An early morning with wildfire smoke already visible in the air finds CN 2039 heading up the Minntac sub near m.p. 5 with empties that they'll start loading in about a half hour.

Blue hour arrival at Biwabik to wait for a northbound before heading off into the darkness towards Two Harbors and home.

As darkness and snow continues to fall upon the landscape, the crew is back onboard after giving the roll-by to a northbound empty and CN 2039 is back underway for Two Harbors with 145 carloads of... (more)

A trio of dash 8s and 145 cars following along make the run from Two Harbors and are about a half hour away from their destination of loading pellets at the Cliffs owned Minorca mine just north of... (more)

Limestone empties from UTAC at Forbes (Fairlane) are about to duck into the siding at Kelsey as a storm brews to the north.

After bringing up limestone from Proctor to the Minntac plant, CN 2039 backhauls a 50-car train of crushed taconite rock (blast furnace trim) as they head back to Proctor.

Just as the sun breaks over the eastern horizon, CN 2039 rumbles north with limestone loads for the Minorca plant.

The southbound MRF rolls through Saginaw, bound for Proctor. A CN standard cab Dash 8, a CN SD60, a DMIR/CN tunnel motor and a CN GEVO provide the power for the short train.

A cold clear morning and pellets are moving down to Two Harbors behind a trio of dash 8's with 145 cars loaded.

A trio of standard cab Dash 8's lead a Two Harbors bound ore train through Biwabik.

Just onto the CN Iron Range sub, CN 2039 continues the trip back towards Two Harbors with 145 ore cars loaded with pellets from the Minorca mine.

CN 2039 darkens the sky with a little throttle on this already gloomy overcast day as they head north on the CN Iron Range sub at Biwabik, MN.

After meeting taconite loads from the Minorca mine back around the curve at Allen Jct. it's now full speed ahead as CN 2039 ducks under county road 666 passing control point Nugget heading north t... (more)

CN 2039 runs away from the setting sun while passing thru Sparta, MN on the way to the yard and dock facilities at Two Harbors, MN to deliver the cargo of steaming taconite pellets.

A trio of GE's ply the unseen rails pulling taconite loads as snow continues to fall across Minnesota's Iron Range.