Number 215

Duluth, Missabe, and Iron Range locomotive 215, an EMD SD-38-2 acquired from sister road Bessemer and Lake Erie in 1980. Apparently this locomotive ran around in the Bessemer's orange paint scheme for quite a while, since it was nicknamed "The Pumpkin." By 1990, when this photo was taken, it was in Missabe's standard livery.

I just love that paint job.

It takes a hefty locomotive to control a train of iron ore moving down the hill to Duluth or Two Harbors, so the DMIR employed EMD SDs. The details changed over time, though the SD-9s and SD-18s lasted pretty much forever. The six-wheel power trucks were an important part of the road's identity, back before they became common on modern motive power.

That's our friend 312 on the left.