Duluth & Iron Range Railroad Coach No. 19

Constructed by the famous Ohio car builders, Barney and Smith, Coach No. 19 was built for the D&IR in 1907. Originally a 67-seat coach, it was rebuilt into a gas motor car (running on its own, with no locomotive) in 1926. Used on the cross-range run between Allen Junction and Virginia, its engines malfunctioned with such annoying regularity that it was soon reconverted to a coach. After a number of years, No. 19 was turned into a work car and painted gray inside and out. In this guise, it carried men and equipment to different parts of the track to do track repair work. The coach was donated by the Duluth, Missabe and Iron Range Railway Company in 1974. Members of the Lake Superior Transportation Club restored No. 19. They removed all of the remaining seats along with the gray work paint. Though probably not a first class car, No. 19 was rather fancy. The ceiling had painted pinstriping, which disappeared along with the work paint. The car is used to house photos pertaining to the Missabe Road and its predecessors, the D&IR and the Duluth, Missabe and Northern.