I spent a lot of time on trains back in the 70's and 80's, Soo crews in Upper Michigan were a friendly group and a long way from the headquarters in the Twin Cities, so they put up with me pestering them. This is shot out of GP30 719 leading another GP30 and 65 cars of mixed manifest/COFC on train 910 at Trout Lake. We had been in the hole on the ex DSS&A main toward St. Ignace waiting out a meet with train 909 out of Sault Ste. Marie when the local job out of St. Ignace nosed up to us with 4419 a centerbeam and a caboose. After 909 cleared we have backed around the wye where 4419 now sits onto the Soo main and are just starting to head for Sault Ste. Marie. As soon as we clear yard limits it will be up to 40mph over the 90lbs stick rail on the last lap to Sault Ste. Marie. Lots has changed in Trout Lake since this photo, no Soo, no GP30's, no line to St. Ignace, no COFC, no diamond and no train order signal. The building to the right is now gone along with the bulk oil/gas tanks where fuel products used to arrive by tank car in the 60's and before. When I took this photo I realized railroading was changing and things like the Alco trucked Soo 30's and the traffic starved St. Ignace line would soon be history, but in my wildest dreams I never thought the Soo itself would be gone.
