Steam & Excursion > Yellowstone Iron Ore Runs

Greetings all. New to the site. Mostly because I'm searching for information on the Yellowstone class locomotives in NP and DMIR service where they were reported to have moved 18,000 ton iron ore trains. Just curious if theres any time tables, documentation or anything else that might confirm this. Thanks much for any light shed on the subject.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 02/09/25 14:06 by TheSpecialist.

The Great Northern never had Yellowstone locomotives.  However, the Northern Pacific did (Class Z-5).

Corrected my original post from GN to NP.  

Probably the best "documentation" you're going
to get is the Middleton DM&IR article in Trains,
most likely the Nov 1959 issue far as we can
tell from rrmagazineindex.org. It mentions a
17468-ton train -- maybe that was the one
he rode up the short 0.3% climb.

NP Yellowstones stayed out West and were never used in NP's rather limited ore operations.
Gordon

As you see, the timetable is no help

https://wx4.org/to/foam/maps/2-Zukas/12/1948-06-13DMIR83-Zukas.pdf

Your best source for all things Ore Range-related is the OreRails list at io groups:
https://groups.io/g/OreRail

Posted from iPhone

I recommend two books by Frank A. King.

The Missabe Road

Locomotives of the Duluth Missabe & Iron Range

-LD

I certainly do owe a debt of gratitude for all of the help I've received. Thank you for being patient and providing concise information. 

this is great, that got a whole program on this?

https://www.facebook.com/HistoricSteamGiants/videos/626271616540429/?fs=e&rdid=UBWLqR6rrkJVMMzC

Thanks for the video.

WOW.  Great video.

Note that the DM&IR  is a left hand running railroad, even though the engineer sits on the right.

-LD

LarryDoyle Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> WOW.  Great video.
>
> Note that the DM&IR  is a left hand running
> railroad, even though the engineer sits on the
> right.
>
> -LD

Even on the Chicago & North Western which ran on the left the engineer still was on the right.

timz Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Probably the best "documentation" you're going
> to get is the Middleton DM&IR article in Trains,
> most likely the Nov 1959 issue far as we can
> tell from rrmagazineindex.org. It mentions a
> 17468-ton train -- maybe that was the one
> he rode up the short 0.3% climb.

18,000 tons was/is the norm on both mainlines on the DM&IR.  On 2.2% grades favoring the loads, each ending  on track extending 1200 feet onto piers 100 feet above Lake Superior.

-LD

Those engineers are the artists of the industry


 

There was a recording of one of them years ago that was a work of art. Can't remember the name of the record it was on but wish it was on the web somewhere.
Remember When? 

LarryDoyle Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> WOW.  Great video.
>
> Note that the DM&IR  is a left hand running
> railroad, even though the engineer sits on the
> right.
>
> -LD

I tried and didnt come up with an item that only one RR had on theres NP did not just the DM&R. there is what seems to be an additionl section on the latter RRs engine with a smaller window in it. What was its purpose from your posts on other items thought you might just know.

BAB Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> LarryDoyle Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > WOW.  Great video.
> >
> > Note that the DM&IR  is a left hand running
> > railroad, even though the engineer sits on the
> > right.
> >
> > -LD
>
> I tried and didnt come up with an item that only
> one RR had on theres NP did not just the DM&R.
> there is what seems to be an additionl section on
> the latter RRs engine with a smaller window in it.
> What was its purpose from your posts on other
> items thought you might just know.

Sort of confusing. Exactly what are you asking?

santa fe runs left in western NM well into AZ, UP runs left ogden-evanston