A loaded Unitac ore train rounds the curve at Bear Trap headed for Proctor. Only couple months later 410 would be retired by CN for a blown turbo.

Maroon 410 leads a pair of repainted sisters on empties for Minntac in late afternoon.

A freshly loaded Minntac train passes the classic code lines at Wolf, early in its journey back to Two Harbors.

Loaded taconite pellets head south with a B&LE engine trailing after departing from the plant at Fairlane. Temps hovered near -20 and windchills held steady at -47.

Southbound Unitac loads for Proctor cross over the Whiteface River in -15F temps. DMIR 410 is one of only 15 maroon units remaining.

A loaded taconite train passes through Alborn en route to Proctor. 410 is one of only 15 maroon units remaining.

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

A loaded taconite train kicks up snow as it heads south along highway 7 to Proctor.

DMIR 410 and BLE 903 depart the United Taconite Fairlane Plant with a loaded tac train headed for Proctor.

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.

DMIR 410 rolls through the drifting snow between near Zim with a loaded Utac train. The temperature gauge in the Ford Explorer read -19, but the wind chill made it feel much colder than that.

DMIR 410 rolls out of the Fairlane plant with a loaded tac train headed for Proctor. Judging by the screaming turbocharger, 410 is bound to be retired soon. Will it be the next maroon unit to go... (more)

The one train of the day in full sun was the one that counted: a pair of DMIR SD45T-2's thunder west toward Iron Jct.

Two of five remaining DMIR tunnel motors head up this empty ore train.

A pair of 400s lead 116 ore cars down the steep decent into the Lake Superior basin at Two Harbors.