No. 1382 was built as NP No. 245 in February 1956, one of 176 GP9s Northern Pacific acquired between 1954 and 1958. The units eliminated branch line steam on the NP. Some were used in passenger service, and No. 245 is one of them. It had steam generators, 1,100 gallon fuel tanks, 1,100 pound fuel tanks and 59:18 gearing for passenger operation with a top speed of 75 mph. It was assigned to the Lake Superior Division; photos survive of No. 245 on a passenger train at Duluth Union Depot in 1962. No. 245 was later re-geared for freight service. In 1970 the GP9 became Burlington Northern No. 1868. It survived to the BNSF merger in 1995 and was to be renumbered BNSF 1620 but was retired before it received its new number. It was then sold to ILS, where it bounced around in lease service before going to Dakota Quality Grain in 2006.
Canadian National donated No. 316 to the Missabe Railroad Historical Society in 2008. The unit was built by EMD in 1960 as DM&IR SD18 186, and worked in its as-built configuration until it was involved in a collision with a caboose in 1970. As part of the wreck repairs, in 1971 its high front hood was cut down to give crews better forward viability. In 1990, the locomotive was part of a remanufacturing program conducted by the DM&IR to upgrade several of its older locomotives that included reconditioned trucks and wheels, remanufactured motors, modern power assemblies and larger fuel tanks. Twenty-two locomotives were upgraded including the 186, which was renumbered 316 and designed as an “SD-M” – the “M” stood for “Missabe.” After rebuilding it continued to pull trains for DM&IR and Canadian National after CN purchased the Missabe in 2004. It was retired in June 2008, and in October 2008 CN donated it to the society, which later gifted it to the museum.
Also in the museum collection is DM&IR SD18 No. 193. Since the museum did not have a GP9 in its collection and No. 316 was essentially a “duplicate” of No. 193, Mike Nesbit of ILS, who sits on the museum board, arranged to swap the GP9 for the SD-M with the permission of MRHS. Northern Pacific had a large presence in the Lake Superior region and the unit once operated there, so acquiring the rare high-hood GP9 was a win-win for the museum, ILS and Dakota Quality Grain, which gets a slightly “newer” rebuilt locomotive in the deal.
The museum plans to eventually repaint the unit in NP colors and renumber to 245. The locomotive joins three other examples of NP motive power at the museum: 0-4-0T No. 1, the Minnetonka, NP’s first locomotive; 2-6-2 No. 2435 which has been cosmetically restored and is the only surviving NP Prairie-type locomotive, and SD45 No. 3617, which is currently being restored to operating condition.
The Northern Pacific purchased two GP-9s from EMD with steam generators, the 244 and 245. They were used on secondary passenger trains until about 1967 when those trains were discontinued. I would see the 244 and 245 when I clerked at the old “D” Yard (now Transfer Yard) at Northtown.
It’s in a BN inspired scheme, but instead of green it is red. Looks very sharp.
I guess if I want to see it in BN paint I need to hurry.
Great Exchange!