Minorca loads head into the sun on a warm fall day led by a matched pair of I.C. Deathstars.

The Illinois Central 6253 leads two other SD40-3's and 120 empty ore cars through Wolf, MN. They're just coming off main two of the Missabe Subdivision and entering the start of the Minntac Subdi... (more)

One of the first shots of the morning. Cool temperatures allowed for some nice steam action.

About a half hour into their trip from leaving the Minorca mine a trio of Death Stars pull the taconite loads bound for Two Harbors. Darth Vader would have been proud seeing three Death Stars.

In heavy snows the GTW 6221 trudges along the Missabe Subdivision pulling hoppers filled with bentonite clay for use at U.S. Steel's Minntac plant in the taconite pellet making process. It's snow... (more)

In your face Conrail blue along with a Norfolk Southern thoroughbred and a Santa Fe warbonnet roll along after loading taconite at U.S. Steel's Minntac plant heading south down the Minntac Subdivi... (more)

BNSF all-rail heads south for a meet at Wolf, having just departed Minntac.

The temp is still below zero as three ex-IC SD40-3s power a loaded taconite train from Minntac to Two Harbors with a cut of new CN ore cars.

An older Illinois Central SD40-3 is paired up with a repainted DM&IR tunnel motor to pull 111 brand new CN/DM&IR ore cars fresh from loading taconite pellets at U.S. Steel Minntac.

A BNSF All-Rail train rolls through the woods of northern Minnesota on a warm September evening.

Illinois Central 6252 leads the limestone through Iron Junction on the former Duluth, Missabe & Iron Range. Lots of IC power running around on this day; we only spotted one maroon Missabe unit (j... (more)

So it's come to this! IC 6265 in CN paint leads a train into Iron Junction on the former Duluth, Missabe & Iron Range.

Out of 22 rebuilt SD9/SD18s on the former DM&IR, only 308 and 316 remain in service but their days are numbered, along with every other maroon and gold engine.

Missabe 213 and 316 lead 48 limestone loads to the Minorca taconite processing plant.