Duluth, Missabe and Iron Range Diesel Roster (All-Time)

Published: October 22, 2026

The Missabe stayed with steam into the ore season of 1960, then finished the change with six-axle Electro-Motive units that could start a train of jennies. The owned roster below is 148 units. Rebuilt SD9s and SD18s are the same frames. A Helm lease of twenty SD40-3s is counted apart, and so is one Baldwin slug.

Duluth, Missabe and Iron Range SDM 305 leading two more six-axle units with loaded ore jennies near Biwabik, Minnesota, in October 1991

SDM 305 leads two more six-axle units with loaded ore jennies near Biwabik, Minnesota, in October 1991. Warren Calloway photo.

On this page: At a glance · Switchers and the RSD-15s · SD9s and SD18s · SD38s · The Helm lease · Roster

At a glance

Item	Detail
Railroad	Duluth, Missabe & Iron Range. Mark DMIR. Company page
Owned frames	148, each once. The quantity column in the owned tables sums to 148
First switchers	SW9s 11–25, order 4209, March 1953, serials 17870–17884
Road power	74 SD9s, 101–174, and 19 SD18s, 175–193. SD9 110 was built as demonstrator 5591
Same frames	SDM 301–322 are rebuilt SD9s and SD18s. SD38-2 9002 is 211
Counted apart	Twenty SD40-3s, 400–419, a Helm lease. Baldwin slug 500
Steam	Quantity column 252. Roster

Switchers and the RSD-15s

Drury’s account of why the road waited is the ore season, which lasted less than eight months, and the steam it took to thaw frozen ore in the cars. Dieselization needed stationary boilers and a lot of piping, and later infrared heaters. Electro-Motive suggested an all-SW9 roster. Single switchers were not enough for most of the assignments. For a year the road leased diesels from other United States Steel railroads. Leased units of that season are not rows here.

The first engines the Missabe owned were fifteen SW9s, numbers 11–25, order 4209, serials 17870–17884, built in March 1953. Number 11 in that order is the first use of the number.

A second 11 arrived much later. It was built in September 1949 as Chesapeake & Ohio 5060, an NW2, serial 10381, order 6023. It was rebuilt as Elgin, Joliet & Eastern 455 in November 1975 and transferred to the Missabe as 11 in May 1998. That is a different frame from SW9 11, and it is counted.

Six Alco RSD-15s, numbers 50–55, serials 81756–81761, were built in 1959 for switching at Two Harbors. They were the odd engines on a railroad that otherwise bought Electro-Motive. In 1964 they went to the Bessemer & Lake Erie as 881–886, in order. No Alco order number was on the row used here. The order cell is an em dash.

Ten Alco C630s, numbers 900–909, serials 3440-1 through 3440-10, were built in 1966 as Union Pacific 2900–2909 and acquired in 1973 and 1974. Numbers 904, 905, and 906 are the second use of those numbers.

SD9s and SD18s

The road diesel that replaced the Yellowstones was the SD9. A demonstrator, EMDX 5591, serial 20655, order 6533, was built in July 1955 and became Missabe 110. The first engines built for the railroad were nine SD9s, 101–109, order 5456, serials 21727–21735, March and April 1956. Further SD9s followed in 1957, 1958, and 1959. Numbers 101–174 are 74 locomotives, the demonstrator included.

Nineteen SD18s, 175–193, arrived in April 1960 on orders 5615 and 5616. Those orders closed out steam on the ore trains. The last 2-8-8-4 ore trains, and the 1962 excursion with 2-10-2 514, are on the steam roster.

Twenty-two of the SD9s and SD18s were later rebuilt at Proctor, numbered 301–322, and called SDMs. The work began in 1979 and ran into 1991. They received new power assemblies. They are the same frames, and they are not counted again. SDM 305, rebuilt from SD18 188, is the locomotive in the photograph.

SD38s

New SD38ACs, numbers 201–208, order 5767, serials 37069–37076, were built in June 1971. Five SD38-2s, 209–213, order 74649, serials 74649-1 through 74649-5, were built in March 1975. Number 211 was numbered 9002 from September 1998 and returned to 211 in 2002. One frame.

Other 2,000-horsepower C-Cs came from the Bessemer and the Elgin, Joliet & Eastern. Bessemer SD38s 861–863, order 7986, serials 33053–33055, May 1967, became Missabe 217, 225, and 216. Bessemer SD38-2 892, serial 756069-1, March 1976, became Missabe 215. Bessemer SD38ACs 865 and 869, order 7327, became Missabe 200 and 869. Elgin SD38s 651–653 and 655, order 7243, became Missabe 221–223 and 214.

Baldwin VO-1000 slug 500, serial 70141, had been Northern Pacific 406. It was acquired from Azcon in 1988 and mated with SD9 163. It is not one of the 148.

The Helm lease

In 1996 and 1997 the road received twenty rebuilt SD40-3s, numbers 400–419, rebuilt by VMV at Paducah for Helm and leased to the Missabe. Eighteen had been Southern Pacific or Cotton Belt SD45T-2s. Two, 416 and 418, had been Seaboard Coast Line SD45-2s. They are in their own table. They are not in the 148.

Roster

The owned quantity column sums to 148. Serial and order are separate columns. A blank cell is an em dash. Weight was not on the order pages used here, and there is no weight column.

Owned

Model	Numbers	Builder	Serial	Order	Built	Qty	Notes
SW9	11–25	EMD	17870–17884	4209	March 1953	15	First use of number 11
NW2	11 (2nd)	EMD	10381	6023	September 1949	1	Built as Chesapeake & Ohio 5060. Rebuilt as Elgin, Joliet & Eastern 455 in November 1975. To the Missabe in May 1998
RSD-15	50–55	Alco	81756–81761	—	1959	6	To Bessemer & Lake Erie 881–886 in 1964
SD9	101–109	EMD	21727–21735	5456	March–April 1956	9	—
SD9	110	EMD	20655	6533	July 1955	1	Built as EMD demonstrator 5591
SD9	111–130	EMD	23099–23118	5525	January–March 1957	20	—
SD9	131–157	EMD	23911–23937	5555	February–April 1958	27	—
SD9	158	EMD	24487	5555	April 1958	1	Same order number as 131–157. Its own serial
SD9	159–174	EMD	25259–25274	5600	April–May 1959	16	—
SD18	175–180	EMD	25779–25784	5615	April 1960	6	—
SD18	181–193	EMD	25785–25797	5616	April 1960	13	—
SD38AC	200	EMD	37704	7327	July 1971	1	Built as Bessemer & Lake Erie 865. Acquired 1993
SD38AC	201–208	EMD	37069–37076	5767	June 1971	8	Built new for the Missabe
SD38AC	869	EMD	37708	7327	July 1971	1	Built as Bessemer & Lake Erie 869. Acquired May 2002
SD38	214	EMD	36163	7243	January–February 1970	1	Built as Elgin, Joliet & Eastern 655
SD38	216, 225, 217	EMD	33055, 33054, 33053	7986	May 1967	3	Built as Bessemer & Lake Erie 863, 862, and 861
SD38	221–223	EMD	36142–36144	7243	January–February 1970	3	Built as Elgin, Joliet & Eastern 651–653
SD38-2	209–213	EMD	74649-1 through 74649-5	74649	March 1975	5	211 was numbered 9002 from September 1998 and returned to 211 in 2002. Same frame
SD38-2	215	EMD	756069-1	756069	March 1976	1	Built as Bessemer & Lake Erie 892
C630	900–909	Alco	3440-1 through 3440-10	3440	1966	10	Built as Union Pacific 2900–2909. Acquired 1973–1974. Second use of 904, 905, and 906

Owned quantity: 148. SDM numbers 301–322 are not a second purchase.

Helm lease, SD40-3s

These twenty locomotives were leased. The quantity below is 20. It is not added to the 148. The built column is the original Electro-Motive date. The note is the railroad number before the rebuild, and the year the unit came onto the Missabe.

Model	Numbers	Builder	Serial	Order	Built	Qty	Notes
SD40-3	400	EMD	7336-31	7336	March 1972	1	Ex-Southern Pacific 9196. Helm lease, January 1996
SD40-3	401	EMD	7336-04	7336	February 1972	1	Ex-Southern Pacific 9169. Helm lease, January 1996
SD40-3	402	EMD	7336-08	7336	March 1972	1	Ex-Southern Pacific 9173. Helm lease, January 1996
SD40-3	403	EMD	7336-19	7336	February 1972	1	Ex-Southern Pacific 9184. Helm lease, February 1996
SD40-3	404	EMD	7336-16	7336	February 1972	1	Ex-Southern Pacific 9181. Helm lease, January 1996
SD40-3	405	EMD	7348-07	7348	February 1972	1	Ex-Cotton Belt 9163. Helm lease, June 1996
SD40-3	406	EMD	7336-06	7336	February 1972	1	Ex-Southern Pacific 9171. Helm lease, July 1996
SD40-3	407	EMD	72625-18	72625	February 1972	1	Ex-Cotton Belt 9278. Helm lease, August 1996
SD40-3	408	EMD	7348-04	7348	February 1972	1	Ex-Cotton Belt 9160. Helm lease, June 1996
SD40-3	409	EMD	72625-20	72625	February 1972	1	Ex-Cotton Belt 9280. Helm lease, August 1996
SD40-3	410	EMD	7336-35	7336	March 1972	1	Ex-Southern Pacific 9200. Helm lease, December 1996
SD40-3	411	EMD	7336-34	7336	March 1972	1	Ex-Southern Pacific 9199. Helm lease, January 1997
SD40-3	412	EMD	7336-39	7336	March 1972	1	Ex-Southern Pacific 9204. Helm lease, January 1997
SD40-3	413	EMD	7336-03	7336	February 1972	1	Ex-Southern Pacific 9168. Helm lease, December 1996
SD40-3	414	EMD	72625-30	72625	March 1972	1	Ex-Cotton Belt 9290. Helm lease, December 1996
SD40-3	415	EMD	72601-49	72601	June 1972	1	Ex-Southern Pacific 9257. Helm lease, December 1997
SD40-3	416	EMD	74601-2	74601	August 1974	1	Ex-Seaboard Coast Line 2046, an SD45-2. Helm lease, December 1997
SD40-3	417	EMD	72625-36	72625	March 1973	1	Ex-Cotton Belt 9296. Helm lease, December 1997
SD40-3	418	EMD	74601-11	74601	August 1974	1	Ex-Seaboard Coast Line 2055, an SD45-2. Helm lease, December 1997
SD40-3	419	EMD	72601-04	72601	April 1972	1	Ex-Southern Pacific 9212. Helm lease, December 1997

Sources

Electro-Motive order index, TrainWeb, SW9, SD9, SD18, and SD38 and SD38AC. Orders 4209, 6533, 5456, 5525, 5555, 5600, 5615, 5616, 5767, 7243, 7327, and 7986. Unit pages for orders 74649 and 756069. Demonstrator 5591, serial 20655, remark “to DMIR 110.” Serial 74649-3 carries both 211 and 9002.
Missabe Railroad Historical Society, diesel roster compiled by Dave Schauer, current as of March 16, 2016, missabe.com/diesel. RSD-15s 50–55 to Bessemer 881–886 in 1964. Secondhand SD38s, SD38ACs, and SD38-2 215. C630s 900–909. SDM 301–322 as rebuilds of named SD9s and SD18s. SD40-3s 400–419 rebuilt by VMV at Paducah for Helm and leased. Slug 500, serial 70141, former Northern Pacific 406.
Don’s Rail Photos, Chesapeake & Ohio NW2 5060. September 1949, serial 10381, frame 6023-1. Rebuilt as Elgin, Joliet & Eastern 455 in November 1975. Transferred as Duluth, Missabe & Iron Range 11 in May 1998.
Steve Glischinski, “Duluth, Missabe & Iron Range Railway: A History,” Classic Trains, April 1, 2021. Fifteen SW9s in 1953. Six RSD-15s in 1959, sold to the Bessemer in 1964. Nineteen SD18s in 1960. Twenty SD40-3s in 1996–97, all but two of them former Southern Pacific tunnel motors.
George H. Drury, Guide to North American Steam Locomotives, revised edition, p. 171. Why the ore road stayed with steam, and why an all-switcher roster was not enough. His dates for the SW9s and the first SD9s are not the order dates above.

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