Willmar Division Diesel Locomotives - 1969

(SW-1   600 HP) 1 Locomotive Total
80

(SW-2   800 HP) 1 Locomotive Total
101

(SW-4   1000 HP) 19 Locomotives Total
102, 104, 105, 106, 108, 110, 119, 120, 121, 122, 129, 130, 134, 145, 146, 147, 148, 149, 150

(SW-4   1200 HP) 1 Locomotive Total
100

(SW-7-9   1200 HP) 8 Locomotives Total
11, 12, 21, 22, 23, 33, 166, 167

(SW-15   1500 HP) 5 Locomotives Total
205, 206, 207, 208, 209

(SD-7   1500 HP) 1 Locomotive Total
555

(SD-9   1750 HP) 5 Locomotives Total
590, 591, 592, 595, 596

(GP-5   1350 HP) 3 Locomotives Total
903, 904, 905

(GP-5   1500 HP) 1 Locomotive Total
913

(GP-7   1500 HP) 18 Locomotives Total
627, 628, 633, 634, 635, 636, 637, 639, 640, 641, 642, 646, 647, 648, 649, 650, 651, 652

(GP-20   2000 HP) 4 Locomotives Total
2032, 2033, 2034, 2035

(RS-2   1000 HP) 2 Locomotives Total
186, 190

69 Diesel Locomotives Total


All photos courtesy of the Great Northern Railway Historical Society and the Newby Collection

http://www.gn-npjointarchive.org/_layouts/15/start.aspx#/Lists/GN_Newby_Photos1/All%20Items.aspx

Willmar Division Steam Locomotives - 1954

Oil Burners


(C-1 Class)  12 Steam Locomotives Total
813, 814, 821, 826, 828, 829, 832, 833, 842, 845, 846, 847

(P-2 Class)  9 Steam Locomotives Total
2500, 2502, 2509, 2513, 2516, 2517, 2521, 2523, 2524

(S-2 Class) 6 Steam Locomotives Total
2576, 2578, 2579, 2582, 2584, 2587

(O-4 Class) 21 Steam Locomotives Total
3210, 3213, 3215, 3217, 3218, 3219, 3220, 3221, 3224, 3226, 3234, 3235, 3237, 3238, 3239, 3243, 3244, 3248, 3250, 3252, 3254



(O-6 Class) 10 Steam Locomotives Total
3351, 3354, 3356, 3361, 3362, 3364, 3366, 3369, 3370, 3375

(O-8 Class) 20 Steam Locomotives Total
3378, 3379, 3380, 3381, 3384, 3385, 3386, 3387, 3388, 3389, 3390, 3391, 3392, 3393, 3394, 3395, 3396, 3397, 3398, 3399

3246 Leased.

78 Steam Locomotives Total


All photos courtesy of the Great Northern Railway Historical Society and the Keyes Collection

http://www.gn-npjointarchive.org/_layouts/15/start.aspx#/Lists/GN_Keyes_Photos/AllItems.aspx

Great Northern Class C-1 0-8-0 Switcher #828 - Part II

Status update on the #828...

I was able to rewire the locomotive and it functions on DCC! While this took a while, I can breath a sigh of relief that I have not burned up the decoder.

Unfortunately there is a lot of gear noise still, even after lubrication. It also staggers a bit at the slowest speeds. Any ideas out there short of regearing would be helpful.

Great Northern Class C-1 0-8-0 Switcher #828 - Part I

1949 Minneapolis, MN

The Great Northern operated a number of switching steam locomotives over the years. None were more prominent or lasted longer than the Class C-1 0-8-0 steam locomotives that operated throughout the GN system from WWI to the end of steam. 

The Great Northern updated much of it's steam power in the 1900's and 1910's and buying new switchers was part of that. The GN preferred its custom steamers and the C-1's were ordered in 1918 from Baldwin, just ahead of the US Railroad Administration taking over locomotive orders. "They had the common (at least for the GN) 55-inch drivers and 26-inch by 28-inch cylinders. They were equipped with Walschaert valve gear and piston valves. As delivered, they operated at a boiler pressure of 200 psi (design pressure was 210 psi) with a total weight of 232,600 pounds (all on the drivers, of course) and a tractive effort of 58,500 pounds." (Middleton & Priebe, 2010)

#828 served on the Willmar Division through 1955. Almost the entire class of locomotives lasted until December 1957 when the first were sent off to be scrapped. They outlasted most of their counterparts for the simple fact that they were in good shape and were near their fuel and service locations at all times in yard service.

Most photos place it in service at Minneapolis but this is close enough for me. While never a road locomotive, the limited space I have to model in requires a small GN locomotive to conduct switching moves with, so concessions have to be made. In the future, I hope to get some larger GN steam models.

1951 Minneapolis, MN

I have a mint, DC, Tenshodo Great Northern C-1 0-8-0, circa 1960. After lubricating it and adding a Kadee coupler on the tender, it runs fairly decent for sitting in a box for over 50 years. The motor runs fine but sounds a bit like a coffee grinder. What I hope to do with the locomotive is a full DCC conversion and repower. I will do this in two phases.

Phase I:
I hope to install a new LED headlight to replace the jewel headlight on the smokebox. I hope to do the same with the tender light. I will also replace the motor and drive shaft joint with parts from Northwest Short Line. Last, I will run a connector cable to the tender which will house the new decoder, the ESU LokPilot Standard that I picked up for cheap. If I fry it in the install process, it will be a lot better than losing an expensive sound decoder.

Phase II:
If everything works out in Phase I and I am able to run it flawlessly on DCC, I will look to add a sound decoder.

If I can get through all of that, I will weather the model and add detail down the road when my skills are better. All of these tasks will certainly be challenging and at the very least it will be a learning experience.


References:

Middleton, K. R., & Priebe, N. F. (2010). Steam locomotives of the Great Northern Railway. Stevens Point, WI: Great Northern Railway Historical Society.

Great Northern SD-9 #591 - Part I

GN #591 waits under the Willmar roundhouse sanding tower in 1969. Photo used with permission of GNRHS Archives - Cordell Newby Collection

Whenever I have some time after caring for my amazing, 3-month-old daughter, hanging out with my wonderful wife, working on my career, and doing a hundred other tasks, I am taking time to update one of my locomotives to a more accurate model. I am trying to more accurately reflect what GN locomotives were used in Kandiyohi, MN during the 1950's by modeling GN SD-9 #591.

In need of a wash at Minneapolis Junction in 1968. Note the winter bay window is only on the engineer's side of the cab and not the firemen's. Photo used with permission of GNRHS Archives - Cordell Newby Collection

I am beginning with a Proto 2000 SD-9 #589 that I received used and does not fit the Fall 1954 time period that I am modeling. At the same time, with a limited budget, I am flexible with my layout era and want my layout to have some additional motive power variety.

The Willmar Division of the Great Northern had a lone SD-7 in 1954, #555 for service on the St. Cloud line and no SD-9's. The first few that the GN did order in 1954 were used almost exclusively on the Iron Range. Not until the fourth order from EMD in April of 1958 did the GN send SD-9's to Willmar. This was in large part to replace the steam locomotive fleet that went out of service on the division in 1957-1958. According to the 1964 assignment roster, #590, #591, #592, #595, and #596 were all committed to the Willmar Division. I have decided to model #591 based on available photos that place it in Willmar during the 1960's and not elsewhere on the division. The locomotive also survived longer than most and became BN #6118 and BNSF #6118 which offers me the opportunity to model the locomotive later in life if I ever desire to do so.

This is a long project that I do not intend to finish soon. I hope to renumber it and slowly add details, a decoder, and sound to the locomotive as time permits. Updates will follow as I progress with this project.