I wrote a article on the surviving Duluth, Missabe and Iron Range yellowstones. Check it out.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/e/2P ... pQ6uuP/pub

Thanks,
Connor

Nice article, Connor. I did not know those details about the preserved Missable 2-8-8-4s. And thank you for featuring two of my photos too. That was a pleasant surprise for me. :-)

Connor: Thanks again for turning your fascination into a well written paper. I've been told the 2-8-8-4 that was scrapped was actually quite redeemable, but Missabe didn't want to spend the cash or energy. They had a perfect locomotive in storage and solved the problem by scrapping the one and replacing it with a perfectly operable locomotive. Kind of a shame, as seeing one run today would be a fantastic treat!

Thank you Richard Glueck and Tony Held. Your kind words motivate me to write more of these short, yet informational articles that entertain and inform many. I plan on writing more in November or even sooner.

I've read that in the early 70's the DM&IR considered restoring them to operation, due the high cost of diesel fuel.
Tom Hamilton

Connor -

The reason that some of the DM&IR Yellowstone's were leased to the Denver & Rio Grande Western was that the Missabe didn't have much use for them during the winters when iron ore wasn't being moved. I believe that a few of the Missabe 2-8-8-4's were also leased to both the Northern Pacific and Great Northern during the winters of the Second World War because they were available. The D&RGW, NP and GN were all experiencing heavy traffic loads during this period and the Missabe engines were certainly welcome. But the DM&IR greatly needed them from the spring into the fall as iron ore was moved to satisfy the nation's great need for steel during the War.

The info about different tenders being applied to the preserved 2-8-8-4's is interesting. I had never heard that before.

Les

That practice continued into the diesel years; back in the seventies one could expect to see DM&IR power on the Soo Line each winter.

Feel free to correct or comment on this post:

I guess in general one reason these engines were operable so late is that they were generally low mileage engines. They only saw service during the warm weather shipping season, and spent almost half the year in storage.

Even if they had kept one in the roundhouse all these years, I am sure return to operation would have been very expensive. Compare to UP 4014, NW 611, and other engines that were stored pretty clean, but really need expensive work to satisfy modern operation and safety. I guess 227 in the museum is the best candidate for operation, but that is a very expensive dream. And I guess it is not an engine that is very friendly to operation on far away lines with different infrastructure.

p.s. anyone quickly remember the last excursion date with these engines?

.

An interesting side note. When the DM&IR scrapped #222, Don Lind was there and had them pull parts for his 'museum'. They included the piston covers and most of the mechanical hardware. We found them when we were helping clean up Don's Minnesota & Western after his death. Thieves also found the parts and stole two pallets worth, but we still have the piston covers, the power reverse, steam blow down jets,and generators. If anyone has an interest there, send me a PM. We're looking for cab parts for our Porter 2-6-2T if a trade would work.

The piston (head) covers?

Greetings:
As a personal aside, DM&IR No.222 was the the first steam locomotive that I got a cab ride on.In September 1960, it powered an Illini Railroad Club excursion from Duluth to Biwabik (the DM&IR portion of a three day trip from Chicago to the Iron Range. I got up in the cab when we stopped for a photo runby and when we got ready to back up, no one threw me out, so I rode along...
J.David
Truthfully, what was neater than the cab ride was the trip from St.Paul to Chicago behind CB&Q No.5632. We timed it for mile after mile at 90MPH between Savannah and Aurora. JDC

J. David -

My first fan trip was on a similar 3 day trip in 1958, shortly after I graduated from high school. The 222 was the Yellowstone on our trip too, but I got no cab ride! Darn! The 4-8-4 on our segment on the Q was O5A #5618 and there was a memorable photo runby alongside the Mississippi on the way back to Chicago. It was the 5618's "last hurrah" because she ran out of flue time shortly thereafter. Great memories!

Les