EMD SD45s pose at the Lake Superior Railroad Museum on a beautiful spring morning.

It sure is nice to have Hustle Muscle back in Duluth. Here the first production EMD SD45 handles a special charter at Larsmont southwest of Two Harbors. This train used DM&IR W-24 and Car Northland (local BNSF officials were the passengers).

Boy these SD45s sure look nice together. Museum volunteers are working on restoring 3617 to operational status. Hustle Muscle is operable.

SSRs RL305, 48s34 & RL304 lead 5446 down through coal miners hill, just outside Werris Creek.

44204, 442s1 & L277 were attached to the rear at Werris Creek for the push over Ardglen bank.

Loaded at Louis Dreyfus Narrabri with a load of grain to the Port of Newcastle, Carrington. 17/12/22

RL305, 442s1, L277, RL307, 48s34, 4911 & BRM002 lead SSRs 5446 loaded grain from Narrabri to Carrington. Seen rolling downgrade, south of Werris Creek.

Surprisingly, RL305 was shunted off the train, for the banker locos (442s1, L277 & RL307) to be put mid lashup. Before RL305 was put back on the nose. A time consuming movement I haven't seen much. 12/11/22

Union Depot Train Days 2022 started off right with the ever-popular night photo shoot.

This year, 7 locomotives (a train days record) were in attendance. The stars of the show of course were the SD45s sent down from Duluth, including GN 400, the Hustle Muscle.

The last time I saw Hustle Muscle she was awaiting a new SD45-2 engine to replace the old one that suffered a broken crankshaft. It was around this time that GNRHS elected to have 400 leave MTM's Jackson Street Roundhouse and return to Duluth, where it had been for much of its time pre-Millenium but post-retirement from BN.

The scene is complete with an illuminated "1st" sign, a popular background feature at many night shoots at SPUD. It's fitting, as GN 400 was the first locomotive to be displayed at Union Depot during the first "Train Days" in 2014 (not to mention the 1st production SD45).

To date, Hustle Muscle has made three appearances at Union Depot Train Days, tied-most with Milwaukee Road 32A, which was also in attendance this year.

A personal thank you to everyone involved to make Union Depot Train Days 2022 happen. Haven't missed a Train Days yet, hoping the streak will continue. Also thanks to Steve Glischinski & Chris Guss for organizing another phenomenal night photo shoot.

One of my favorite fall color spots is along the north shore at Duluth's rose garden. The cobalt blue of Lake Superior mixes well with the red and yellows on shore. Throw in a colorful train led by Hustle Muscle and you have a winning combination.

GN 400 clears the line prior to the arrival of three DEEX empty coal train sets for temporary winter storage.

Great Northern SD45 #400, "Hustle Muscle" leads the North Shore Scenic Railroad's weekly "Two Harbors Turn".

This particular excursion (as of 2025) operates once a week on Thursdays, while the "Duluth Zephyr" and "Pizza Express" run Fridays-Sundays.

GN 400 is paired with former Northern Pacific 245, which was also fired up and humming along on this diesel double-header. Naturally, a short chase was in order.

Seeing GN 400 run is like seeing an old friend, as it was 10 years ago it operated in Osceola, WI while on lease to MTM, where I volunteered at the time. The locomotive had an eventful decade since, getting a new 20-645 engine and being re-homed to Duluth. It doesn't operated much, but has seen regular service on most of LSRM's trains in June and now July.

Here the train thunders over MN HWY 61, now well on its way to Two Harbors for the day.

GN 400 "Hustle Muscle" on a NSSR picnic special at Lakeside operated for local BNSF employees and their families. I believe this is the first revenue use of 400 since its return to the LSRM earlier this summer. Shown passing the special is the evening pizza train with DM&IR 193 on the north end and Soo 2500A on the south end. 8/15/19

A round of Cream Ale for the house! GN 400 "Hustle Muscle" backs out of Two Harbors for its return to Duluth on the last regular season NSSR train to Two Harbors (sold out). Castle Danger Brewing is on the right. 10/13/19

On National Train Day, 10 years ago, GN SD45 #400, "Hustle Muscle" made the special trip from St Paul Union Depot to Osceola, WI for the first of two seasons operating on lease from GNRHS to MTM. GN 400 was displayed at MTM for several years before a deal was made to have GN 400 fill in for MTM's out of service GP7 559 in 2015 and 2016.

Here, Hustle Muscle and coach 1213 depart Withrow, MN and are nearing the end of the journey, now on "home rails" of the Dresser Sub after traversing BNSF and CP trackage from the cities.

The two were displayed on the platform at SPUD for National Train Day before ferrying over, joining the already operational fleet in Osceola.

GN 400 would prove to be a moody locomotive during her stay at Osceola, but had some memorable outings (many of which I was able to be a part of during my time as train crew at MTM). After receiving a new 20-645 a few years later, she would move back to Duluth where it remains at the time of posting (2025).

The last Two Harbors train of the season heads back to Duluth behind GN 400.

In 1994 I visited the Minnesota Transportation Museum in Duluth, MN, and found this SD45 in GN paint. As I understand, it had only recently be repainted in the GN scheme. This engine is very pretty and AFAIK still used in museum trains on the shore of Lake Superior.

Does anybody know anything about the whereabouts of this engine now?

I like this engine so much, I bought the LifeLike/Proto2000 h0 scale model.

After being on display at the St. Paul Union Depot for National Train Day, the Great Norther Hustle Muscle starts it trek to Oseola, WI

Great Northern SD45 #400, "Hustle Muscle" leads the North Shore Scenic Railroad's weekly "Two Harbors Turn".

This particular excursion (as of 2025) operates once a week on Thursdays, while the "Duluth Zephyr" and "Pizza Express" run Fridays-Sundays.

GN 400 is paired with former Northern Pacific 245, which was also fired up and humming along on this diesel double-header. Naturally, a short chase was in order.

Seeing GN 400 run is like seeing an old friend, as it was 10 years ago it operated in Osceola, WI while on lease to MTM, where I volunteered at the time. The locomotive had an eventful decade since, getting a new 20-645 engine and being re-homed to Duluth. It doesn't operated much, but has seen regular service on most of LSRM's trains in June and now July.

Here the train departs the museum as it traditionally does by shoving out of the depot and onto the NSSR mainline.

St. Paul Union Depot Train Days 2022

Great Northern SD45 400 (Hustle Muscle) & Great Northern NW5 192 sleep on the western wye track in St Cloud after being on display for the Great Northern Railway Historical Society's (50th) convention which was held July 22-26, 2023.

Both locomotives are housed in Duluth at the Lake Superior Railroad Museum, with LSRM owning the 192 and the GNRHS owning the 400.

Need some height to shoot over the fence, but it was worth the stretch to get a photo of two GN locomotives together in a location where you don't usually see them.

GN 192 is on its second outing of 2023, also coming south for Union Depot Train Days in early June. 400 was also planned to be at Train Days (4th appearance) but didn't make it.

Time for them to go home.

Not much of a roster shot with a pole shadow and another behind but I was excited to see this in Superior at the time. BN 6430 Hustle Muscle (GN 400, EMD's first production SD45) on November 14, 1985 after it had been donated to the GNRHS. The SD45 would be moved across the bay to LSRM and eventually repainted by BN into GN colors at their Grand Forks roundhouse in 1989. Today Hustle Muscle is in St. Paul at MTM, still owned by the GNRHS.

In 1994 I visited the Minnesota Transportation Museum in Duluth, MN, and found this SD45 in GN paint. As I understand, it had only recently be repainted in the GN scheme. This engine is very pretty and AFAIK still used in museum trains on the shore of Lake Superior.

I like this engine so much, I bought the LifeLike/Proto2000 h0 scale model.

St. Paul Union Depot Train Days 2022

A gorgeous GN passenger train poses over the St. Croix River for an SRG photo charter.

Tip of the hat to SRG, MTM, and the GNRHS; will be tough to top this.

GN 400, the Hustle Muscle, was the first production SD45, which, along with the SD80MAC & SD45-2, were EMD's only models equipped with 20 cylinder prime movers.

The locomotive here is owned by the Great Northern Railway Historical Society, the cars owned by the Minnesota Transportation Museum.

This was part of a four day Railfan Weekend organized by Steve Glischinski and Steve Smedley, featuring photo charters on the St. Croix Valley Railroad, Osceola and St. Croix Valley Railway, North Shore Scenic Railroad, and Wisconsin Great Northern Railroad.

This image appears in the November 2015 issue of Railfan & Railroad.

The bridge over the St. Croix River, connecting Minnesota and Wisconsin, was a great setting for this photo charter passenger train, with cars from the Minnesota Transportation Museum and locomotive courtesy the Great Northern Railway Historical Society.

GN 400 was the first production EMD SD45.

Tip of the hat to SRG, MTM, and GNRHS for putting on a fantastic event.

The first SD45 reposes at the Minnesota Transportation Museum's Osceola & St. Croix Valley Railway in far western Wisconsin.

SSRs Narrabri grain consist, led by 1202, RL301 & RL304 with 442s1, L277 & RL307 on the rear as bankers. Having left Narrabri early on Tuesday 15th Novemeber, bankers were attached at Werris Creek for the push over Ardglen bank.

Later that afternoon the wagons would be emptied of grain at the Carrington Grain Terminal, Newcastle. 15/11/22

St. Paul Union Depot Train Days 2022

Huscle Muscle brings up one end of an Operation Lifesaver train running through Superior's north end and past the Soo Line depot (now the Thirsty Pagan Brew pub).

Alright, alright, one last shot of the Hustle Muscle posed over the St. Croix during last week's Railfan Weekend.

Again, thanks go out to SRG, MTM and the GNRHS and their volunteers who made this possible. T'was a great day.

On the far east end of Northtown's T-yard sits a line of broken locomotives.

Among them is the world-famous first production SD45, GN 400, the Hustle Muscle. Ironically, she was coupled up to a locomotive numbered 325.

The last word from the rumor mill was that this winter BNSF would install an overhauled 20-645 from a donor ATSF SD45-2.

It's hopeful she will run at Osceola next summer, what a great day it will be when she comes back to life.

Shot from aboard Northstar.

Here ya go, Sammy. Is this better? This is the GN 6470, which has apparently been donated to the GN Historical Society (yes, I understand that this is different from the reporting marks) to be used as a parts source for their Hustle Muscle SD45. It found its way to Topeka last June, after coming down from Northtown.

Another view of the "Hustle Muscle". Dan and I took quite a few shots since this is such a colorful, well restored engine.

A couple sharp looking veterans rest on a side track at Osceola. Despite the Soo heritage of this route, motive power here was all BN/GN this day. September 18, 2015.

"Hustle Muscle" is owned by the Great Northern Railway Historical Society.

Great Northern Railway No. 400, known as "Hustle Muscle was delivered in 1966. In 1970, it became Burlington Northern Railroad No. 6430 and worked on the line until 1986 when it was retired and donated to the Great Northern Railway Historical Society. In 1989, it was repainted to its original Great Northern colors. It was repainted again in 2006. The locomotive is used to pull North Shore Scenic Railroad trains. (Source: Lake Superior Railroad Museum)

The M-NTWSUP1-9A has the GN "Hustle Muscle" in tow for the trip to Superior, where it will be delivered to the Duluth Depot for excursions to Grand Rapids MN.

The "Hustle Muscle" was the first SD45 built by EMD, and purchased by GN. I always wondered if this very unit had ever rode these rail when it was still in revenue service with the Great Northern RR???

Two former GN units rest in the afternoon sun at the Jackson Street Roundhouse, St. Paul, Minnesota. SD45 "Hustle Muscle" is owned by the GN historical society. The F, which currently wears NP colors, is actually former GN. Wouldn't it look great in a fresh coat of orange and green?

Classic Great Northern power in downtown Duluth, MN

Great Northern Railway No. 400, known as "Hustle Muscle" was delivered in 1966. In 1970, it became Burlington Northern Railroad No. 6430 and worked on the line until 1986 when it was retired and donated to the Great Northern Railway Historical Society. In 1989, it was repainted to its original Great Northern colors. it was repainted again in 2006. The locomotive is used to pull North Shore Scenic Railroad trains. (Source: Lake Superior Railroad Museum)

To view my 1995 photograph of the locomotive go to: www.flickr.com/gp/23711298@N07/Y040Tm402U

DSS&A 101, Soo 2500, Soo 700, and an ex-NP SD45 pose for photos in Duluth, MN

GN Hustle Muscle and little sister NW-5 192 pose at the 2009 Railfan Weekend in Duluth. Lighting by Glischinski, Terry, Smedley and Guss.

A pair of ex-BN GP50s #3118 and #3111 sit outside the Northtown shops on the north side of Minneapolis near a small deadline of units including an H1 C44-9W, the "Hustle Muscle" GN SD45 which has lived in NTW for several years now, and a couple SD60Ms.

Two examples of first-generation road switchers at Duluth, Minnesota.

SD45 400 and NW5 192 pose for night photos in Duluth, MN

Recreating a Michigan morning on the North Shore Scenic Railroad.

Classic GN Streamliner