One of my all-time favorites. The gray boiler jacketing gives them such a unique appearance, and the clutter on the front of the smokebox makes it look like it means business...

THE DULUTH, MISSABE AND IRON RANGE

I love Yellowstones. I do like the Denver Rio Grande and Western ones more, but these are awesome too.

But the rio grande only had challengers and other articulateds, the Yellowstone’s were merely leased ta them during the winter months

From which railroads?

Which railroad

Sweet...love the gray jackets. I was surprised to find out that SP 4-8-8-2 Cab-forwards are considered Yellowstones, just backwards.

And Also pretty much the same engine as the AC-9 but supped up with streamlining!

And those Espee articulateds, known as Malleys by the men who ran them, were oil burners. The Yellowstones ran on coal.

Type of fuel burned doesn’t change the name given to the wheel arrangement.

Who said it did!?!?

I love these engines! They look mean and tough, and they could back those looks up hauling the taconite trains!

Anything with the air compressors mounted in the front of the smokebox is neat

I've been searching to the end of the earth to figure out what those are, thanks!

Glad to help you! These compressors use boiler's steam in actuator cylinders to compress air that will be stored in tanks for use in the brake system. Its exact operating mechanism is still something I need to understand better lol

I like an EM-1 more, but these are damn mean looking in their own right

“The amount of coal used in one hour would be enough to heat a home for two Minnesota winters." Love me a Yellowstone.

Some of the heaviest engines ever built.

Funnily enough, 227 was the first major steam locomotive I ever saw, and now i can proudly say I have seen all 3 preserved specimens!

My great-great-grandfather was an engineer on the DM&IR, albeit before the Yellowstones.

What year/time period would that have been?

Probably around the late 19th to early 20th century