Departing Minntac under the code blue skies provided by the polar vortex. Temperature was a fresh -28 degrees with an added wind chill.

Coming up from Two Harbors, MN, a BLE trio is on the Minntac sub and will be arriving at the U.S. Steel Minntac plant shortly to begin loading 145 cars off the west loadout silo before returning b... (more)

A crisp and clear day as CN 2041 descends down the grade from U.S. Steel Minntac with steaming taconite pellets in tow. Even though the sun was out, it was minus 28 degrees when they departed on... (more)

Gliding around the curve while on the approach to U.S. Steel Minntac property.

A four EMD product consist lead 145 ore cars down the CN Minntac Sub which will transition onto the CN Missabe at Wolf shortly up ahead only to transition onto the CN Iron Range Sub at Iron Jct. t... (more)

The GE power is starting to take hold on the Iron Range. A trio of Dash-8s can be seen here leading hot taconite loads from Minntac south out of Mountain Iron at the beginning of their journey ... (more)

Just before sunset, an empty limestone train departs U.S. Steel Minntac behind a trio of Dash 8's bound for Proctor.

CN 6017 holds back 145 cars of taconite pellets as they descend the hill from U.S. Steel Minntac and head towards Two Harbors, MN under grey skies, cold temps and fresh fallen snow mixing in with ... (more)

A trio of CN C40-8s lead a steaming load of iron ore pellets south on CN's Minntac Sub away from the facility in Mountain Iron. It would appear that the lead unit CN 2028 has just been given a was... (more)

A bright leader on a late winter afternoon.

Coming down the mountain with pellets from Minntac bound for Proctor. First arriving in Minnesota in 2005, BLE 909 still is plying the rails for CN in her orange paint. Such a classic girl.

After spending the day dumping limestone at the U.S. Steel Minntac taconite plant ( some of which is visible in the background ), CN 2016 and crew leave the property and head for home back to Proc... (more)

Change on the Range. CN is in the process of replacing its fleet of EMD units assigned to the former DM&IR with C40-8s of C&NW heritage. The first loaded train from Minntac to Two Harbors to be po... (more)

Keenan Switch has just descended Minntac Hill and the conductor gives the engineer hand signs to make the cut, as they will head into Mt. Iron to grab some pulpwood cars. GT 6221 was a nice sight ... (more)

Loaded out and departing U.S. Steel Minntac with 144 cars of steaming taconite pellets bound for the yard at Two Harbors, MN.