CN 2000 splits the signals at Fairbanks, Minnesota on its way to the ore dock at Two Harbors with a load of hot, steaming Taconite pellets. The pellets originated as raw ore at the Minntac Mine before being crushed to sand sized grains, then magnetically separated from the non-iron content (gangue), mixed with a binding agent and then baked in a furnace to finally arrive as a hard, nut size, pellet shape. These Taconite pellets will be loaded into a “Laker” ore boat at Two Harbors for a voyage to steel mills in Ohio or Indiana.
