VIRGINIA HERITAGE MUSEUM

VIRGINIA, MN

Last Light at Aurora With the midwest getting a blanket of snow and frigid temperatures this weekend, it feels appropriate to flash back to my long weekend at the DMIR a year ago. These ex-UP, nee-CNW, C40-8s are mostly, if not entirely, removed from the iron range last I heard. I'm certainly glad we had a chance to shoot them. Dash 8s dominated the Iron Range sub, the former Duluth & Iron Range Railroad, on our weekend there. Had we longer, we may have explored farther along the D&IR trackage, but we certainly got our fill of these units. They look sharp in CN paint, and remarkably clean considering how the railroad treats much of its other older power. At Aurora, MN, we caught a triplet of C40-8s - 2020, 2116, 2033 - hauling empties back west. As we neared golden hour, some fine sunlight illuminated our trio. We would follow these back to Iron Junction before scurrying down to Fairlane to catch our BLE/IC/CN trio pull fresh tac out at sunset. Boy, that was a fun evening.
Last Light at Aurora Credit: Leo Blackwelder

The Virginia Heritage Museum, located in Virginia, MN, is a historical museum that features exhibits showcasing the rich history of the region. The museum is housed in a beautiful 1904 building, which was once used as a post office, federal courthouse, and customs office. The permanent exhibits at the museum include artifacts and displays that illustrate the history of the Iron Range, from the early Native American settlements to the mining industry that brought prosperity to the region.

Visitors to the Virginia Heritage Museum can explore exhibits on the history of logging, mining, and transportation in the area, as well as displays featuring the everyday life of the people who lived and worked in the region. The museum also features a research library, where visitors can explore historical documents and photographs related to the Iron Range.

In addition to the permanent exhibits, the Virginia Heritage Museum hosts temporary exhibits and events throughout the year, including lectures, workshops, and educational programs for all ages. The museum is open year-round, with hours varying by season, and admission is free. Overall, the Virginia Heritage Museum is a must-visit for anyone interested in the history of the Iron Range and the people who shaped it.

VIRGINIA HERITAGE MUSEUM is a Uncategorized or General Museum in VIRGINIA MN. US MID #8402700008

The museum is classed as GMU (Uncategorized or General Museums). It comes under American Alliance of Museums (AAM) region: Midwest (Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, Wisconsin).

Last Light at Aurora With the midwest getting a blanket of snow and frigid temperatures this weekend, it feels appropriate to flash back to my long weekend at the DMIR a year ago. These ex-UP, nee-CNW, C40-8s are mostly, if not entirely, removed from the iron range last I heard. I'm certainly glad we had a chance to shoot them. Dash 8s dominated the Iron Range sub, the former Duluth & Iron Range Railroad, on our weekend there. Had we longer, we may have explored farther along the D&IR trackage, but we certainly got our fill of these units. They look sharp in CN paint, and remarkably clean considering how the railroad treats much of its other older power. At Aurora, MN, we caught a triplet of C40-8s - 2020, 2116, 2033 - hauling empties back west. As we neared golden hour, some fine sunlight illuminated our trio. We would follow these back to Iron Junction before scurrying down to Fairlane to catch our BLE/IC/CN trio pull fresh tac out at sunset. Boy, that was a fun evening.
Paul Wellstone Memorial and Historic Site Eveleth, Minnesota
Paul Wellstone Memorial and Historic Site Eveleth, Minnesota
Paul Wellstone Memorial and Historic Site Eveleth, Minnesota
Smoking Sparta's Signals With this weeks forecast looking (and feeling) pretty damn hot, it's nice to look back a few months during the wintry period. When my buddy Jake and I ventured up to the ex-DMIR CN Iron Range, we were greeted with hefty amounts of snow and some fairly frigid temperatures at times. Although I'm from a state that sees its fair share of snow and low temps, I've found myself becoming pretty weak to them. Yet, as this weeks shapes up to be in the high 90s, humid, and I'll be stuck in a warehouse that only makes all that worse... I'm starting to wish for those cold temps back. For now. Back on the CN Iron Range sub, former CNW C40-8s power empty ore cars from Two Harbors to the taconite plants farther inland, and farther uphill. We'd shot all up and down the Iron Range and were getting tired of the drive, but we had the opportunity to nab a quick shot at Sparta, MN. Well, why not? A little stroke of luck - melting snow from slowly warming temperatures made a nice puddle to catch a reflection, while one of the old C40-8s started to really smoke it up. Man, they do look and sound good. It's a shame the C6Ms and GEVOs are starting to replace the power sets up there already. Man, I wish I had more time to shoot this place. And for non-extreme temperatures. Wishful thinking, I suppose.
Farewell Fairlane The wait was long, but when I remoted into ATCS and saw Fairlane start flashing green to request access south, I knew we had timed things very right. The sun was beginning to dip ever closer towards the horizon and granting us our first bit of golden light as CN U717 led by BLE909 / IC6260 / DMIR408 began to depart Fairlane. The taconite was as fresh as can be, steaming away happily as the orange leader led into golden light. Truly, how much more perfect could it get? This was our final train of the day, our first full day on the range, and we had the opportunity to do some southbound pacing thanks to the sun setting before long. That was our main goal, so a simple wedge right at the crossing outside the plant was all we got. Looking back, we certainly could have gotten a fine curve shot just a touch to our west, but we wanted to be in the position to pace quickly and didn't want to miss anything. You live and learn. I have a good chunk of range content to go, but I think I'll keep it tucked away for later. I'm hoping to return to the range this summer if I'm lucky, so maybe I can snag some more golden power and light together! Or I can get that damn white silled SD40 leading in the day. Maybe. Anyway, off to another adventure...

Contact VIRGINIA HERITAGE MUSEUM

VIRGINIA HERITAGE MUSEUM

VIRGINIA
MN
55792

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VIRGINIA HERITAGE MUSEUM Information

MID # 8402700008
Name VIRGINIA HERITAGE MUSEUM
Alternate Name VIRGINIA HERITAGE MUSEUM
Classification Uncategorized or General Museums, , Midwest
Federal Employer Identification Number (EIN)
NTEECC
Tax period of the latest return filed (YYYYMM)
INCOME 0
REVENUE 0
LAT/LONG 47.529707, -92.542146
CODES FIPS State Code: 27
FIPS County Code: 137
US Census Tract: 013000
US Census Block: 3003