DM&IR Part 5 - Iron Junction, Minnesota

Northbound ore empties, Iron Jct. Minnesota

DM&IR SD38s, Iron Jct. Minnesota

Iron Jct. Minnesota, the conventional hoppers are perhaps for aggregate.

Nbnd. Iron Jct. Minnestoa

More NB ore empties, Iron Jct. Minnesota

CN 404 N. with a limestone train.

CN 404 N. with a limestone train.

DM&IR hauls limestone in both ore cars, and these Difco side dumps.

The Arrowhead

Iron Jct. Minnesota is located at the nexus of a network of trackage that fans out into the heart of the Iron Range. Not far to the northwest is Hibbing, Bob Dylan's hometown and the location of Zimmy's Restaurant, an establishment with lots of old railroad photographs on the walls. The weather on my Minnesota trip in late September of 2006 had been Indian summerish, but the afternoon I spent here was cloudy, cool, and a little misty, perfect photography weather for this Oregonian! What a fantastic place to sit and wait for trains! To the south are several grade crossings so there was plenty of advance notice of approaching northbounds, of which there were plenty on this afternoon. Until the appearance of  CN 404 N., it was all normally aspirated power.