Standing on the former Erie Mining Dunka Branch bridge which Erie Mining used to access the Dunka Mine shooting the NSM 1100 loads two miles out their own mine and yard at Babbitt.

NSM #2001 returns home after a brief stint up in the cold of Northern Minnesota. Taken on private property.

The crew rounds the bend in front of "Railfan Rock" along the NSM mainline and hurries back to the plant after dumping the waste tailings at the basin.

Pulling 149 loads of rock down from the mine in Babbitt to the processing plant at Silver Bay, NSM 652 leads three other EMD SD40's along the NSM mainline at M.P. 4.5

Many tons of raw taconite rock roll along the NSM mainline almost effortlessly as they traverse the curves and grades between the mine at Babbitt and the plant at Silver Bay.

There is something to this ominous day--I catch the Northshore Mining on the way back to Babbit, but leased power is in the lead. No blue NSM on the nose. Oh Well, you make your own luck. Next ... (more)

A delivering 17,000 tons of taconite rock for processing, the crew picked up what empties the plant had ready for them and took off back towards the mine to reload. They are about at the halfway p... (more)

Screaming downhill with some classic 9000 EMD horsepower, this train delivers 17,000 tons of taconite rock from the mine at Babbitt to the processing plant at Silver Bay.

A short transfer to be interchanged with CN heads uphill as the loads of taconite rock come downhill on the NSM mainline outside Silver Bay.

Consecutively numbered ex-Rock Island units now leased to North Shore Mining lead taconite rock loads from the Babbitt mine to the Silver Bay plant along the 47 mile NSM mainline which cuts throug... (more)

Consecutively numbered ex-Rock Island units leased to North Shore Mining scream downhill throwing exhaust and heat into the air while holding back taconite rock loads from the Babbitt mine which ... (more)

Rods Down Diesel Style. Alot of the steam guys wont post a picture of a steam engine unless it has its rods down, which apparently show power. This has to be the diesel equivalent, as hot air and ... (more)

Tailings train thunders through the detector and signals at MP 2.2 as they drop down quite a large hill minutes from Silver Bay.

On a shortline railroad crewmembers have to take on different jobs. Normally a section crew would have come through and blown out these switches. Not here in the middle of the frozen tundra. The e... (more)

With the yard at Silver Bay plugged, all the #651 can do today is drop off cars (middle track) and let the ones the CN dropped off (left track) sit another day. They will run light back the the Ba... (more)