#3 Spot and Caboose

The 3-Spot was purchased from the Baldwin Locomotive Works of Philadelphia. The original purchase order is contained in the files at the Depot Museum. The purchase price was $9,750.00. This is actually engine #3. In 1883 the 3-Spot was brought from Philadelphia to Duluth by rail. As there were no rails or roads from Duluth to Two Harbors, the remainder of the trip was by water. Late July, 1883, it was loaded on a scow and chained down to be towed by the tug, Ella G. Stone-mastered by Capt. C.O. Flynn.

They ran into a strong northeaster off Knife River and Capt. Flynn worried that it would sink and pull the tug down with it. He had his crew standing by the towing hawser with axes ready to cut it. There is a painting depicting this in the Depot Museum.

The 3 Spot was the construction locomotive that helped build the original line from Agate Bay to Tower Minnesota. Later she would serve with the Duluth & Northern Minnesota Rairoad for the Alger Smith Lumber Company out of Knife River during the heyday of train logging in northern Minnesota.

After being sold several times amd nearly lost to scrap the little 2-6-0 eventually was brought home to serve as the iconic image of the Lake County Historical Society.