Kelly Lake Green
While countless fans flock to CN's former Missabe Road mainline to chase the ore trains behind their vintage power, their nextdoor neighbor is largely eschewed. But BNSF continues to be a major player in the ion ore business with exclusive access to two of the six currently producing taconite pellet plants in the Iron Range region. Serving the Keetac and Hibtacc plants of US Steel and Cleveland Cliffs in Keewatin and Hibbing respectively these facilities are west of the DMIR along legacy Great Northern Railway routes. While some ore moves via long all 'all rail' routings much of it flows to Superior and the massive ex GB Allouez ore yard and docks. The primary route for these trains among the heaviest in North America is via BNSF's Allouez, Lakes, and Casco Subdivisions. The latter basically parallels the former DMIR northward some places literally in sight of their competitor.
Despite this proximity you see comparatively very few photos of BNSF operations along the Casco. I suppose this makes sense given that trains are much less frequent and they run with mundane modern wide cabs and similarly modern ore hoppers. However there is an exception to that rule and we got intel that on this day the biweekly (I think) road local was to be heading south from Kelly Lake Yard with a lead unit still in Burlington Northern green.
After confirming with a friend at BNSF that a crew was indeed ordered and we took the leap of faith and drove 90 minutes north. Upon arrival we sure enough found the train built in the yard with three units and the advertised BN leader but all shut down and narry a soul around. But we gave it a bit and soon enough a taxi arrived, the units were fired up and the crew of BNSF's MKLLSUP (manifest Kelly Lake to Superior) started moving slowly down yard track 17 to the Casco Siding while calling for a signal out of the yard. While largely empty these days and with only a few tracks remaining, Kelly Lake Yard was once a very busy location for sorting cars from different mines back in the raw ore days. Today BNSF's giant taconite pellet trains don't needs switching as they pass by headed to the HibTac Sub that diverges just north (railroad east) of the yard.
This is about MP 106.8 on the Casco Sub and in the foreground is a siding to one of the very few non iron ore related customers in this area. This line is all welded rail, CTC, and 50 mph territory, so with no opposition they were given signals the length of the line 49 miles south to Brookston. After getting a few shots here we drove 40 miles south (50 by car) for our second shot and made it with only minutes to spare and it was one of my favorites of the trip. If you missed it you can find it here: flic.kr/p/2oCBD1H
This trackage dates from 1901 when James J. Hill's Eastern Railway of Minnesota built north in pursuit of iron. In 1905 the railroad was leased to the Great Northern and two years later was outright purchased and has remained in the family ever since. Cascade Green SD40-2 BNSF 1943 (blt. Feb. 1979 as BN 7145) is trailed by rebuilt GP38-2 2240 (orginally blt. Sep. 1970 as straight GP38 ATSF 3551) and sibling SD40-2 1663 (blt. Mar. 1978 as BN 8012) with a long train of ore cars and general freight.
Kelly Lake
Hibbing, Minnesota
Thursday May 11, 2023
Kelly Lake Green
While countless fans flock to CN's former Missabe Road mainline to chase the ore trains behind their vintage power, their nextdoor neighbor is largely eschewed. But BNSF continues to be a major player in the ion ore business with exclusive access to two of the six currently producing taconite pellet plants in the Iron Range region. Serving the Keetac and Hibtacc plants of US Steel and Cleveland Cliffs in Keewatin and Hibbing respectively these facilities are west of the DMIR along legacy Great Northern Railway routes. While some ore moves via long all 'all rail' routings much of it flows to Superior and the massive ex GB Allouez ore yard and docks. The primary route for these trains among the heaviest in North America is via BNSF's Allouez, Lakes, and Casco Subdivisions. The latter basically parallels the former DMIR northward some places literally in sight of their competitor.
Despite this proximity you see comparatively very few photos of BNSF operations along the Casco. I suppose this makes sense given that trains are much less frequent and they run with mundane modern wide cabs and similarly modern ore hoppers. However there is an exception to that rule and we got intel that on this day the biweekly (I think) road local was to be heading south from Kelly Lake Yard with a lead unit still in Burlington Northern green.
After confirming with a friend at BNSF that a crew was indeed ordered and we took the leap of faith and drove 90 minutes north. Upon arrival we sure enough found the train built in the yard with three units and the advertised BN leader but all shut down and narry a soul around. But we gave it a bit and soon enough a taxi arrived, the units were fired up and the crew of BNSF's MKLLSUP (manifest Kelly Lake to Superior) started moving slowly down yard track 17 to the Casco Siding while calling for a signal out of the yard. While largely empty these days and with only a few tracks remaining, Kelly Lake Yard was once a very busy location for sorting cars from different mines back in the raw ore days. Today BNSF's giant taconite pellet trains don't needs switching as they pass by headed to the HibTac Sub that diverges just north (railroad east) of the yard.
This is about MP 106.8 on the Casco Sub and in the foreground is a siding to one of the very few non iron ore related customers in this area. This line is all welded rail, CTC, and 50 mph territory, so with no opposition they were given signals the length of the line 49 miles south to Brookston. After getting a few shots here we drove 40 miles south (50 by car) for our second shot and made it with only minutes to spare and it was one of my favorites of the trip. If you missed it you can find it here: flic.kr/p/2oCBD1H
This trackage dates from 1901 when James J. Hill's Eastern Railway of Minnesota built north in pursuit of iron. In 1905 the railroad was leased to the Great Northern and two years later was outright purchased and has remained in the family ever since. Cascade Green SD40-2 BNSF 1943 (blt. Feb. 1979 as BN 7145) is trailed by rebuilt GP38-2 2240 (orginally blt. Sep. 1970 as straight GP38 ATSF 3551) and sibling SD40-2 1663 (blt. Mar. 1978 as BN 8012) with a long train of ore cars and general freight.
Kelly Lake
Hibbing, Minnesota
Thursday May 11, 2023