CN C40-8 2131 holds near Plainfield with a Southbound rail train. It's rare to see these units anywhere but the former Missabe lines in Minnesota these days.

CN 2131 cuts through the heavy snow that's falling across northern Minnesota.

Unseasonably cold weather and the first measurable snow of the season greet northeast Minnesota's Iron Range as this empty T-Bird makes their way up main 1 along CN's Missabe Sub from the plant ba... (more)

CN had been using sets of EMD power on the Thunderbird crude ore trains this past winter/early spring while the C40-8s usually marked for this job received PTC equipment. That equipment has been ... (more)

CN 2131 makes it's way through DWP Jct. then up to Shelton Jct. onto the CN Rainy sub before taking a right turn at T-Bird Jct. up to Largo before backing under United Taconite's coarse crusher to... (more)

Quite the collection of motive power idles in the yard at Keenan.

CN C40-8 2131 prepares for departure from the yard at Keenan to Minntac as the carman arms their rear end marker.

A T-Bird train of taconite rock passes a parked CN freight along the CN Missabe Sub.

It's minus 25 below zero and the sun is not quite above the trees yet but a road crossing provides enough of a clearing to illuminate the head end of this T-Bird train as it makes it's way south f... (more)

A welding crew takes some time to stand at a safe distance and give a roll-by to CN 2131 that's just received favorable signals to depart the yard and head back to the mine for taconite bearing ro... (more)

An empty T-Bird train leaves the Cliffs Natural Resources owned United Taconite plant rounding the bend onto the CN Missabe Sub for the 10 mile trip north back to the mine for more rock.

An empty T-Bird trains runs back to the mine after departing the plant as the snow begins to intensify.

After yesterdays heavy snows across the area have subsided, United Taconite was able to restart their mining operations and the CN served mine was able to load a train of 119 cars with taconite ro... (more)

Viewed from the Lexington Group special

After almost a yearlong shutdown due to soft demand in the iron ore markets, United Taconite has been restarted and so too have the T-Bird trains which shuttle the taconite rock from the mine to t... (more)