correct.
I was trying to send more pictures tonight from my trip but my phone is not behaving I might have to catch up with you guys later.
Take care. Thank you... Track fiddler
P.S. My all-time other favorite steam locomotive. The 2-6-6-6. Perfect!
I do believe this is the Duluth and Northern Minnesota Makato #14. I don't know what the little one next to it is though.
The little guy is the Minnetonka, NP's very first locomotive.
I do feel a little silly when the name is written right on the side of the locomotive. I thought maybe that was a township thing.
I did not know Northern Pacific had something to do with the Lake Minnetonka area, and I certainly did not know that was Northern Pacific's first engine.
Thanks for the info Randy.
Track Fiddler
P.S. Maybe I can post the Duluth Ore Docks later this evening if I have time.