IF YOU WERE IN DULUTH, MINNESOTA, for five days last September, you would have had the opportunity to photo- graph a main line steam locomotive pulling a mixed train, F9s and an FP7 hauling ore cars, and a 21-car Duluth, Missabe & Iron Range ore train, com- plete with Missabe diesels and caboose. What was the occasion for all this ac- tion? The 2011 Lake Superior Railroad Museum Railfan Weekend, held every other year in Duluth the weekend after Labor Day. This year the events were held over five days, from Sept. 7 to 11. It included 41 photographers for a steam charter with Soo Line 4-6-2 No. 2719 on Sept. 7-8, and 49 participants for diesel specials Sept. 9 to 11. Volun- teers from the Lake Superior Railroad Museum operated the trains over the Museum’s 26-mile North Shore Scenic Railroad, the former DM&IR line be- tween Duluth and Two Harbors, Minn. Railfan Weekend normally extends
Friday to Sunday, but since Soo 2719 was scheduled to operate the same weekend, I coordinated with the Lake Superior Railroad Museum for a 2719 charter a day earlier than its normal runs. The Museum put together a spe-
ABOVE: The steam-to-diesel transition era is recalled as Soo Line 4-6-2 No. 2719 stands next to Soo/Wisconsin Central FP7 2500A at Marbles Siding outside Two Harbors, Minn., on September 8, 2011. The F-unit is on the head end of a special “mixed” train and will soon move aside to let 2719 take over. LEFT: Soo Line 2719 soars over Big Sucker River Bridge at Palmers, Minn., en route from Duluth to Two Harbors on September 8, 2011.
55
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68