Soo Line towing Shark #1216 (June 1979)

This shot dated June 1979 shows the former D&H shark #1216 being towed in a Soo Line train, and based on the date I assume it is being transferred from the Michigan Northern Railway to the Escanaba and Lake Superior Railroad. I don't know if the other shark, #1205, was elsewhere in the train or perhaps sent via a different train. That white and red Soo Line boxcar scheme is really sharp.

The D&H leased them to the MNR , which managed to damage both of them within a short time. The #1216 fell victim to heavy snow when it tried to run through it and its motors shorted out. The MNR damaged the crankshaft of #1205 too, and both were finally sent to the E&LS for storage (and eventual ownership). Ironically, the #1216 was repaired and ran again but it quickly suffered a crankshaft problem leaving it OOS.

There is hope that the sharks may eventually be publicly displayed somewhere.