Leaving the U.S. Steel Minntac plant with fresh bakes iron ore pellets on a fall afternoon.

A train of steaming taconite pellets pass by the CN 50936 Jordan Spreader at Sparta, MN.

Rounding the curve at Highland Lake, it's the end of the journey for this crew with a new crew arriving shortly to finish the trip into Two Harbors yard.

Cold and clear as CN 3334 comes through S. Fairbanks with steaming taconite pellets and a snow cloud following.

Swinging onto the CN Iron Range sub at west wye with marbles from Minntac heading down to Two Harbors, MN.

Southbound ore loads at Biwabik going to Two Harbors, MN and the dock facilities.

Moving taconite pellets no matter the weather. These steaming marbles are heading for Two Harbors, MN.

A southbound pellet train loaded from Minntac's west pocket meets an empty pellet train heading to Minntac's east pocket to load. The sb has the two engines up front while the nb had a 1x1 setup ... (more)

With the northbound empties clear of the signal at S. Biwabik and streaking past getting the roll-by, the engineer flips the lights on while he waits for the green to appear for them to proceed so... (more)

Now retired from CN's ore hauling pool, these Dash were still running, albeit on borrowed time, moving taconite pellets from the mines to CN's dock facilities in Two Harbors, MN not that long ago.

A duo of AC44C6Ms and 145 ore cars with steaming taconite pellets rolls through the fog with ease on the way to the Two harbors yard and dock facilities.

The takeover of the AC44C6Ms into the CN Two Harbors ore pool to replace the Dash 8s (ex-CNW) began with these two.

Iron ore loads bound for Two Harbors curving onto the original D&IR grade with the tail end of the train still on the DM&N grade as they near Biwabik on the present-day CN Iron Range subdivision.

Descending the grade from the Minntac taconite plant bound for Two Harbors, MN.

A pair of "new" GEs assigned to the ore pool out of Two Harbors, MN hold the main at Biwabik with loads while they wait for a northbound empty coming their way shortly.