Minnesota Railroading Photos

Ever since I was a kid, trains and railroading have been in my blood. Minnesota has had a rich and full railroading history. This is a photo album of some of the steam locomotives, diesels, electrics, passenger cars, and other railroading equipment I've seen, visited, and/or rode on over the years at various museums and excursion railroads in Minnesota. We also have an operating steam locomotive in the Twin Cities, Milwaukee Road 4-8-4 #261. For my #261 photos, click HERE. For railroads and museums outside of Minnesota, click HERE. Click on the picture for the full size photo if you like. Lake Superior Railroad Museum and the North Shore Scenic Railroad The Lake Superior Railroad Museum in Duluth is Minnesota largest railroad museum currently. In addition to a fantastic collection, they also run their trains on the North Shore Scenic Railroad, traveling the shore of Lake Superior from Duluth to Two Harbors, MN. The Lake Superior Railroad Museum has many historical locomotives and equipment from Minnesota. The largest steam locomotives in Minnesota, the D.M.I.R's Yellowstone 2-8-8-4's are represented at the Lake Superior Railroad Museum with D.M.I.R. #227. Also, the first steam locomotive in Minnesota, the William Crooks, is displayed next to the first locomotive of the Northern Pacific, the Minnetonka. On display at the Two Harbors Depot at Two Harbors, MN is D.M.I.R. Yellowstone #229, as well as the first locomotive of the Duluth & Iron Range, #3.

In the Cab of D.M.I.R. Yellowstone #227 The Minnetonka & William Crooks - June 2009 Soo Line GP-30 #700 - July 2005 D.M.I.R. SD-18 #316 - June 2009 D.M.I.R. SD-18 #316 - June 2009 D.M.I.R. SD-18 #316 - June 2009 D.M.I.R. SD-18 #316 - June 2009 D.M.I.R. Yellowstone #229 D.M.I.R. Yellowstone #229 - June 2009 Duluth & Iron Range #3 - July 2006 Duluth & Iron Range #3 - June 2009 Soo Line #700 & Erie Mining #4211 - Sept 2009 Soo Line 4-6-2 #2719 - Sept 2009 Soo Line 4-6-2 #2719 - Sept 2009		Milwaukee Boxcab & D.M.I.R. #227 - June 2009 The Minnetonka & William Crooks - June 2009 Soo Line GP-30 #700 - July 2005 D.M.I.R. SD-18 #316 - June 2009 D.M.I.R. Business Car "Northland" - June 2009 D.M.I.R. SD-18 #316 - June 2009 D.M.I.R. Business Car "Northland" - June 2009 D.M.I.R. Yellowstone #229 D.M.I.R. Yellowstone #229 - June 2009 Duluth & Iron Range #3 - July 2006 Two Harbors Depot - June 2009 Soo Line #700 & Erie Mining #4211 - Sept 2009 Soo Line 4-6-2 #2719 - Sept 2009 Soo Line 4-6-2 #2719 - Sept 2009
Minnesota Zephyr Dinner Train (Stillwater, MN) Recently closed, the Minnesota Zephyr ran for years down in Stillwater, MN as our main dinner train. The train had two F-Units (one at each ends) and a pair of domes cars. One of the domes was an ex-Southern Pacific full length dome car.

Minnesota Zephyr F-Unit - October 1994		Minnesota Zephyr F-Unit - October 2002
D.M.I.R. Yellowstone 2-8-8-4 #225 (Proctor, MN) One of three surviving D.M.I.R. Yellowstone class locomotives, #225 is on display in Proctor, MN along with D.M.I.R Caboose #C-200. These were the largest steam locomotives in Minnesota.

D.M.I.R Yellowstone #225 - Sept 2009 D.M.I.R Caboose #C-200 - Sept 2009		D.M.I.R Yellowstone #225 - Sept 2009 D.M.I.R Yellowstone #225 - Sept 2009
Great Northern P-2 Mountain 4-8-2 #2523 (Wilmar, MN) The Great Northern's P-2 class 4-8-2 steam locomotives were built by Baldwin for fast passenger service and were used on the Great Northern's Oriental Limited and the Empire Builder. They were Great Northern's top of the line passenger locomotives until they received their S-2 class 4-8-4 Northerns, one of which is on display in Havre, Montana.

Great Northern 4-8-2 #2523 - July 1999		Great Northern 4-8-2 #2523 - June 2001
The Republican National Convention The Republican National Convention was up here in St. Paul, MN during the first week of September, 2008. Along the railroad tracks off Shepard Road near the convention, the Union Pacific, BNSF, and Amtrak all had their business fleets here in attendance. There was a TON of Union Pacific passenger cars from their fleet, much more so than BNSF or Amtrak. I was able to take these photos before security shoo'd me off. Unfortunately, the Amtrak business cars weren't in the best place for photographs.

Union Pacific Business Fleet - Sept 2008 Union Pacific Business Fleet - Sept 2008 BNSF Business Fleet - Sept 2008 BNSF Business Fleet - Sept 2008		Union Pacific Business Fleet - Sept 2008 Union Pacific Business Fleet - Sept 2008 BNSF Business Fleet - Sept 2008 BNSF Business Fleet - Sept 2008