Saturday dawned gloomy and gray on the first day of a “stay at home” order in Minnesota. A nice walk (permissible) to the top of an old mine dump offered this view of part of the community of Wes... (more)

Oil vs Ore. This time the oil won as they cross over the Ramshaw diamond first while an empty taconite train holds at the signal on the CN Iron Range sub. watching them go by.

The evidence indicates it wasn't a very warm morning as taconite loads run south for Two Harbors, MN.

CN 2028 pushes its way up the CN Iron Range Sub breaking trail for the 592 axels following behind.

Running back to Two Harbors with some hot commodity.

On a dark and foggy evening there are no trains coming because the signals say so.

After meeting a southbound pellet load, CN 2027 catches the last light of the day traveling north along the running track on the CN Iron Range Sub at Sparta, MN.

DMIR 403 pulling ore empties north from Two Harbors back to a mine for reloading. Shortly after this shot over two years ago she suffered a cracked block but was repaired and departed the MEI sho... (more)

A CN northbound stack train only adds to the peak fall color as they travel up the CN Missabe Sub about to turn left onto the CN Rainy Sub for the run to the Canadian border crossing at Rainier, M... (more)

Ore vs. Oil at Ramshaw. With 145 cars of taconite pellets going by at 20 mph there are about 70 chances to try and get the southbound train waiting on the CN Rainy Sub framed in between two ore ca... (more)

A four pack of GE's (CN 2013, 2033,2024, 2010) throttle up after coming off the CN Missabe Sub at Iron Jct. and heading to Two Harbors on the CN Iron Range Sub with taconite pellets from ArcelorMi... (more)

A 1906 vintage 50 ton ore car, one of the first all steel ore cars built for the Missabe, donated to the Soudan Underground State Park by the DMIR in 1972. This car was one of 4,250 cars of this ... (more)

The Big Boy passes CN Dock 6 as it nears the end of the line on it's run from the Twin Cities to Duluth, MN.

All is quiet along the CN Minntac Sub at Noimi Jct.

CN 6017 holds back 145 cars of taconite pellets as they descend the hill from U.S. Steel Minntac and head towards Two Harbors, MN under grey skies, cold temps and fresh fallen snow mixing in with ... (more)