A lone JS rattles through Kengkongzhan junction as it heads down to the mine with a couple of workers before sunrise.

The elevated rail line encircles the old mostly abandoned town of Nanquan.

A worker climbs onto the top of his locomotive, tools in hand.

Old tracks lay in the rocky dirt alongside the mainline down in the old pit. The sky is hazy from blasting in the open cast mine.

The Jichangzhan Tower operator stand proudly next to his bomb proof chair, his collection of phones, and the switchboard. The clock on the wall is in Beijing time as our all the clock in China (no... (more)

Trains leave the station in the morning and return 12 hours later just to shortly after leave again for another 12 hours. Working in the crossing shack has to be the least demanding job on this ra... (more)

Tools sit at the ready in the Jichangzhan Workshop. Breaktime clears the shop out of any workers and the building falls silent.

The only people I saw use this dirt road were the coal thieves on mopeds, their sack loaded full to the top. They would head back to town and sell the coal for heat and to cook. I will never forge... (more)

There was nothing better than being alone standing in the freezing cold dawn hours at Dongbolizhan Station. Watching the light change, listing to the steam trains off in the distance working their... (more)

Dwarf style signal stands guard over the Nanzhan coal sorting yard.

Pulling out onto the mainline at Kengkongzhan junction and on down to the mine to fill their tender with coal.

The fireman enjoys his breakfast dumpling that he just finished cooking on top of the boiler.

The rear signal car worker leans out as one of the side dump cars dumps out its load of coal at Xuanmeichang Washery.

Tons of steel pounds past as the fireman looks on.

An industrial backdrop made up of buildings for the deep mines at Beiquan Erjing.