Fairlane Loader
Thirty minutes behind A439 we see CN train U716, an empty ore train headed to UTAC's Fairlane plant to load pellets and turn back to Proctor. The all EMD consist consisting of CN SD40-2W 5349 and repainted DMIR 'tunnel motors' 404 and 405 is approaching the Munger Shaw Rd. crossing at MP 14 on CN's North Division Missabe Sub mainline. Modern day CN's designation for this route pays homage to the historic former Duluth, Missabe and Northern Railroad which was incorporated in 1891, ran its first train in 1892 and built into Duluth proper in 1893. In 1938 the road was merged into the Duluth and Iron Range both long owned by US Steel to officially create the legendary Duluth, Missabe and Iron Range Railway.
Passing overhead is MP 18.9 on CN's Rainy Sub, the former Duluth, Winnipeg and Pacific Railway mainline. Today the CN uses the two lines as a directional mainline for all their 'core' traffic which is how they refer to their non iron ore related thru trains to and from Canada. All southbound trains (manifest, grain, oil, intermodal etc.) take the Rainy while all northbound counterpartsuse the Missabe for a distance of about 60 miles between Nopeming Jct. on the south and Shelton Jct. on the north. But with both north and southbound ore and limestone trains using this lower line it sees far more traffic than it's counterpart overhead.
Unincorporated Munger
Solway Township
St. Louis County, Minnesota
Sunday September 15, 2024
Fairlane Loader
Thirty minutes behind A439 we see CN train U716, an empty ore train headed to UTAC's Fairlane plant to load pellets and turn back to Proctor. The all EMD consist consisting of CN SD40-2W 5349 and repainted DMIR 'tunnel motors' 404 and 405 is approaching the Munger Shaw Rd. crossing at MP 14 on CN's North Division Missabe Sub mainline. Modern day CN's designation for this route pays homage to the historic former Duluth, Missabe and Northern Railroad which was incorporated in 1891, ran its first train in 1892 and built into Duluth proper in 1893. In 1938 the road was merged into the Duluth and Iron Range both long owned by US Steel to officially create the legendary Duluth, Missabe and Iron Range Railway.
Passing overhead is MP 18.9 on CN's Rainy Sub, the former Duluth, Winnipeg and Pacific Railway mainline. Today the CN uses the two lines as a directional mainline for all their 'core' traffic which is how they refer to their non iron ore related thru trains to and from Canada. All southbound trains (manifest, grain, oil, intermodal etc.) take the Rainy while all northbound counterpartsuse the Missabe for a distance of about 60 miles between Nopeming Jct. on the south and Shelton Jct. on the north. But with both north and southbound ore and limestone trains using this lower line it sees far more traffic than it's counterpart overhead.
Unincorporated Munger
Solway Township
St. Louis County, Minnesota
Sunday September 15, 2024