During the off season, the museum brought in Steve Sandberg, president and chief mechanical officer of the Friends of the 261, to inspect the locomotive. Based on his suggestions, on March 10 the museum sent the locomotive’s pop and check valves to the Strasburg Rail Road in Pennsylvania for rebuilding. This is the first time museum has contracted with the Strasburg for such work.
In addition, the museum purchased a rebuilt air compressor from the Minneapolis-based Friends, owners and operators of Milwaukee Road 4-8-4 No. 261. Other parts are being sent to contractor FMW Solutions LLC, including a mechanical oiler and air compressor governor. These are spares that are being rebuilt for delivery in 2021.
“The investment in keeping No. 332 running is part of the museum’s mission,” museum Executive Director Ken Buehler tells Trains News Wire.
After the visit of Union Pacific Big Boy No. 4014 to Duluth in 2019, Buehler says the museum decided to go in a different direction with its steam program. “I was talking to Ed Dickens of UP, and we discussed how UP uses No. 4014 as a public relations tool. We’ve decided to follow that approach. Using No. 332 as more of a ‘public relations’ engine will improve our whole program to better serve the museum’s mission,” Buehler says.
Rather than using steam to generate revenue (which it does not as costs usually exceed revenues) the museum will refocus and highlight that No. 332 is one of the few steam engines still operating, has historic ties to the region, and is part of a larger museum collection open for visitation.
American Locomotive Co.’s Pittsburgh Works built the engine in 1906 for the Duluth, Missabe & Northern as No. 332. It was operated by DM&N successor Duluth, Missabe & Iron Range Railway as No. 332 until 1955, when it was sold to short line Duluth & Northeastern based in nearby Cloquet and renumbered 28. The locomotive remained in service on D&NE until 1964. It was donated to the museum in 1974 and was returned to service in 2017. In 2019 it was restored to its DM&IR appearance and renumbered back to DM&IR 332.
The Museum is planning to operate test runs with the 2-8-0 in June after all the parts are returned and placed back on the locomotive. Rather than trying to operate an extensive steam schedule, round trips from Duluth to Two Harbors will run only three weekends: July 25-26, Aug. 22-23, and Sept. 12-13. The museum will market the trips as special events, but is keeping ticket prices low at $48, with lower prices for children.
For more information, go to www.duluthtrains.com/steam.
Too bad they are cutting back on the steam operations. I rode almost every year, but with my work schedules it will be less likely that I’ll be able to make it.
Gerald,
I might have been a little unclear in my writing here. While individual trips on NSSR make money with steam, when you look at the overall costs of what has and will be put into the engine to restore it and keep it running, it’s a net negative.
First time I’ve ever heard of a steam operation not producing revenue with costs exceeding revenue(which tells me either marketing isn’t doing it’s job or pricing is below at a minimum break even).