Dakota Southern

Anybody near or know about the Dakota Southern railroad? I think headquarters is Chamberlin, SD. Mainly looking for recent photos.

They interchange with the BNSF at Mitchell, and run west thru Chamberlain. The route is owned by the State and covers 190 miles, finally ending at Kadok, SD.

Pictures:

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.p ... 82&nseq=83

http://www.railpictures.net/images/imag ... .39865.jpg

http://www.railpictures.net/images/p/Pi ... .80992.jpg

Thanks for the replies and the interesting photos. any close ups of the herald on the SD-7 #4427 or tell me what it says? Is it still in service?
Really interesting that DD40. I hear they use it for parts. I wonder if it arrived under it's own power.

Here is a link to a DSRC roster:

http://www.thedieselshop.us/DakSou.HTML

I see 4427 is an SD-9.

More DSRC photos than you can shake at stick at:

http://www.primeportal.net/civ_railroad.htm

The ex-UP DDA40X was, at one time at least, used for fuel storage.

TB Diamond wrote:The ex-UP DDA40X was, at one time at least, used for fuel storage.

Not true. I used to live in South Dakota, and met the owner of the DSRC several times. The DDA was purchased for engine and brake parts only, and the fuel storage story is a persistent myth. It is quoted in the Pentrex Best of the Midwest video, so I suspect the video crew mistakenly twisted a true story: one time an inexperienced fuel truck driver showed up and pumped several hundred gallons of diesel into the DDA before he was stopped and directed to the active locomotives.

Another interesting story relating to the DDA is that it was allowed through on the BN tracks from Sioux City to Mitchell by computer error. The rails were in bad shape, having been recently inherited from the defunct Milwaukee Road. Six-axle power was not allowed on the line, and the BN's computer system was set to reject any such power. However, the DDA being eight axles slipped though, though surely that was not the intention of the programmers!

tss:

Thanks for putting an end to a long-held bit of misinformation. If I recall correctly, I received it via the old TSL magazine.

TB Diamond wrote:tss:

Thanks for putting an end to a long-held bit of misinformation. If I recall correctly, I received it via the old TSL magazine.

You're welcome, TB. You might be interested in my album of photos of the last train between Murdo and Vivian in 2003. A state highway was being widened west Vivian, and since the state owned the tracks, it decided not to re-install the grade crossing, given there was no traffic on that part of the line.

http://rides.webshots.com/album/7898645 ... host=rides

There is still hope grain traffic may return to DSRC, and if it does, the state will replace the crossing. Nevertheless, the status of "last train" stands for the moment. It was a bittersweet but fascinating train to watch. It was Dakota Southern at the top of its slow-speed railroading game. Walking speed movement, a couple low spots where the track was 10" out of crosslevel (12" being the amount needed to tip a stationary car), walking across a broken rail, and cleaning out the locomotive sanders with a straightened coathanger kept in the cab for that purpose.

I hirailed that line in about 1981 as part of a study on its feasibility for short-line operation. I still have a box of track diagrams, charts and other paperwork. Some random recollections:

The change in terrain as you went westward from Mitchell - from plains to hills to the Badlands.

Countless timber trestles - a potential maintenance nightmare.

Very light rail....70 lb? 65 lb? Can't recall.

Pukwana, a small town just east of Chamberlain whose claim to fame was the annual Turkey Races.

An old passenger car of some sort used as a camp just west of the huge bridge at Chamberlain.

A small country store in some town or other where I discovered a new soft drink, "Mello Yello".

Our MILW track foreman (Don Anderson) whose vast knowledge of the railroad was equalled by his knowledge of wildlife and the habitat.

Arriving in Kadoka about 6PM and seeing the bank clock register 105.

Old grain elevators at every town. Thinking of what it was like when they were all going concerns and the harvest was flowing - must have been a busy line.

The abject NOTHING of the west end, Scenic, Imlay, the reservations and the badlands.

The contrast, after three days of dormant rail, seeing CNW power laying over at Rapid City.

(non-railroad) The amazing discussion with the hostess who seated our party at the restaurant at Mount Rushmore - discovering she was a college student from Rochester NY who lived about 5 miles from me!

It was an interesting line, but an awful lot of miles to maintain for seasonal grain and related traffic. If Dakota Southern can return some traffic to parts of it, I hope they make a go of it.

Photographed the MILW several times coming to Rapid City and in the city back in 1978-1979. Power on the local was normaly a lone SD9. Last time I caught it, however they had one of the SDL39 units. The MILW had a small yard over on the east end of Rapid City. There was a roundhouse there until a flood damaged it beyond repair and the remainder of the structure was demolished.