After playing musical chairs with their passenger cars near Rice to set out a bad order, the westbound Empire Builder kicks up the snow at sunrise near Hawley.

Crossing Elbow Creek a bit south of Iron Jct., a load of crude ore heads towards United Taconite for processing.

A local with six cars in tow heads north towards Kelly Lake over a snow covered landscape.

A fresh load of steaming taconite pellets makes its way towards Duluth MN.

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.

On this day the R901 job based out of CN's Keenan yard was tasked with going up to the Mountain Iron yard and retrieving the Plasser & Theurer RM802 High-Production Ballast Undercutting/Cleaning M... (more)

As the clouds begin to part ways, CNs U717 rounds the iconic curve under the Rainy sub with a matched trio of Illinois Central paint SD40s.

With the winter season in full swing, train frequency took a strong hit entering November. But, Fairlane loads still had some work to do, as todays U717 is seen here gliding down Proctor Hill with... (more)

Two SD45s leading sand cars were the focus of the chase.

Taconite bearing rock rounds the bend just south of Iron Jct. MN on a cold but clear winter day.

A few miles into the trip and the steam is rolling off the hot taconite pellets as they travel through the minus 15-degree air on the way back to Proctor, MN.

Fresh off North Americas largest taconite operation, U.S. Steel Minntac property, BLE 909 hauls steaming taconite pellets south for Proctor yard and ultimately the storage facility at CN's dock un... (more)

The Two Harbors turn heads over a small trestle in Palmers as they head north to Two Harbors on a haze’ and humid morning.

The Northfield passes the former CGW searchlight signals that are located south of Waterous.

A T-Bird loads at the Thunderbird North Loadout on frosty afternoon. The steam plume in the background is from Minorca.