Yes, it really is that green! DM&IR Consolidation Locomotive #332 passes the "green pond" in Palmers, MN, en route to Two Harbors with a freight train for photographers. The almost surreal color of this pond is caused by a summer algae bloom that literally covers the surface from shore to shore. Occasionally, when the wind is blowing, you'll see open water, but when the wind dies down, that layer of scum repairs itself really fast. The combination of the color and the presence of all of the dead-heads literally makes this one of the best photo spots on the railroad.
DM&IR 332 is a 2-8-0 Consolidation type, built in 1906 for the Duluth, Missabe, and Northern Railway as number 332. It was one of 32 locomotives of the C3 class built over a 2-year period between 1905 and 1907. In 1937 it became part of the roster of the Duluth, Missabe, and Iron Range Railway on the merger of the DM&N with the Duluth and Iron Range Rail Road. In 1955, DM&IR C3-class Locomotives 332 and 348 were sold to the Duluth & Northeastern, where they were renumbered 28 and 27 respectively. D&NE 28 saw regular service on the D&NE between Cloquet, Saginaw, and Duluth, Minnesota. It was one of five remaining steam locomotives for the D&NE when steam was retired in 1964. D&NE retained #28 and used it for only special excursions until 1965. It was then put in storage in Cloquet. In 1974, the locomotive was cosmetically restored and donated to the Lake Superior Railroad Museum. There it was on static display until December 2011 when a 5-year restoration effort began. The restoration was completed in 2017, and the locomotive now pulls excursions on the North Shore Scenic Railroad, which is operated by the Lake Superior Railroad Museum.
