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Diesel Locomotives

Old Train

Soo 559 (Rock Island 1223)

GENERAL MOTORS (EMD) GP7 1500 H.P. 4-MOTOR ROAD SWITCHER

Due to increasing ridership, the Minnesota Transportation Museum decided in 1997 to look for a road locomotive to replace switch engine NP SW1200 105 as the primary diesel locomotive. An early-model GP was favored for its higher horsepower, more suitable suspension, and ability to operate in either direction.

Old green train

Burlington Northern 6234

GENERAL MOTORS (EMD) SD9 1750 H.P. 6-MOTOR ROAD SWITCHER

SD9 6234 was donated by the Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Railway Company on September 12, 2003 and the BNSF delivered the 6234 to the Jackson Street Roundhouse in St. Paul on October 16, 2003. This SD (Special Duty) road switching locomotive is a significant addition to the Museum’s collection since it is ideally suited for light rail applications (passenger, freight, and switching service), and readily lends itself to secondary and branch line operations.

Old train
Maple Island, MN on August 30, 2009 photo by Eric Hopp

Burlington Northern 6327

GENERAL MOTORS (EMD) SDP40 6-MOTOR PASSENGER ROAD LOCOMOTIVE

In May 2009, the BNSF Railway donated SDP40 6327 to the Minnesota Transportation Museum. She was built in 1966 as Great Northern 325 for passenger service between St Paul, MN and the Pacific Northwest.

Old train
Jackson St. Roundhouse St. Paul, MN on July 19, 2007.
Ralph Back

Great Northern 400

GENERAL MOTORS (EMD) SD45 3600 H.P. 6-MOTOR ROAD SWITCHER

Great Northern HUSTLE MUSCLE SD45 400 is owned by the Great Northern Railway Historical Society and is on indefinite custodial loan to the Minnesota Transportation Museum. GN 400 was stored at the Lake Superior Railroad Museum in Duluth, MN until mid-December 2000 when GN 400 made the trip from Duluth to St. Paul. GN 400 is kept at MTM’s Jackson St. Roundhouse located in St. Paul, MN, and is in operating condition. Some of the following information was provided by the GNRHS. See Sources below for additional information.

 

Great Northern 454A

Great Northern 454A

GENERAL MOTORS (EMD) F7 1500 H.P. 4-MOTOR FREIGHT LOCOMOTIVE

This F7 beauty, formerly located at Bandana Square in St. Paul, has been donated to the Minnesota Transportation Museum. It is former Burlington Northern 668, originally Great Northern 454A.  It is a significant addition to the museum’s collection, since it is one of a handfull of surviving Great Northern cab units, and chances are good it was serviced at the museum’s former GN Jackson Street Roundhouse – where it resides today.

Old Train

Great Northern 558

GENERAL MOTORS (EMD) SD7 1500 H.P. 6-MOTOR ROAD SWITCHER

In November 2017 Cargill donated this time capsule. GN 558 is an original-condition “Special Duty” six-motor version of EMD’s popular GP7 Road Switcher.

Designed for either heavy pulling duties or for navigating flimsy branch lines, the SD7 sold first and best in the upper Midwest. Leader EMD was actually last to market. This niche was owned by Baldwin, with Alco and Fairbanks-Morse their competition. EMD had a reputation for reliability, so when they introduced the SD7 customers took notice.