The Keenan Switch crew is pulling 50 ore cars up the grade to the idled Minorca mine to spot them for loading from the pellet pile on the plant site.

Some spring snow is falling as a northbound ballast train rumbles north on the CN Rainy sub.

After dumping limestone at the Minorca mine, a trio of BLEs finally get favorable signals to leave and head back to Proctor, MN and the yard.

A string of veteran DMIR ore cars sits on a siding track illuminated by streetlights in the former DW&P yard at Virginia, MN while the sky above has impressive northern lights display happening.

Early morning northbound on the CN Rainy Sub for Ranier, MN.

Moments after leaving the Minorca taconite plant, CN 3331 leads through the former DW&P yard at Virginia, MN as they head back down to Proctor with steaming iron ore pellets. Note the much older o... (more)

A spring afternoon as KCS 4185 heads north for the Candian border with train A439 in tow passing through the former DW&P yard on the CN rainy sub.

Heading north on the CN Rainy sub passing through the "hills" of mine dumps at S. Virginia, MN, with CN 3115 leading the way north to Canada.

Steaming taconite pellets move south down the CN Rainy sub after loading at the Minorca mine just outside Virginia, MN.

Hustling back to Proctor after dumping limestone at the Minorca mine.

Heading north along the CN Rainy Sub at Virginia, MN on a nice summer morning to deliver limestone to the Minorca mine in a few more miles.

Heading north along the CN Rainy Sub at Virginia, MN on a nice summer evening.

The Proctor, MN to Ranier, MN local transfer rolls along through the siding at Virginia, MN on an early morning.

The crew on U719 hangs out on the siding at Virginia waiting for a pellet loader to leave the Minorca mine before they can head north and do their work at the mine.

After leaving Proctor yard in the early morning hours and doing some work at Keenan yard, DMIR 409 arrives at the yard at Virginia just in time for a nicely timed rolling meet with its southbound ... (more)