Railfanning the Iron Range of Minnesota: May 2024

After chasing CP 2816 across southern Iowa, my friends and I made our way up to Northwoods region of Minnesota and Wisconsin. There's plenty of trains to be seen, albeit tucked away in the rolling hills and evergreens. You'll find iron-ladened maroon colored ballast and heavy taconite trains breaking the silence otherwise filled by the wind and birds. This is the Iron Range. CN and BNSF play an important role in the production of domestic steel. Ore jennies dating back to the 1950s are filled with taconite pellets from expansive mines. Mainline trains drag the load to one of several ore docks along the big lake they call Gitche Gumee. The ore cars are unloaded into freighters destined for steel mills along the Great Lakes. We managed to catch numerous CN trains with a good variety of CN, B&LE, and IC power, and the old steam-era ore jennies whose days are numbered with CN receiving new ore cars. Overall this trip was a great success. Duluth was a treat to visit, and seeing a new part of the country with some great friends was an experience I won't forget.

Intro Song:
Super Mario RPG (Remake) - Forest Maze

Chapters:
0:00 Intro
0:10 May 12th
6:30 May 13th
56:37 May 14th
01:24:44 May 15th

Train Info:
MAY 12
ID: CN Intermodal
Subdivision: Missabe
Time: 5:47PM
Origin: ?
Destination: ?
Locomotives:
CN 2759 - GE ES44AC
CN 8102 - EMD SD70ACe

ID: CN ?
Subdivision: Missabe
Time: 7:44PM
Origin: ?
Destination: ?
Locomotives:
CN 2984 - GE ES44AC
CN 5705 - EMD SD75I


MAY 13
ID: BNSF ? WB
Subdivision: Lakes
Time: 9:19AM
Origin: ?
Destination: ?
Locomotives:
BNSF 7287 - GE ES44DC
BNSF 6349 - GE ES44AC
BNSF 8016 - GE ES44C4 (DPU)

ID: CN ?
Subdivision: Superior
Time: 10:02AM
Origin: ?
Destination: ?
Locomotives:
CN 3169 - GE ET44AC
CN 3208 - GE ET44AC

ID: CN Potash
Subdivision: Superior
Time: 11:16AM
Origin: ?
Destination: ?
Locomotives:
CN 2859 - GE ES44AC
CN 8100 - EMD SD70ACe

ID: CN Ore
Subdivision: Missabe
Time: 11:40AM
Origin: ?
Destination: ?
Locomotives:
CN 5337 - EMD SD40-2W
IC 6251 - EMD SD40-3
B&LE 906 - EMD SD40-3

ID: CN Crude Oil
Subdivision: Missabe
Time: 2:00PM
Origin: ?
Destination: ?
Locomotives:
CN 3161 - GE ET44AC
CN 3058 - GE ET44AC

ID: CN S774
Subdivision: Superior
Time: 2:13PM
Origin: CN Pokegama Yard
Destination: Stevens Point, WI
Locomotives:
CN 1016 - EMD SD70
IC 1015 - EMD SD70
B&LE 866 - EMD SD38AC

ID: CN Freight
Subdivision: Superior
Time: 2:56PM
Origin: ?
Destination: ?
Locomotives:
CN 3305 - GE AC44C6M
CN 3290 - GE AC44C6M

ID: CN Freight
Subdivision: Superior
Time: 4:02PM
Origin: ?
Destination: ?
Locomotives:
CN 3075 - GE ET44AC
CN 3290 - GE ES44AC

ID: CN Freight
Subdivision: Missabe
Time: 5:16PM
Origin: ?
Destination: ?
Locomotives:
CN 2936 - GE ET44AC
CN 2815 - GE ES44AC
CN 3846 - GE ES44AC

ID: CN Freight
Subdivision: Missabe
Time: 6:18PM
Origin: ?
Destination: ?
Locomotives:
CN 3013 - GE ET44AC
CN 2824 - GE ES44AC

ID: CN Taconite
Subdivision: Missabe
Time: 7:10PM
Origin: ?
Destination: ?
Locomotives:
B&LE 906 - EMD SD40-3
IC 6251 - EMD SD40-3
CN 5337 - EMD SD40-2W


MAY 14
ID: CN L591
Subdivision: Iron Range
Time: 9:48AM
Origin: Two Harbors, MN
Destination: Northshor Junction
Locomotives:
CN/DMIR 404 - EMD SD40-3
CN/DMIR 406 - EMD SD40-3

ID: CN Taconite Loads
Subdivision: Iron Range
Time: 11:41AM
Origin: ?
Destination: Two Harbors, MN
Locomotives:
CN 2010 - GE C40-8
CN 2025 - GE C40-8
CN 2041 - GE C40-8

ID: CN Taconite Empties
Subdivision: Iron Range
Time: 12:20PM
Origin: Two Harbors, MN
Destination:
Locomotives:
CN 2029 - GE C40-8
CN 2028 - GE C40-8
CN 2004 - GE C40-8

ID: CN L591
Subdivision: Wales Spur
Time: 12:39PM
Origin: Two Harbors, MN
Destination: Northshor Junction
Locomotives:
CN/DMIR 406 - EMD SD40-3
CN/DMIR 404 - EMD SD40-3

ID: CN Taconite Empties
Subdivision: Rainy
Time: 5:18PM
Origin: ?
Destination: ?
Locomotives:
CN 8937 - EMD SD70M-2
CN 8924 - EMD SD70M-2

ID: CN Taconite Empties
Subdivision: Missabe
Time: 5:26PM
Origin: Duluth, MN
Destination: ?
Locomotives:
CN/DMIR 408 - EMD SD40-3
CN/IC 6254 - EMD SD40-3
CN/IC 6263 - EMD SD40-3

ID: CN Freight
Subdivision: Missabe
Time: 7:08PM
Origin: ?
Destination: ?
Locomotives:
CN 3002 - GE ET44AC
CN 2523 - GE C44-9W (DPU)
CN 2528 - GE C44-9W (Helper Set)
CN 2548 - GE C44-9W (Helper Set)
CN 2526 - GE C44-9W (Helper Set)

May 15th's trains are in the pinned comment, I ran out of space in the description lol.

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