DW&P 3603 on the Interchange Run at Superior, Wisconsin 1964
During the 1960s the DW&P ran interchange transfers to Duluth and Superior six times each day, two runs on each shift including days, afternoons, and nights. It was a frequent and busy affair for the men working on this line. Occasionally there would be time to pause—such as the case here on September 6, 1964—as Peg 3603 waits for a steam special train to pass by while parked on the connection from the LST&T main line into their yard along Oakes Avenue. This image was snapped from on board the steam special as rolled past this junction. How fortunate we are that at least one person pointed their camera out the window of their open-window coach car just long enough to record this one-of-a-kind view.
I cannot overstate how many of the truly rare things that show up in these pictures are the background subjects. The building at left was the Northern Pacific Railway’s freight house in Superior, located just west of Superior Union Depot on Winter Street. Even though the building still stands, few pictures exist showing it during its railroad days. The real find in this view is the signage on top of the building indicating that it was both an NP and Milwaukee Road freight agency. A short time later the Milwaukee sign would be taken down, followed by the NP sign.
Further behind the engine and just barely visible off the front of the long-hood end is the almost-never photographed brick and stone headquarters building of the Eastern Railway of Minnesota. The two-story stone structure was designed and built by St. Paul architects D. W. Millard and Charles E. Joy in 1888. It passed to Great Northern when Eastern was absorbed into that company. During the 1960s and 1970s it was used as a dispatch and crew-caller center for GN and later, Burlington Northern.
Just beyond that we can make out part of the old Stott Briquet plant that was once the largest manufacturer of anthracite and Pocahontas-brand home heating briquettes.
DW&P 3603 on the Interchange Run at Superior, Wisconsin 1964
During the 1960s the DW&P ran interchange transfers to Duluth and Superior six times each day, two runs on each shift including days, afternoons, and nights. It was a frequent and busy affair for the men working on this line. Occasionally there would be time to pause—such as the case here on September 6, 1964—as Peg 3603 waits for a steam special train to pass by while parked on the connection from the LST&T main line into their yard along Oakes Avenue. This image was snapped from on board the steam special as rolled past this junction. How fortunate we are that at least one person pointed their camera out the window of their open-window coach car just long enough to record this one-of-a-kind view.
I cannot overstate how many of the truly rare things that show up in these pictures are the background subjects. The building at left was the Northern Pacific Railway’s freight house in Superior, located just west of Superior Union Depot on Winter Street. Even though the building still stands, few pictures exist showing it during its railroad days. The real find in this view is the signage on top of the building indicating that it was both an NP and Milwaukee Road freight agency. A short time later the Milwaukee sign would be taken down, followed by the NP sign.
Further behind the engine and just barely visible off the front of the long-hood end is the almost-never photographed brick and stone headquarters building of the Eastern Railway of Minnesota. The two-story stone structure was designed and built by St. Paul architects D. W. Millard and Charles E. Joy in 1888. It passed to Great Northern when Eastern was absorbed into that company. During the 1960s and 1970s it was used as a dispatch and crew-caller center for GN and later, Burlington Northern.
Just beyond that we can make out part of the old Stott Briquet plant that was once the largest manufacturer of anthracite and Pocahontas-brand home heating briquettes.