DMIR 408 and BLE 903 move taconite bearing rock from the mine down to the plant on a nice winter afternoon.

After landing at Minneapolis-Saint Paul we drove directly to Duluth to see what would be running for the afternoon. A friend told us that there was an empty ore train coming off Dock 6, and we wer... (more)

After landing at Minneapolis-Saint Paul we drove directly to Duluth to see what would be running for the afternoon. A friend told us that there was an empty ore train coming off Dock 6, and we wer... (more)

Empties head west into Munger late in the day, passing underneath the Rainy Sub, also known as the ex DWP main.

Fresh pellet steam wisps off of the loaded taconite cars as Canadian National's U717 snakes its way out of the departure tracks at the Fairlane Taconite Plant in Forbes, Minnesota. A trio of class... (more)

A cold morning as evident by the heat distortion off the locomotives and the exhaust from the Minntac taconite plant located about 12 miles back.

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

Empty ore train U716 rounds the bend in the morning sun as it comes off the Missabe Sub and down the connection to United Taconite's Fairlane Plant in Forbes, Minnesota for loading. A pair of form... (more)

The leaves are gone but the EMD's aren't -- for now. 13,000 horsepower sourced from three SD40-types and a solo C40-8 slug up Proctor Hill and around Bachelor's Curve with a load of Minntac limest... (more)

Light power to pull Lakehead pulls down the Hole Track while DMIR 408 and two sisters spot empties high above on Dock 6. The sun was out for a cumulative of 15 seconds in the few minutes I was on ... (more)

DMIR 408 leads a loaded limestone train passing through Sax along Highway 7 during the heart of golden hour.

DMIR 408 leads a set of loaded limestone at milepost 26 in Burnett on the Missabe Sub.

The proctor switch with a trio of former DMIR tunnel motors unloading pellets on top of the Duluth ore dock.

After a M.O.W. work window recently expired, three classic EMD SD40-3s with DMIR 408 leading now sits and waits for their turn to enter the CN Missabe Sub to head south while a T-Bird shuttle wi... (more)

Sitting. Waiting. Patience. A work block in between them and their destination is providing a time to sit and relax until things clear up and traffic moves allowing them to move. Eventually.