Nostalgia & History > Whatever Happened to the Dakota Southern?

I took this photo at Chamberlain SD in 2004. Seems like over the last decade or so there's some talk occasionally that part of the DS will be reactivated. Has that ever happened? Also, they had quite an accumulation of locomotives and rolling stock there, including a UP DDA40X. Is it all still there rusting away? Thanks for your help. 

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What a truly sad looking old EMD SD9! One of the best switch engines ever made, for my money! Plenty of power but even better yet plenty of brakes, especially important if your switching in a fairly steep yard account being able to handle really large cuts of cars at one time and being able to spread them fast if you have two of these SD9's MU'd together. Twelve axles of power but just as important, if not more so, twelve axles of braking.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/04/17 15:45 by donsrich.

Think I read recently that the McCloud River SD38's were going to Dakota Southern.

Was there in September Got lots shots of there engines and the DD40X is still there and what I was told by the employees its for sale.Very nice people

The opperating end is now owned by Mike Williams and opperates the RR from Mitchell to Presho under contract with the People(state) of SD that own the track structure and land. The Chaimberlin to Presho part was just rehabilitated and now loading grain at a new facility at Presho. Chaimberlin to Mitchell was rebuilt a few years ago.
May 27th and 28th their will be a NARCOA motorcar ride on this line opperated by First Iowa Division a NARCOA affiliate.
The track exists to Kadoka but don't think you would dare try to take a train over it
Steve



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/04/17 17:59 by wpjones.

For many years Dakota Southern was restricted to a mile or so of track serving one customer (I believe they made cardboard pizza boxes) in Mitchell, at the east end of the line.  The Mike Williams Group (Midwest Pacific Rail Net & Logistics) bought the company from the Huff family a few years back, and somewhere around the same time the railroad and the State of South Dakota (owner of the line) started collaborating with each other on both rehabilitating the physical plants and building new "superelevators" on the line so as to compete with elevators on the BNSF, which is what doomed operations on the entire line in the first place.  The first of these elevators, a little east of Kimball, came on line a few years ago.  

As per an email exchange I had with a gentleman in Pierre back in December and a news item in the most recent Railfan & Railroad, the railroad is reopened and operational at Class II status (good for 25-mph speeds) from Mitchell west through Chamberlain to Presho, and work is ongoing to extend the service to Murdo.  The line from there to the end of track at Kadoka is in place, but there appears to be no justification for rebuilding any of that trackage.  At the time (December), active power on the Dakota Southern was DSRC 4427 (SD-9), Bountiful Grain & Craig Mountain #9970 (GP-40), and DLCX #8308 (GP-10).  Ozark Valley #1362 (GP-7u) had been on the line for a while but was then down for repairs.  DSRC #512 (SD-7) was operable, but reported to be sold to the new shuttle elevator in Kennebec.   Northern Plains Railroad #2288 (GP-9) was stored on the property, not sure what it was doing there.  Bountiful Grain & Craig Mountain #3003 (GP-30) had been used on the line, but had recently departed.  Non-operable power on the line, almost all stored around Chamberlain, consisted of GE 70-tonners #75, #76, and #77; Alco C420 #213; Alco S-3 #103; SD-9 #506; SD-7 #522; and the hulks of Soo #719 (GP-30) and #6925 (DD40X).  And, as noted, the Williams Group is trying to get the three former McCloud Railway SD38s moved east- fellow TO member Lee Hower (mcfflyer) and I covered the move of the #37 from McCloud to the UP interchange last October, it languished there until UP finally picked it up a week or two ago, but it promptly had the front drawbar pull out and at last report was sitting awaiting repairs in Dorris, California.  The other two are still in McCloud, the plan at least in October was for the mechanic to try getting one or both rebuilt in the shop there before shipping them east as well.  

In addition to all of this, the Dakota Southern in December leased and filed to operate another state owned line, the 54.5 miles from Napa to Ravinia.  DSRC operated that line once before, from 1985 to 1989, it has passed through several operators in the years since.  

Jeff Moore
Elko, NV          
 

Didn't see any of the 70 tonners two years? ago. Or the Soo GP30 hulk. Think you missed the other two SD7/9s. Think I counted four last time.

The 70-tonners and the GP30 hulk have been on the wye a short distance east of Chamberlain for years now, along with a few passenger cars and some work equipment. The show up nicely on Google Earth. I don't know how much they worked on DSRC, the former owner used them on the Sisseton Southern when they had that operating contract. That line is now the Sisseton Milbank Railroad, a subsidiary of the Twin Cities & Western.

And, if you go back and reread what I wrote, all four DSRC SD 7s and 9s are accounted for in the list- one in service, one operable but sold to a grain elevator, and two stored out of service.

Jeff Moore
Elko, NV

Posted from iPhone

Back in 2013.  Count four now. Got all my fingers working....



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/04/17 20:01 by SD45X.

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Nice pictures...thanks for sharing!

A few years ago I saw a Proto 2000 SD7 or 9 at I think a train show painted in the Dakota Southern scheme. I've always regretted a little bit not getting it, I've always liked that paint scheme.

Jeff Moore
Elko, NV

Posted from iPhone

Dakota Southern Railway track renewal of former Milwaukee Road line was underway around Chamberlain, South Dakota, May 16, 2016.  Note out of service UP 6925, DDA-40X, in distance.

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Dakota Southern 719, GP30, "remains" was stored at Chamberlain, South Dakota, May 17, 2016.

 

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May 17, 2016 - Found Dakota Southern Railway BGCM 9970, GP40, nee-New York Central 3023, near Kimball, SD with Dakota Southern 4427, SD9E.

One of the "super elevators" with loop track is shown in the distance.

Image 2-Dakota Southern Railway 76, 70-ton GE built June 1953, nee-Tidewater Southern 743 leased from Sisseton Southern.  76 was stored dead at Chamberlain, SD, May 17, 2016.  Ex-Charles City Western 76 < nee Iowa Terminal 76 < Tidewater Southern 143 < nee TS 743; leased from Sisseton Southern.



Edited 4 time(s). Last edit at 03/05/17 04:02 by cozephyr.

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