CN 2131 Leads the Northbound Minntac Ore Empties (U-713) through Forbes during the golden hour, on a very buggy northern MN summer evening.

Just under Highway 169, BLE 909 hugs the curve leading 138 loads of fresh made marbles from U.S. Steel, Minntac bound for Proctor.

Finding CN trains in Minnesota with a matched set of locomotives that don't include a CN-painted one is getting harder and harder. Fortunately there are still enough IC and B&LE units on the forme... (more)

CN has installed new "Vader" style hooded signals along the Minntac Sub and now they are operational, having replaced the old school searchlight signals within the past week or so. Here is BLE 90... (more)

A train of iron ore pellets from Minntac enters Proctor yard as a switch job shuffles cars on a nearby track.

Coming down from U.S. Steel Minntac with 141 loads of steaming taconite pellets, IC 6252 prepares for the shove and will yard the train in Keenan before eventually going down to Proctor with them.

Steam from the 141 cars of taconite pellets enroute to Proctor from U.S. Steel Minntac is barely visible as it blends in and adds to some think fog that's already covering the northern Minnesota l... (more)

Coming down the hill and out of the thick fog, CN 2160 leads 141 cars of steaming taconite pellets from U.S. Steel Minntac with a destination for today anyway of the yard at Proctor. From there th... (more)

The orange of the B&LE stands out in the northern Minnesota landscape as it leads a train of taconite pellets from U.S. Steel Minntac to Proctor along the Missabe Subdivision.

Two freshly painted C40-8's assigned to the former Missabe to move tonnage, one having the special CN paint scheme celebrating 15 years of privatization, pull taconite loads sothward after loading... (more)

A C40-8 duo with CN 2112, and it's special paint scheme promoting 15 years of privatization, leads CN 2131 and classic Missabe ore cars down the hill from Minntac with fresh taconite loads.

Smoking it's way through the northern Minnesota landscape, DM&IR 403 lead a train of iron ore pellets from Minntac south down the Missabe Sub. towards Proctor, MN.

Heading towards Two Harbors, MN with more iron ore pellets for the steel mills.

Nothing screams Missabe like a pair of Illinois Central SD40-2's leading a train from Minntac down the Missabe Subdivision as the iron ore pellets steam away in the cold air of a Minnesota aftern... (more)

B&LE 903 leads a loaded ore train south towards Proctor.