Quite the change from forty-eight hours ago when the snow was almost gone and the temperature was 72 degrees with sun. Fast forward and it's 22 degrees with snow falling and the wind is howling as... (more)
A T-Bird mine shuttle train rolls over the swollen Elbow Creek as they south.
It's 0130 and nothing is southbound on the CN Iron Range sub, and nothing is southbound on the CN Rainy sub, but the northern lights above were full of action here at the Ramshaw diamond.
A duo of DMIR units and a trio of Dash 8s power 145 loads of steaming taconite pellets and get the 610-axel train back up to speed after coming off the CN Missabe Sub and onto the CN Iron Range su... (more)
Late afternoon low light during a winter's day with the shadows starting to get long as the sun is well on its way to setting.
And then sometimes the train comes into view long hood forward. Oh well. They were pulling five DME hoppers though.
Hot taconite loads in the pre-dawn cold air.
Coming off the CN Iron Range sub and heading south at Iron Jct. with still steaming taconite pellets. A mechanical problem at Two Harbors caused the reroute of this train down to Proctor instead. ... (more)
Gritty and grimy is the life of a taconite hauler in the CN Two Harbors ore pool.
Another southbound taconite train from U.S. Steel Minntac with a destination of Convent, LA for overseas export.
Typical fall day across northern Minnesota except for the trio of BLE's adding a little color.
Crossing Elbow Creek a bit south of Iron Jct., a load of crude ore heads towards United Taconite for processing.
About to come off the Iron Range sub, CN 2020 takes the signal at east wye and will continue the trip up to Minntac to load taconite pellets.
Taconite bearing rock rounds the bend just south of Iron Jct. MN on a cold but clear winter day.
DMIR 404 and IC 6251 are now a set assigned to mine shuttle service from the Cleveland Cliffs United Taconite Thunderbird mine down to their Fairlane plant.
