A train in the snow, Rochester, MN, 21st January 1990

With the current emergency, and our practising social distancing, I will inevitably be delving into the archive over the coming weeks. I will look out some British images shortly - some seem to be surprises, even for myself!

A DME eastbound freight approaches the grade crossing at Wilder Road NW, Rochester, MN, 21st January 1990.

• 6617 SD7R was delivered in May 1953 to C&NW as 1662 (EMD builder number 18224, number 2 in order 5185), Rebuilt as SD7R at Oelwin, chopped nose, uograded from 1500 to 1750 hp, and renumbered 6617, in June 1971. Sold to DME on 5th September 1986. When disposed of by DME it went to shunt a grain elevaor at Wolsey, SD as WGAX WG1 - can see the facility, and a shed, here it is on Streetview from US14, dated October 2015. I actually have driven along that road, just once.

• 1463 GP9 has similar history to 1484. It was new to the Nickel Plate Railroad as 533 EMD serial 25076 in January 1959. Later from 1966 Norfolk & Western 2533, and from 1983 Norfolk Southern 1463, after which it came to DME. After DME it was Otter Tail Valley Railroad 1463 (seen with 1484). last noted July 2014.

• 1471 GP9 was third next builders number after 1463, 25079, new to Nickel Plate as 801 in February 1959. From 1966 Norfolk & Western 2801, and from 1983 Norfolk Southern 1471. Traded in to General Electric on 5th April 1985, sold to Gibb and sold to DME on 10th October 1986. After DME in 1997, became MNN 1471, and later HESR 1721, noted in April 2015. HESR (Huron & Eastern Railway) became a Genesee & Wyoming property in 2012. Scrapped May 2016.

• 546 SD10 was delivered to the Milwaukee Road as a SD7 locomotive in May 1952, EMD builder number 15616, numbered 2204, later renumbered 504 in 1959. Rebuilt as SD10, uprated to 1800 hp and renumbered 546, in December 1974. It does not appear to have been repainted into DME colours, the most recent pictures appear to be from October 2000 at Huron, where DME maintained its shops, and some locos became 'Christmas Trees' - eventually we will get there.

It seems that this may have been an hour or more later, as some gondolas and a box car have been dropped off. This seems to be the location at 6th Avenue NW.