Restoring the MNS #11
The MNS #11 has been slated for cosmetic restoration to restore it to its original Minnesota, Northfield, & Southern (MNS) livery in the coming year. Retired as Hallett Dock #11, it was donated to the Lake Superior Railroad Museum in 2005. It is one of only three remaining intact models of this locomotive in existence and served its entire operating life in Minnesota. Your support will go directly into a fund for the restoration of this special engine to its original look when it entered service in 1946.
The MNS #11 has a distinctly Minnesotan heritage. Originally built as the #51 for the Minnesota and Western Railroad in the Twin Cities, it was later sold to the Minneapolis, Northfield, and Southern (MNS) Railway which operated throughout the state with connections to the Great Northern Railway. From 1956 to 1976, it served as a switch engine on the famous “Dan Patch” line which ran between Northfield, Minnesota to Minneapolis. Eventually, it was sold to the Hallett Dock in West Duluth.
After it was retired it was donated to the Lake Superior Railroad Museum, making it one of only three of this type of engine in museums across the country.
Some funding for this project has already been secured, but to finish all the work necessary your help is needed. Museum crews will be doing most of the work over the winter of 2023-2024, and when finished we will have another beautiful locomotive for display in the museum, thanks to your support.
History of MNS #11
The MNS #11 is an Fairbanks-Morse and Co. H-10-44 locomotive. Fairbanks-Morse Co. (FM) started off producing industrial scales in Beloit, MN. You can find one near the loading dock in Depot Square in the museum. Later, they expanded into making pumps, windmills, and diesel engines. During World War II, FM used a unique opposing cylinder design to allow submarines to run more quietly. This same cylinder design was later used in their diesel engines after the war. So few of these engines still exist because those cylinders were often reused on marine vessels when the locomotives were retired. To learn even more about the history of this engine, check out our YouTube video.
Updates on the Project
Updates on the project so far:
As of January 11th, 2024, the HD11 has been moved into the shop, and crews have started sanding and stripping to determine if any of the metalwork needs replacing or repairs. They’re optimistic so far that that the preps and painting are not too far away. We’re not sure if/when the ladder on the side of the engine was added, and it will likely be removed.