Mesaba Railway No. 10

Description

The Mesaba Railway Company operated interurbans between Hibbing and Gilbert, Minnesota from 1912 until 1927. No. 10 was one of five identical cars ordered from the Niles Car & Mfg. Co. in 1912. It arrived in September, 1912.

At the end of operations in 1927, No. 10's trucks and motors were sold for scrap to the Duluth Iron and Metal Company and the carbody was sold.

Mesaba No. 10 has not been restored. Until now, a major obstacle has been the general scarcity of electrical and mechanical components for these old wooden carbodies. The Museum had the good fortune of receiving three pairs of trucks from Japan. Made in the United States, they were exported in the 1920's and used in Osaka, Japan. The Japanese kept them in excellent shape and they came to us freshly out of service. Among them are a pair of Baldwin 75's that will look excellent under No. 10. There are no immediate plans to restore No. 10, which is stored at the Excelsior Carbarn.

Materials

The streetcar's frame is made of composite wood and steel. The body is made of yellow pine reinforced with I beams and steel plates. The sides and ends are plated with steel and canvas covers the roof.

As-Built Technical Data

Number of trucks 2
Truck type Baldwin 78-22-A
Wheel diameter 36"
Wheel type Cold-rolled steel
Number of traction motors 4
Traction motor type G.E. 201H
Controller type K-35-G
Weight 48,400 lbs.
Width 9' 4"
Length 49' 0"
Trolley base U.S. #13
Trolley wheel diameter 6"

Information from The Electric Railways of Minnesota, by Russell L. Olson. Published by the Minnesota Transportation Museum. (A good photo and description may be found on page 463.)