u/railrunner2003

A Greyhound bus departs Agate Bay for Duluth and the Twin Cities, as a Splitrock Mining Alco C-420 runs around the train of iron ore it just brought in from Vermilion.

Alco Century 4-axel diesels power a train north in 1969.

A mine run in Ely, MN.

Alco C-420/425/420 drag empty iron ore cars north towards the mines on the Vermilion Range.

A long drive down a state forest road to inspect the defect detection equipment.

A lone Splitrock Mining Company RS-32 does company service work setting out new ties and supplies in Soudan, MN.

Engineer and conductor of the 7:00 mainline job walk out of yard office in Agate Bay, MN to get on their power.

Waiting the mainline power to run around the train of iron ore loads they just brought into the yard.

My layout is set in 1969. Friends asked if I would ever have a modern version and paint an engine up for the 250th celebration. I did the math and figured by 2009 it would be gone. ( remember 2008 ?, anyone, Buehler?) So instead of an engine I made it a bike trail. /s

A Splitrock Mining Company train departs Vermilion Yard in Tower, MN bound for the ore dock in Agate Bay on Lake Superior.

Here are two I recently finished. I used a combination of oils, acrylics, and Pan Pastels with a VMS Matte Varnish. A fine point white paint pen was used for the interior markings. I see these interior numbers on many cars so the scrap dealer crane operators know which car they are filling.

July of 1969 a train of loaded iron ore cars cross the Dahl River Bridge in the forest of northern Minnesota. Moving the ore to the dock in Agate Bay on Lake Superior.

Conductor enjoying the warm July weather in 1969.

Splitrock Mining Company empty ore train climbing out of the Lake Superior basin.

Campers better watch their fires this weekend as they head north. The trio of Alco C-424’s are running around their train in Agate Bay, MN. July 1969.

Splitrock Mining Company RS-32’s switching the south end of Vermilion Yard in Tower, MN. 1969.

Switchmen in Agate Bay, MN. Ready to sort some iron ore loads for the Edmund Fitzgerald in 1969.

The yard job at Agate Bay latches onto another long string of loaded iron ore cars.

Truck driver looks over the yard power before departing after delivering supplies to the car dept.

Getting ready for operations to begin.