Duluth & Northeastern 28

Duluth & Northeastern 28 (also known as Duluth, Missabe & Iron Range 332) is a restored 2-8-0 "Consolidation" type steam locomotive built in 1906 by the Pittsburgh Works of American Locomotive Company (ALCO) in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.[1] It was restored to operating condition by the Lake Superior Railroad Museum from 2011-2017 and now operates in excursion service on the North Shore Scenic Railroad.

Duluth & Northeastern 28
D&NE 28 operating as DM&IR 332 in Duluth, MN. 2019.
Type and origin
Power typeSteam
BuilderAmerican Locomotive Company, Pittsburgh Works
Serial number39587
Build date1906
Specifications
Configuration:
​
 • Whyte2-8-0
 • UIC1′D h2
Gauge4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm)
Driver dia.56 in (1,422 mm)
Loco weight185,000 lb (83.9 tonnes)
Fuel typeCoal
Boiler pressure190 lbf/in2 (1.31 MPa)
CylindersTwo, outside
Cylinder size22 in × 28 in (559 mm × 711 mm)
Performance figures
Tractive effort42,700 lbf (189.94 kN)
Career
Operators
ClassDMIR: C3
Number in class
  • DM&N 14 of 32
  • D&NE 2 of 2
Numbers
  • DM&N/DMIR: 332
  • D&NE: 28
LocaleMinnesota, United States
First run1906
Last runAugust 29, 1965 (revenue service)
RestoredDecember 2011 - April 2017
Current ownerLake Superior Railroad Museum
DispositionOperational, based in Duluth, Minnesota

History

It was built for the Duluth, Missabe, and Northern Railway as number 332; one of 32 locomotives of the C3 class built between 1905 and 1907. In 1937 it passed to the Duluth, Missabe, and Iron Range Railway on the merger of the DM&N with the Duluth and Iron Range Rail Road. In 1955 locomotives 332 and 348 (also a C3) were sold to the Duluth & Northeastern and renumbered 28 and 27 respectively.

D&NE 28 saw regular service on the D&NE between Cloquet, Saginaw, and Duluth, Minnesota. It was one of only five remaining steam locomotives for the D&NE by 1964, when dieselization was eliminating the use of steam. D&NE retained #28 and used it for only special excursions until 1965. It was then put in storage in Cloquet.

In 1974, the locomotive was cleaned, repainted, and donated to the Lake Superior Railroad Museum. There it was on static display until December 2011 when the locomotive was returned to Cloquet for restoration until 2014 when it was returned to Duluth to complete its restoration.

Sister engine D&NE 27 is displayed at the Carlton County Fairgrounds, Barnum, Minnesota, while DM&N 347 (another C3 locomotive) is displayed at the Museum of Mining, Chisholm, Minnesota. Some parts from the D&NE #27 were used in the operational restoration of D&NE #28 in Duluth.

D&NE #28's restoration was completed in the spring of 2017, operating for the first time in over 50 years.

Historical significance

Duluth & Northeastern #28 was the last steam locomotive to operate in regular service on a railroad in Minnesota. D&NE 28 is one of four surviving C3 2-8-0s and the only one in operating condition.

Restoration
D&NE 28 operating in Palmers, MN. 2017.

D&NE 28 was already being restored (supposedly cosmetically at first) by Cloquet Terminal Railroad[2] when it was announced by the Lake Superior Railroad Museum in March 2014 that the 28 would be restored to operating condition, and would pull excursions on the North Shore Scenic Railroad. "Fire up the 28" fundraiser was held in order to pay the $11,700 needed for boiler flues which are required for operation. Within a week, the museum had raised over half the required funds. By April, the total amount of funds raised was well over $15,000, more than enough to cover the cost of its restoration. The extra funds are to be used in maintaining and operating the locomotive. The total cost of the restoration was in excess of $750,000 and thousands of volunteer hours.

There were few factors that made #28 a good choice for operational restoration. One, the engine was retired in 1965 in operating condition. Two, the engine was stored indoors to protect it from vandalism and weather. And three, the engine was kept on display indoors for the entire time it was at the museum.[3]

In the summer of 2014, Cloquet Terminal Railroad ended its part in the restoration process due to management changes. On August 27, 2014, the flues for #28 arrived at the Lake Superior Railroad Museum from Germany. It was then decided that 28 would return to the Lake Superior Railroad Museum to complete its restoration with the installation of the flues.[4] On February 3, 2015, #28 was moved back to the Lake Superior Railroad Museum via BNSF Railway to complete its restoration. The remainder of the restoration included boiler flue installation, insulation & jacketing, as well as repainting.[5] By the end of spring 2015, new metalwork had been installed in the smoke-box and outside the cab. The pilot, running gear, and hand-grabs had been painted.

Work on flue installation by Fraser Shipyards began November 17, 2015, and was completed on December 26, 2015. The 28's wheels were given clearance by the FRA a few months later. In March 2016, the brass and cab water-level meters were reinstalled, the super-heater tubes were being reassembled for installation, and the blow-down valves were sent to Colorado for rebuilding. The hydro-test was scheduled for July 13, 2016. The FRA report was filed on July 20, 2016, stating the locomotive passed the test. The cab was painted black with red windows in June. The smoke box front was being installed in early August. Insulation and lagging and a new boiler jacket were supplied to the museum to finish locomotive assembly at no charge. Insulation was installed on the boiler beginning August 12, according to the North Shore Scenic Railroad's Facebook page.

The FRA officially began its 15-year or 1,472 days inspection period on November 4, 2016. By January, the locomotive's jacketing had been installed and painted, and its headlight was restored. The #28 had a successful test fire April 3 and 4th, with a few last minute touches (such as painting the steam dome) to be completed. A final test fire occurred in June.

Excursion service

Completion of the restoration was April/May 2017. The 28 underwent successful test runs in April and May.[6] The first excursions of the 28 took place June 10 and 11, 2017.[7] These two excursions, for donors to the restoration project, operated from the Duluth Union Depot to Palmers, Minnesota roughly 16 miles up the former DM&IR, tracks once used by the 28 in regular service. Regular steam excursions to the general public were announced, a total of 27 excursions in 2017. Excursions will be split between Palmers, on Sundays, and Two Harbors on Fridays and Saturdays.[8] DN&E 28 did not run in 2018 in order for the museum to improve the locomotive's condition, it is scheduled to operated on several weekends in 2019.[9]

For the 2019 operating season, the D&NE 28 was restored as DM&IR 332. On July 19, 2019 DM&IR 332 (D&NE 28) met Union Pacific 4014 during a "festival of steam" hosted by the museum to welcome the "Big Boy" to Duluth as it made its Midwest tour. The 332 operated excursions on July 20 & 21 while the UP 4014 was displayed at the museum alongside D&NM 14 and Soo Line 2719.

gollark: Then we'll just have to use our abstract concept derealizer hyperspheres.
gollark: The US military is composed of matter held together using chemical bonds, so you're actually wrong.
gollark: Orbital laser countermeasures activated.
gollark: This should be stopped.
gollark: Why is the server now America?

References
  1. "Explore the Collection". Lsrm.org. Archived from the original on 2010-06-13. Retrieved 2016-08-07.
  2. "Duluth & Northeastern steam locomotive returns home | Trains Magazine". Trn.trains.com. 2011-12-13. Retrieved 2016-08-06.
  3. Glischinski, Steve (2014-08-15). "Duluth museum to continue work on Duluth & Northeastern 2-8-0 No. 28, other engines | Trains Magazine". Trn.trains.com. Retrieved 2016-08-06.
  4. "Duluth & Northeastern 2-8-0 to move next month | Trains Magazine". Trn.trains.com. 2014-10-31. Retrieved 2016-08-06.
  5. "Duluth & Northeastern 2-8-0 No. 28 returns to Lake Superior Railroad Museum | Trains Magazine". Trn.trains.com. 2015-02-04. Retrieved 2016-08-06.
  6. "Duluth & Northeastern 2-8-0 Operations pushed back to March | Trains Magazine". Trn.trains.com. 2016-11-28. Retrieved 2016-11-28.
  7. Trains Magazine (2017-01-12). "Lake Superior Railroad Museum Sets Steam Debut | Trains Magazine". Trn.trains.com. Retrieved 2017-01-12.
  8. Duluth News Tribune (2017-04-21). "Back on Track". duluthnewstribune.com. Retrieved 2017-04-21.
  9. North Shore Scenic Railroad (2018-03-14). "Steam Excursions in 2018 with DNE 28". duluthtrains.com. Retrieved 2018-03-14.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.