Duluth & Northeastern #27 was built as Duluth, Missabe & Northern Class C-3 #348 at Alco’s Pittsburgh, PA, works in 1907. It is one of thirty-two of this class of Consolidation type (2-8-0) locomotive delivered to the railroad between 1905 and 1907 (#319-#350). Originally saturated steamers, the C-3s were later superheated.
#27 is equipped with Stephenson valve gear and has
23” x 28” cylinders. Weighing 204,800 lbs, 182,300 lbs on its 56” drivers, it has an engine wheelbase of 24’ and a driver wheelbase of 15’ 6”. With a 48.2 sq ft grate and 196 sq ft firebox, after the addition of 430 sq ft superheating,
the
C-3s had a total heating surface of 2,598 sq ft. Operating at a boiler pressure of 190 psi they delivered 42,717 lbs tractive effort.
#348 retained its number following consolidation of the Duluth, Missabe & Northern into the Duluth, Missabe & Iron Range Railroad in 1937, and was then sold to the Duluth & Northeastern in May 1955, where it was renumbered #27. The locomotive was donated to Carlton County in 1968 and is on display at the Carlton County Fairgrounds in Barnum, MN.
The tender weighs 140,500 lbs light with an 8,000 gallon water and 12 ton coal capacity.
In the early 1960s, the Duluth & Northeastern was one of the last railroads in Minnesota still employing steam engines in regular service, and all five locomotives that made up their final steam roster have been preserved, including #27. You can see two other surviving C-3s on this website: #16 is on the DNE #16 page and #28 is on the Lake Superior Railroad Museum page. #28 has since moved to the Cloquet Terminal Railroad and is undergoing restoration.
