Empties north!

Leaving Proctor with empties for Fairlane at perhaps the nicest part of the day.

New DM&IR cars contrast with the shuttered depot at Saginaw.

In beautiful morning light, I finally crossed this shot off my list, twice! Not only did it have 3 consecutively numbered tunnel motors, it had the last maroon tunnel motor left. The North Shore S... (more)

DM&IR 405 leads a loaded ore train slowly past fatally damaged sister 401 (with blue tarp) and 5 equally scrap-worthy IC SD40-3s. A contractor will scrap all 6 units involved in the September 30 h... (more)

DM&IR 405 arrives back in Two Harbors with an ore train.

Pacing 405 leading empties to T-bird. I imagine this is easier with someone else driving. Thanks to RP member Kevin Madsen for tipping me on northbound moves.

The beauty of this location can only really be seen in person, but this wider shot shows the river banks of the St. Louis River. If one is adventurous there is ample room to camp and fish, all wh... (more)

DMIR 405,403 are southbound near Zim with loads from the Fairlane plant headed to Proctor. The clean power was typical for the DMIR into the 90's.

DMIR 403, GT 6221, IC 6262, IC 6265 pulling empties to United Taconite.

Proctor Road Switch kicking up snow as they pull 60 loads up the grade. The IC 6262 dropped its load about 3 minutes later, then the B&LE followed suit and the two units alternated turns losing am... (more)

Rolling south towards Two Harbors with 136 cars of Minntac pellets.

Steam from freshly baked taconite pellets has coated the frames on these ore cars as this Minntac train heads towards Proctor in -21F weather.

Just after the train passed me the engineer called Proctor to tell them that the 405 had just ran out of fuel and that B&LE 903 was doing all the work. They had a fuel truck waiting at the yard. ... (more)

A dead CN potash train on the Missabe Main at Adolph has these two trains cooling their wheels at Coons. Cool is the operative word, with an air temp of -21F when I shot this. Train on right has... (more)