Duluth, Missabe and Iron Range Railway
| Company type | Subsidiary (after acquisition) |
|---|---|
| Industry | Railroad transportation |
| Predecessor | Duluth, Missabe and Northern Railway; Spirit Lake Transfer Railway; Duluth and Iron Range Rail Road; Interstate Transfer Railway |
| Founded | 1937 |
| Defunct | December 2011 (merged into Wisconsin Central Ltd.) |
| Fate | Merged into Wisconsin Central Ltd. |
| Successor | Wisconsin Central Ltd. |
| Headquarters | Duluth, Minnesota , United States |
Area served | Northern Minnesota and Wisconsin |
| Products | Iron ore and taconite transportation |
| Owner | Canadian National Railway (from 2004) |
| Parent | Canadian National Railway (from 2004) |
The Duluth, Missabe and Iron Range Railway (DM&IR), commonly referred to as the Missabe Road, operated across northern Minnesota and Wisconsin. Its primary function was transporting iron ore and subsequently taconite to Great Lakes terminals located in Duluth and Two Harbors, Minnesota. On May 10, 2004, ownership of the railway transferred to Canadian National Railway (CN) following its acquisition of Great Lakes Transportation.
History
The DM&IR came into existence in 1937 through the consolidation of the Duluth, Missabe and Northern Railway (DM&N) and the Spirit Lake Transfer Railway. In 1938, it further expanded by incorporating the Duluth and Iron Range Rail Road (D&IR) along with the Interstate Transfer Railway, all of which had been under lease by DM&N since 1930.
Originally established in 1874 by Charlemagne Tower, the D&IR was responsible for moving iron ore from the Minnesota Iron Co. mines in Tower, Minnesota to the port at Two Harbors. The inaugural ore shipment from the Soudan Mine took place on July 31, 1884. In 1887, the D&IR was purchased by Illinois Steel Company, which later became part of the United States Steel Corporation (USS) in 1901.
Following the discovery of high-grade iron ore near Mountain Iron, Minnesota, the Merritt family created the DM&N in 1891 to serve this region after D&IR declined to construct a branch line. The DM&N dispatched its first ore shipment to Superior, Wisconsin in October 1892 and extended operations to Duluth with an ore dock established in 1893. Financial challenges caused control of DM&N to pass to John D. Rockefeller in 1894; he subsequently sold it to USS in 1901.
Between 1901 and 1938, USS maintained ownership over both railroads but operated them independently. Ore shipments peaked at in 1929 before experiencing a steep decline during the Great Depression.
Merger
By July 1938, these two railroads united to form the DM&IR, organizing operational divisions reflecting their origins: the Missabe and the Iron Range. As World War II commenced for the United States, iron ore tonnage on the Missabe Road escalated dramatically from slightly above in 1938 to more than by 1941.
In spring 1941, Baldwin Locomotive Works delivered the first eight class M 2-8-8-4 Yellowstone locomotives to DM&IR. Alongside these Yellowstones, the railroad operated heavy articulated locomotives including class M 2-8-8-2s, as well as 2-8-2 Mikados, 2-10-2 Santa Fe models, and later B&LE-supplied 2-10-4 Texas types. Ore traffic surged close to in 1942, prompting approval from the War Production Board for an additional ten Yellowstones that arrived in 1943. The phase-out of the 2-8-8-4 locomotives occurred gradually throughout the late 1950s, with final units remaining active until around 1960.
Dieselization and post-war growth
Following World War II, DM&IR's ore tonnage continued its upward trajectory, reaching a record high exceeding 49 million tons in 1953. This year also marked the introduction of its initial diesel locomotives—EMD SW9 switchers. In 1954, Baldwin DR-4-4-15 "Sharknose" diesels were acquired from the Elgin, Joliet and Eastern Railway, but these were returned after that contract concluded in 1955. Dieselization progressed further with several EMD SD9 road switchers added in 1956; steam-powered operations were completely discontinued by 1962.
Passenger services on the Missabe division ended in 1957 and ceased throughout the entire system by 1961.
As reserves of high-grade iron ore diminished and mines across Minnesota’s iron ranges closed, DM&IR’s ore docks at Two Harbors shut down in 1963 before reopening three years later. The railroad’s continued viability benefited from the passage of the Taconite Amendment to Minnesota’s Constitution on November 3, 1963. This legislation limited state taxation on taconite production for a quarter-century, encouraging development within taconite mining. The Eveleth Taconite Company was established in 1964 as a result. On April 8, 1966, DM&IR loaded its first shipment of approximately consisting of Eveleth taconite pellets—signaling a new chapter for its principal business operations.
Ownership transitions and CN acquisition
In 1988, U.S. Steel (currently USX) divested the DM&IR along with associated ore railroads and shipping enterprises by transferring them into its subsidiary Transtar, while selling majority stakes to both the Blackstone Group and USX itself. By 2001, DM&IR and additional assets were separated from Transtar to form Great Lakes Transportation (GLT), which became wholly owned by Blackstone, marking DM&IR’s initial disassociation from U.S. Steel after more than a hundred years. Towards the end of 2003, Blackstone consented to sell GLT to Canadian National Railway, with the transaction finalized on May 10, 2004.
Integration with Wisconsin Central
In December 2011, Duluth, Missabe & Iron Range Railway was merged into Wisconsin Central Ltd., another entity under the control of Canadian National Railway. This merger was intended to improve operational synergies and streamline management.
References
External links
- Missabe Railroad Historical Society
- DM&IR History (Archived October 19, 2007)
- www.missabe.com/cms/catalog/decals
- DULUTH, MISSABE, AND IRON RANGE RAILWAY: Inventory of Records at Minnesota Historical Society
- Historic American Engineering Record (HAER) documentation filed under Two Harbors, Lake County, MN