My grandfather was an engineer on the Soo Line, worked the steam engines for most of his career (he was born in 1886). When I was little, he showed me the differences between the many locomotives in use through the years.

They were still using steam locomotives into the 1960's in northern Minnesota to haul timber. One of my uncles had a body shop in Cloquet, right next to the railroad tracks. I'd hang out at his shop, and would run out to the tracks every time a train went by, hauling timber to the paper mill or Diamond Match. That was a long time ago...