Rolling through Iron Junction, Minnesota on February 13th, 2018 is a southbound loaded CN T-Bird ore train. – Pairs of Canadian National GE C40-8s have been the standard power on these jobs on the short run between the Thunderbird iron ore mine and the Fairlane pellet plant for many years now.

Todays train featured two of only eight or so CN units that carry a special logo applied in 2010 commemorating the 15 year anniversary of the privatization of the Canadian National Railroad which was owned by the government of Canada prior to 1995. ~~ A Jeff Hampton Photograph ©

© All Rights Reserved

Under a thick blanket of late September low cloud cover a pair of BN EMD SD70MACs are leading an inbound BNSF loaded coal train which is just arriving at Superior, Wisconsin. – I remember when this class of locomotive seemed to be the standard power for almost all coal moves up here in the north country. – September 30th, 1999. ~~ A Jeff Hampton Photograph ©

© All Rights Reserved

Its 6:20pm the evening of October 4th, 2017 and a Canadian National train of tac loads has just passed through Culver, Minnesota and is now moving along Highway 7 approaching Burnett enroute to Proctor yard and eventually the ore docks of Duluth. ~~ A Jeff Hampton Photograph ©

© All Rights Reserved

After a meet with northbound tac empties that have just disappeared around the curve, southbound taconite loads pass through Jones on the Canadian National’s Iron Range sub enroute to the ore docks at Two Harbors, Minnesota. – October 1st, 2017 ~~ A Jeff Hampton Photograph ©

© All Rights Reserved

On the Canadian National’s Iron Range Sub at Fayal, a train of taconite empties is nearing Iron Junction, Minnesota on its way back from Two Harbors to Minntac for re-loading. – February 13th, 2018 ~~ A Jeff Hampton Photograph ©

© All Rights Reserved