DM&IR 405 and Company in the Missabe's Last Winter
DMIR 405 leads a reluctant five pack of Missabe power towards the Missabe Division mainline, just out of Utac's Fairlane Yard Track back on January 29, 2004. Was stupid cold for a couple of days in late January 2004, just like this year.
When work was called off this day because school buses were not starting in the extreme cold, I took the opportunity to visit the Missabe under code blue skies. Still remember the -33F my Malibu therometer read that morning when I started it without a garage in McGregor and also how cold everything sounded on the railroad that day. Back then I was so hyped and determined to shoot the Missabe's last winter, I set the alarm in the middle of the night to warm the car, making sure it started.
Consist on the above southbound was 405, 408, 414, 317, and 223, pulling a cold shortened train of 100 cars south to Proctor. I believe this train was rescuing cold, dead units from Keenan after loading and that was why I was treated these five maroons at a cold start up, representing the three models of road locos (SD40-3, SD38-type, SDM) that closed out the Missabe.
Started out the day on the Iron Range and then concluded with the afternoon chase of this guy to Proctor when the temp was "only" between -15 and -10F, just like the past few days. Was a cold couple of days of chasing, but Jan. 29-30, 2004 will go down as my best two consecutive days of Missabe shooting.
DM&IR 405 and Company in the Missabe's Last Winter
DMIR 405 leads a reluctant five pack of Missabe power towards the Missabe Division mainline, just out of Utac's Fairlane Yard Track back on January 29, 2004. Was stupid cold for a couple of days in late January 2004, just like this year.
When work was called off this day because school buses were not starting in the extreme cold, I took the opportunity to visit the Missabe under code blue skies. Still remember the -33F my Malibu therometer read that morning when I started it without a garage in McGregor and also how cold everything sounded on the railroad that day. Back then I was so hyped and determined to shoot the Missabe's last winter, I set the alarm in the middle of the night to warm the car, making sure it started.
Consist on the above southbound was 405, 408, 414, 317, and 223, pulling a cold shortened train of 100 cars south to Proctor. I believe this train was rescuing cold, dead units from Keenan after loading and that was why I was treated these five maroons at a cold start up, representing the three models of road locos (SD40-3, SD38-type, SDM) that closed out the Missabe.
Started out the day on the Iron Range and then concluded with the afternoon chase of this guy to Proctor when the temp was "only" between -15 and -10F, just like the past few days. Was a cold couple of days of chasing, but Jan. 29-30, 2004 will go down as my best two consecutive days of Missabe shooting.