DULUTH, Minn. — Following successful test runs and a single excursion in autumn 2023, the Lake Superior Railroad Museum’s Duluth, Missabe & Iron Range 2-8-0 No. 332 will be pulling a number of trips in 2024. The museum announced the 2-8-0 will be under steam on four weekends during the upcoming season on the museum’s North Shore Scenic Railroad.
No. 332 made test runs on the North Shore Scenic in Duluth on Nov. 4, 2023, between the museum in downtown Duluth and the siding at Lakeside in the city’s East End. The tests were deemed a success, and the 2-8-0 then served as “surprise” power on a Christmas Tree trip from Duluth to Palmers, Minn., Nov. 25.
Operations in 2024 will begin May 11 to mark the former National Train Day. No. 332 will be steamed up at the museum for display and test runs. Typically test runs travel either to Lakeside or to Palmers, 16 miles from Duluth.
On June 8-9, the locomotive will pull a round trip each day to Palmers. The 2½-hour trip will include two of the museum’s three dome cars. Because there are no turning facilities at Palmers, No. 332 will pull the train back to Duluth tender first.
Trips that run the length of the North Shore Scenic to allow passengers to take in fall colors will run Sept. 26-27. The round trip from Duluth to Two Harbors will offer passengers the chance to visit Two Harbors while the locomotive is turned and serviced before the return to Duluth. Dome car seating will also be offered on these trips.
The final weekend of steam trips will close out the regular North Shore Scenic Railroad season on Oct. 26-27 with a repeat of the round trips to Palmers.
No. 332, on display at the museum since 1974, was returned to service in 2017 and operated several times until 2019. Plans to run it in 2020 were abandoned due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Inspections to return the locomotive to service in 2021 led to the discovery of problem welds that were repaired, but the engine did not run that year.
In 2022 the engine was fired up and set to run again that September, when problems with the leaf springs and tender truck bolsters were discovered, preventing its return to service. While correcting those problems, the museum took the opportunity to do some additional boiler work using Fraser Shipyards of Superior, Wis.
Following the successful runs last fall, LSRM’s steam crew leader Scott Carney, LSRM Executive Director Ken Buehler, North Shore Scenic’s Josh Miller and other personnel met to put together the 2024 schedule which allows the engine to get significant running time while also allowing time for any maintenance/repairs that might be necessary.
“After a great deal of time and volunteer effort, we are proud to offer an authentic steam train experience to our guest passengers,” Buehler told Trains News Wire.
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 of Cloquet, Minn., and renumbered 28. The locomotive remained in service on D&NE until 1964. It was donated to the museum in 1974. In 2019 it was restored to its DM&IR appearance and renumbered back to No. 332.
Museum members have the first chance to buy tickets until Feb. 1 when they will go on sale to the public. For more information go to https://duluthtrains.com/steam.
