A few miles into the trip and the steam is rolling off the hot taconite pellets as they travel through the minus 15-degree air on the way back to Proctor, MN.

Catching just a few muted rays from the sun triple IC SD40-3's roll along with their train of ore cars hauling taconite pellets in tow and the yard at Proctor, MN as the destination.

A literal steam train. A trio of SD40's lead 138 freshly baked taconite pellets from Cleveland-Cliffs Fairlane facility on a frigid December morning.

Blizzard conditions were forecast. Nailed it. DMIR 406 leads an empty pellet train north along the Missabe sub encountering some blowing and drifting snow along the way.

Plowing north on the CN Missabe Sub with WC 300 and three IC SD40-3's.

CN 3023, the EJ&E heritage unit, leads CN M347 North through the snow at Zim.

Proctor-Ranier train L567 is northbound on CN's Missabe Sub between Kelsey and Fairlane.

Some nice storm light illuminates train U717's southward movement on the Missabe Sub south of Zim, MN.

Loaded taconite train bound for Proctor behind three death stars hits the wide open stretch through the bog.

Loaded all rail train of taconite pellets bound for Convent, LA leaves northern Minnesota behind.

DMIR SD40T-3 409 leads Fairlane-Proctor train U717 south as its taconite pellets steam during the cool morning temperatures.

A rolling steam bank down the Missabe sub behind BLE 900, CN 5338 and IC 6253 and pulling DMIR/Missabe ore cars loaded up at the United Taconite facility. The exhaust plume is from said facility ... (more)

An all-rail loaded at United Taconite races down the CN Missabe sub in the low afternoon light of the late fall season. This train has a final destination of Convent, LA.

Minorca-Proctor train U718 is southbound on the Missabe Sub between Fairlane and Kelsey behind a trio of Bessemer & Lake Erie tunnelmotors.

A loaded "All-Rail" train is southbound on the Missabe Sub, destined for Convent, LA.