The last SD40-3 in Missabe maroon paint leads the charge north from Two Harbors to the U.S. Steel Minntac taconite plant with empties while a few leave still hold on the trees as the fall season tapers into winter.
The EMD SD (special duty) series are a strong and reliable kind of locomotive which still serve America's rails today. They have proved themselves reliable by clocking in several million miles of freight service over several decades.