DM&IR 400 (SD40-3) leads down the hill with CN 5548 (SD60F) and CN 2107 (C40-8) helping out as they are moving the taconite pellets south from Minntac bound for the CN dock at Two Harbors,MN on th... (more)

Steam from the fresh made taconite pellets rises off the cars as DM&IR 211 leads a colorful consist down from the U.S. Steel Minntac plant on Minnesota's Iron Range.

The Keenan Switch pulls down to the Mt. Iron Yard to drop off and pick up a few log cars.

Fresh steamy pellets on a 80F morning head out for Two Harbors, MN

A pair of Missabe SD38-2's sandwich the Illinois Central 6250 as they run up to Minntac to load taconite off the west side. Most people shoot the southbound train as it's leaving Minntac but for ... (more)

On a cold and clear morning, Illinois Central 6256 leads GTW 6221 and I.C. 6254 down the hill from Minntac with fresh steaming pellets that are on the way to Two Harbors, MN and the docks there.

A Road Run out of Biwabik shoves empty cars onto the rock track at Minntac. In the distance is part of the mine's expansive open pit iron ore operation, the largest in the United States.

A sharp looking ex-C&NW/UP Dash-8 leads a loaded ore train out of the Minntac plant. Seven miles later this train would derail a number of its new ore cars on the west wye switch at Iron Junction.... (more)

Snow and steam all over as a trio of SD40-3's pull down from Minntac with 137 loads of iron ore pellets which will end up at Two Harbors.

Another train of taconite pellets decends down from U.S. Steel Minntac bound for Two Harbors, MN.

Money money money money....monaaaaaay! The Keenan Road Switch certainly is money for the crew. Not only did it take them 2 hours to go 5 miles, but they get a 4 man crew, unheard of in todays worl... (more)

The Keenan Road Switch finished up delivering bentonite hopers to Minntac and now work on picking up some log cars out of the small yard at Mountain Iron before heading back to Keenan Yard.

Somewhere under all that steam is a fresh batch of taconite pellets heading Two Harbors.

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.

One hundred thirty eight loads of fresh taconite pellets in shiny new ore cars steam their way down off the hill from U.S. Steel Minntac being lead by a trio of SD40-3's on the way to Two Harbors.