A trip to the Iron Range
By M. Peakman
Home

The graduation of my oldest Grandson from university in the USA at the end of April 2012 gave me the opportunity to visit the Iron Range operations of Canadian National (CN), these head north from Duluth, Minnesota towards the prosaically named Iron Junction and fan out to various mines and taconite plants (taconite is a semi-refined form of iron ore baked with bentonite).

The CN Iron Range's southern base is Proctor Yard, about ten kilometers north west of downtown Duluth and atop the range of hills that skirt Lake Superior. Arriving from Duluth one is greeted with a preserved Duluth, Missabe & Iron Range (DMIR) Mallet beside the road at the golf course (along with a jet fighter), followed by the extensive maintenance shops and yard.

Proctor Yard is easily seen from an overpass at the north end, while the maintenance shop can be inspected from an adjacent public road. During our visit there was lots of activity with trains arriving and shunting, including locos still in DMIR and Bessemer & Lake Erie (B&LE) colors. The climb up from Duluth is steep so multiple locos are the norm.

We then proceeded north to Iron Junction where there is a maze of tracks, which initially confused us, as trains seemed to come and go in all directions, The following CN Subdivisions are here - Iron Range, Missabe, Rainy and Minntac, and connect and cross in all directions. Once we mastered the layout we spent a pleasant day chasing trains on the various lines, including one with a grade crossing at 45 degrees to the road intersection. Largo, which is a loading point, and the official end of the Missabe Sub and is very close (0.4 miles) to Shelton Junction. with the Rainy Sub is also busy, and is approached down a long dirt road that made it a quiet spot. It is beside the large iron mine at Eveleth, where we stayed in a very pleasant Motel. The nearest large town is Virginia and I would recommend a visit to the area to see different CN action.

En route back to Canada we visited Two Harbors, which is an alternate loading point to Duluth and has a Duluth & Iron Range 2-6-0 of 1883 and another DMIR Mallet (229) preserved at the old depot.

Lastly I included a picture of the “End of Track” at the northern end of Baraga on the former line to Houghton MI (variously given as mile 222.9 on CN Marquette Range Sub and mile 21.9 of CN L’Anse Subdivision).
Gallery

CN 406, an EMD SD40-3 (serial 7336-6, built 1972), B&LE 906, an EMD SD40-3 (serial 73674-5, built 1975) and CN 408, an EMD SD40-3 (serial 7348-4, built 1972) approaching Proctor Yard from the north. All three engines are former Southern Pacific SD45T-2 'Tunnel Motors'. Photo: M. Peakman, 30 April, 2012.

CN 2107, a GE C40-8 (serial 46788, built 1991) and 2138, a GE C40-8W (serial 46935, built 1992), at Iron Junction, Minnesota. Photo: M. Peakman, 30 April, 2012.

CN 2107 and 2138 at road intersection near Shelton Junction. Photo: M. Peakman, 30 April, 2012.

Maintenance Shop at Proctor, Minnesota. From left to right are B&LE 909, an EMD SD40-3 (serial 72625-17, built 1973), CN 5303, a GMDD SD40-2(W) (serial A3555, built 1978), IC 6260, an EMD SD40-3 (serial 766010-11, built 1976), CN 8835, a GMDD SD70M-2 (serial 20066861-036, built 2007) and an unidentified EMD SD75I. Photo: M. Peakman, 29 April, 2012.

Proctor Yard, on the train to the left are Illinois Central (IC) 6250, an EMD SD40-3 (serial 766010-19, built 1976), CN 400, an EMD SD40-3 (serial 7336-31 built 1972), and CN 402, an EMD SD40-3 (serial 7336-8, built 1972). The train to the right has DMIR 215, an EMD SD38-2 (serial 756069-1, built 1976) and CN 212, an EMD SD38-2 (serial 74649-4, built 1975). Photo: M. Peakman, 29 April. 2012.

Former DM&IR 2-8-8-4 Mallet 225 on display in Proctor, Minnesota. This engine had been built by Baldwin in 1941, serial 62531. Photo: M. Peakman, 29 April, 2012.

Former Duluth & Iron Range number 3, a 2-6-0 built by Baldwin in 1883, serial 6649, is preserved at the depot in Two Harbors, Minnesota. Photo: M. Peakman, 30 April, 2012.

End of the Line at Baraga, Michigan. Photo: M. Peakman, 28 April, 2012.
Copyright © J.S. Peakman & M. Peakman