Seeing 4 tunnel motors in use on a Class 1 in 2015 is something to see. Here 4 tunnels take the connection off the Rainy to the Missabe at Shelton Jct. This old school power stay busy keeping CN's... (more)
Seeing 4 tunnel motors in use on a Class 1 in 2015 is something to see. Here 4 tunnels pound 145 loads out of Ramshaw with ore out of the Minorca Mine North of Virginia. This old school power stay... (more)
Rails to the bay, literally. In the distant past this area of Agate Bay was used by commercial fisherman who launched their large boats using dollies mounted on track, using scrap rail likely laid... (more)
A pair of light power sets slowly roll towards the engine facility as the sun breaks through.
After holding the main at Biwabik and meeting a set of empties, DMIR SD40T-3 408 wastes no time getting its 145 loads on the move.
DMIR SD40T-3 408 leads the MRF back south towards Two Harbors. They would die on hours at Biwabik, and would stay there until the next day's MRF would pick them up.
Nice trio of tunnel motors ties down their train as the sun gets ready to set on a nice spring day.
A loaded ore train with steaming taconite pellets heads south towards Two Harbors.
Ore loads head for Two Harbors in a light snow.
With 10 rebuilt SD40-3's set to arrive any week now, the fate of these tunnel motors is uncertain. Having been rebuilt a few years ago I assume they will continue to be Iron Range mainstays, but i... (more)
Blast furnace trim (BFT) from the Mountain Iron Minntac facility headed for the ore docks at Two Harbors.
Matching DMIR tunnel motors in CN colors roll off of the Missabe Sub and into the plant with another load of raw ore.
DMIR 408 arrives back at Thunderbird Mine where it will be loaded with crude ore for the Fairlane processing plant.
T-Bird Loads roll off of the Missabe Sub and into the plant with another load of raw ore.
Using John Ryan's massive 300mm beast, one of 3 T-Bird test trains heads back to Fairlane with another load.