The Flickr Lakesuperiorrailroadmuseum Image Generatr

Of the 3 surviving Duluth, Missabe & Iron Range (DM&IR) Yellowstones, only one offers the public the chance to actually enter (and admire) the cab. DM&IR #227 is perhaps the best-preserved of the 3 extant Yellowstones. She's located indoors in the main exhibit hall of the Lake Superior Railroad Museum, in downtown Duluth, MN. Although the exterior of the 227 is a bit tough to photograph, due to the tight confines of the museum exhibits, the cab is open to visitors and is maintained in rather immaculate condition. It's also perhaps the most well-lit locomotive cab exhibit I have ever seen. The cabs on these Yellowstones are wide and DEEP. Tons of room up here. Not only that, but they are VERY well-laid-out. The networks of valves, piping and instrumentation are almost a work of art. About the only thing that seemed like an afterthought was FORWARD VISIBILITY. It's terrible. The windows in front of the engineman and fireman are very small and with that monstrous boiler out front, they really can't see much of anything ahead of them. If I were operating this thing, I would want to have a lookout on the pilot deck, with some sort of telephone back to the cab. If the visibility situation on UP's Big Boy is anything like what I saw here, I can totally understand their lead engineer's habit of leaning WAY out the side window. Talk about flying blind....

Here's a detailed view of the Engineer's Station on board Duluth, Missabe & Iron Range (DM&IR) #227, a massive 2-8-8-4 Yellowstone Locomotive, located in the main exhibit hall of the Lake Superior Railroad Museum in Duluth, MN. Behold the very crowded panel of levers, valves and gauges, befitting a locomotive of this size and complexity. From here, the Engineer or "Engineman" operates this mighty beast. Directly in front of him is an overhead-type throttle. Below that, the power reverse. To the left are the train brakes and independent, along with the accompanying air gauges. Up at the top left, the Engineer has his own water glass. Water is so important that BOTH crew members actively watch it. Note the rather small front window in this cab. Quite honestly, the thing I most remember after my lengthy visit to this cab.....is just how little the Engineer and Fireman can see from their stations.

The locomotive "William Crooks" has the distinction of not only being the first steam locomotive to operate in the State of Minnesota, but also one of the last surviving Civil War era steam engines. Built in 1861 by the New Jersey Locomotive and Machine Works, this engine entered service a year later for the St. Paul and Pacific Railroad, running between St. Paul and St. Anthony, which is today the City of Minneapolis. Named "William Crooks" for the line's Chief Mechanical Officer, this locomotive ran for nearly 50 years in passenger service across the northwestern US. Retired in 1897, it sat for nearly a decade, decommissioned in the Great Northern Yard in St. Paul. During its working life, it had been shopped a number of times and converted to a coal burner, so its appearance had changed a fair bit. Fortunately, the locomotive was rediscovered in 1908 by railway personnel who had worked with it over the years and recognized its significance. They had it restored to its original appearance as a wood-burner. Over the first half of the 20th century, the locomotive was maintained in operating condition and was exhibited by the Great Northern Railway at numerous rail fairs and special events. It's last operation under steam appears to have been about 1948.

The William Crooks was placed on display at the St. Paul Union Depot in June 1954. In June of 1962 the Great Northern transferred ownership of the engine to the Minnesota Historical Society, though the engine remained displayed in the depot. The St. Paul Union Depot closed to passenger traffic in 1971, but the engine remained there until 1975, when it was moved to the newly established Lake Superior Railroad Museum in Duluth, Minnesota, where she is on display today.

The 0-4-0, wood-burning, Saddle Tanker "Minnetonka" was the first locomotive to see service for the Northern Pacific Railway. Weighing a scant 12 tons, this little engine was built by Smith and Porter of Pittsburgh in 1870. She was first put to work on the Northern Pacific transcontinental railway construction at Carlton, MN, twenty miles west of Duluth, pulling car loads of ties and rail behind track construction gangs. Once the railroad was finished, Minnetonka was transferred by rail and boat for construction work between Kalama and Tacoma, Washington.

The Minnetonka remained on the western end of the Northern Pacific until she was sold in 1886 to a logging company. It was the logging company which added the small tender you see behind her, which carries only the fuel supply. In 1895, she was resold to the Polson Logging Company of Hoquiam, Washington, and became known as “Old Betsy.” She was finally retired and abandoned in 1928. Years later, Northern Pacific went looking for their old #1 and discovered her in the woods near Hoquiam, WA. She was sent back to St. Paul for restoration and was later exhibited at both the Chicago and New York Worlds Fairs in the 1930s. She was also under steam at the 1948 Chicago railroad fair. In 1970, the ownership of the engine was transferred from Northern Pacific to Burlington Northern when NP merged with that line, and in the mid-1990s, she became property of the BNSF after the Santa Fe merger. She is currently on a long-term, custodial loan to the Lake Superior Railroad Museum, where you can see her today.

Some cool stuff at the Lake Superior Railroad Museum.

Great Northern SD45 400, unfortunately in a rough spot for photos.

Great Northern 192, one of only 13 EMD NW-5 locomotives ever produced.

Great Northern 192, one of only 13 EMD NW-5 locomotives ever produced.

BNSF SD9-3 1550, a former NP SD9 was donated to the Lake Superior Railroad Museum in 2022.

Northern Pacific SD45 3617 at the Lake Superior Railroad Museum in Duluth, MN.

SOO Line FP-7A 2500 at the Lake Superior Railroad Museum in Duluth, MN.

SOO Line GP30 700, often used in excursion service for the North Shore Scenic Railroad, which would unfortunately not start operations until this coming May.

Erie Mining F9A 4211 on display in Duluth, MN.

We had a few hours to kill during on the morning of Monday 3/11, so we took the time to visit the Lake Superior Railroad Museum in Duluth, MN. Quite the variety of things to see here. Museums aren't usually my favorite to photograph and these shots aren't my best work, but it'll give you an idea of some things they have here.

Milwaukee Road GE EF-1 Electric 10200 and DM&IR 2-8-8-4 "Yellowstone" 227 sit on display inside the museum.

Copper Range Railroad 200, a Baldwin S-12 sits on display at the Lake Superior Railroad Museum.

Oliver Iron Mining 900, a rare ALCO HH1000 sits on display, awaiting cosmetic restoration at the Lake State Railroad Museum.

Copper Range Railroad 200, a Baldwin S-12 sits on display at the Lake Superior Railroad Museum.

Duluth & Northeastern 2-8-2 #14 on display at the Lake Superior Railroad Museum.

SOO Line 4-6-2 "Pacific" 2719 sits on display, awaiting restoration.

Former Northern Pacific GP9 245 now operates for the North Shore Scenic Railroad, the museum's tourist operation.