It was as cold as it looks.

A loaded U711 taconite pellet train is seen coming from the Mintac mine at Zim with a solid set of tunnel motors leading the loaded Jennies. The Bessemer & Lake Erie is a fan favorite on the Missa... (more)

The other taconite hauler in NE Minnesota is the BNSF. They are a much tougher target as most of the Casco Sub runs through swamps and there aren't roads nearby. Here is a loaded train that's rol... (more)

The low light towards the end of a winter's day bathes this U717 from United Taconite as their hot taconite pellets move south for the yard at Proctor, MN.

Some of Minntac's finest pellets head south towards Proctor, MN on a nice day.

Going back to Proctor yard with limestone empties.

Hauling a train of dry ice or hot taconite pellets. Doesn't matter, can't see it anyway.

Rolling south along the CN Missabe sub as the sun sets. That plume on the horizon is the U.S. Steel Minntac plant where this train originated about an hour or so previous.

A pair of SD60's and a train of mostly old school colorful boxcars makes for nice looking train in 2023.

Under a diffused sun, a trio of black IC's move pellets south as clouds move along in the sky.

A cold day and hot taconite pellets collide as they mingle on the trip down the CN Missabe sub to Proctor yard.

Hot pellets from the Cleveland-Cliffs United Taconite plant roll south towards the yard at Proctor on a nice fall day.

It's a balmy fresh minus 34 degrees as this train heads south with steaming taconite pellet loads from the Minntac plant bound for the yard at Proctor, MN. The cars on the road were filled with &... (more)

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.