DM&IR 412 leads limestone empties around Beartrap curve en route to the Proctor Yard.

A fresh snowfall the night before and blue skies today made for a nice setting as this steaming ore train worked its way south towards Proctor Yard.

A loaded taconite train rounds Beartrap curve at Grand Lake en route from the Fairlane United Taconite Plant to the Proctor Yard.

410 roars through Grand Lake with its turbocharger emiting an ear-splitting scream. I've NEVER heard a turbo scream like this one...this unit is certainly on its last legs.

A loaded taconite train rounds the famous curve at Grand Lake en route from the United Taconite Plant at Forbes to the Proctor Yard. Temps were well below zero, but winds made it -40 to -50 wind c... (more)

The heavy snow the day prior adds nicely to this Christmas Eve scene. This crew will easily be home for the family tonight.

An odd merger lashup is dashing through the snow and cold with 128 loads of fresh Minntac pellets.

A Keenan Switch crew brings commercial traffic south through Grand Lake with two of the three remaining SDMs.

A repainted Missabe tunnel motor leads two B&LE sisters (903/909) on an empty Minntac limestone train during the last rays of sun.

The 07:30 Proctor Roadswitch crew dog catches a dead Minntac pellt train and moves it to Proctor.

The yellows of the poplar trees complement the yellow on the Missabe diesels as a loaded Unitac ore train rounds the curve at Bear Trap headed for Proctor.

Fresh from the paint booth, 408 leads a sister (400) and an SD38 (202) north with limestone looads for Minntac. There are now 5 former Missabe units repainted (400-402, 404, 408).

DM&IR 216 leads a loaded ore train on it's way to Duluth

SD38AC 202 (built 6/71) and 'SD40-3' 405 (ex-SP SD45T-2 6767, 9500, nee-SSW 9163, built 7/72) lead the MRF through Grand Lakes along Saginaw Road, while limestone loads 'radio block' right on thei... (more)

Three tunnel motor rebuilds - 415, 413, and 405 - sound awesome while striding limestone empties out of the Cloquet River basin at the Bear Trap Road curve. The 415 was isolated, though. :-(