Hitting a sliver of sun while cutting through the early morning fog on the way to Minntac to load 145 cars with pellets.

Having navigated half the S-curve just north of Sparta, MN, CN 2007 will swing to the right for the second half shortly as the trip north to the mine to reload some more iron ore pellets continues... (more)

Early morning fog with a trio of Dash 8's and ore cars coming up the CN Iron Range sub.

CN 2007 arriving on U.S. Steel Minntac property to load 145 ore cars with iron ore pellets.

Through the S curve on the double track section of the CN Missabe sub on the way up to Minntac to load iron ore pellets.

The show must go on as two iron ore trains meet at Biwabik while the aurora borealis light up the night sky.

Navigating the S-curve, CN 2007 north is making the turn on what was the former DM&N, then DM&IR and now the CN Iron Range Sub passing by the grade of the former D&IR which was abandoned in 1972.

CN 2000 leads an empty U788 going through Aurora Minnesota on the Iron Range Sub.

A nice afternoon as CN 2020 heads north to load iron ore.

Rounding the bend on the west wye as U788 comes off the Iron Range sub and heads north.

Coming off the CN Iron Range sub and turning north at Iron Jct. for the rest of the trip up to the U.S. Steel Minntac plant to load iron ore.

On the way up to the Minntac mine on a nice evening.

Creating a little shadow of their own as they go between the long shadows of a late evening.

Coming up from Two Harbors, CN 2039 runs through the Nugget control point on the CN Iron Range Sub as they travel to the Minntac mine to load iron ore pellets.

An early morning with wildfire smoke already visible in the air finds CN 2039 heading up the Minntac sub near m.p. 5 with empties that they'll start loading in about a half hour.