A quiet snowy Sunday morning is interrupted by CN 5246 and B&LE 909 rattling across the steel bridge deck over the partially frozen St. Louis river pulling 102 carloads of taconite rock.

The engineer is back trying to work on a overheating issue with the 403. In the meantime clouds roll by overhead casting shadows on the land and the train.

A southbound BNSF all-rail taconite train accelerates past the United Taconite plant on its way down the Missabe Sub.

The last Missabe maroon SD38-2 rattles the steel bridge over the St. Louis River on a near perfect morning hauling 93 loads of taconite rock and 2 empties southward.

The beauty of this location can only really be seen in person, but this wider shot shows the river banks of the St. Louis River. If one is adventurous there is ample room to camp and fish, all wh... (more)

Limestone empties (in the distance) begin to overtake a raw taconite train which is making its' way toward the plant.

Limestone empties begin to overtake a raw taconite train as both head south.

While it is nice to shoot clean locomotives in the sun, it pains me to be shooting noodles instead of Maroon and Gold.

A hopper train is seen in the distance rolling north on the former Missabe as the DMIR 403 leads raw taconite to the processing plant.

A trio of BNSF units and 106 hoppers of taconite pellets rattles the old steel bridge on a cold spring day. Even though the ice is gone from the river it was only 12 degrees according to the dete... (more)

Nothing like a good ol' fashion TRAIN RACE! Limestone empties are overtaking a loaded raw taconite shuttle south of Forbes as both trains click and clack over the line with their shorty cars. Th... (more)

On a crisp and cool second day of spring the DM&IR 405 and DM&IR 407 team up to move taconite rock southward rolling over the somewhat swollen almost ice free St. Louis river.

The DM&IR 403 and Illinois Central 6257 pass over the mostly ice free St. Louis River on a crisp spring morning with 72 loads of taconite rock for the United Taconite plant.

One of the better shots of the day was one of the first of the day... set the bar high for some great action on the former DMIR. This raw taconite shuttle is rolling south to the processing plant... (more)

The last maroon 400-series tunnel motor leads a raw ore train towards the Fairlane processing plant of United Taconite.