A nice-looking pair of BLE motors and a long string of 114 ore cars leave the yard track at the United Taconite plant behind and head back to the mine bathed in that warm afternoon light.

DMIR 400 thunders over the Whiteface River at Kelsey, MN with taconite loads bound for Proctor, MN.

DMIR 409 and GTW 5934 lead a rail train down the main on the Iron Range Sub at Fairbanks, MN while an empty ore train holds in the siding and M.o.W. workers hold in their warm trucks. It was nice ... (more)

Always nice seeing DMIR locomotives and DMIR ore cars on the Missabe sub.

Looking at three big CN motors and a 100-car string of hoppers filled with taconite pellets slowing to a stop to drop the conductor off at the switch so he can then protect the shove into Keenan y... (more)

A pleasant afternoon finds two BLE locomotives and train of ore cars rounding the bend south of Iron Jct. about to duck under the Highway 37 overpass heading along the Missabe sub.

BLE sisters have their train loaded out and taking the light at Largo heading to the Fairlane loop track about ten miles away with taconite bearing rock.

Coming off the double track portion of the CN Missabe sub and onto the connecting track for the turn into United Taconite with carloads of rock with DMIR 404 and sister DMIR 406 in charge on this ... (more)

Departing the United Taconite plant, crossing Highway 7 and taking the right turn onto the Missabe sub to head north back to the mine to reload.

Taking the left turn off the Missabe sub and into the United Fairlane property delivering rock from the mine.

Heading back to Proctor with limestone empties on a cold winter day.

How cool is this in 2022. BLE 906 and sister BLE 909 bring taconite rock loads south and meet up with DMIR 404 and sister DMIR 406 bringing the empties north along the CN Missabe sub.

CN 3000 brings 100 hoppers of taconite pellets down from the U.S. Steel Minntac plant on the almost last day of winter. The crew will yard this first cut at CN Keenan yard, tie onto another 88-ca... (more)

BLE 909 and sister BLE 906 continue to be paired up (thanks, CN!!!) to move rock from United Taconite's Thunderbird mine coarse crusher down to their plant about 10 miles away where it's made into... (more)

BLE 906 and sister BLE 909 continue to load rock at United Taconite's Thunderbird mine coarse crusher while a production truck rumbles by on its way to feed the crusher more material.