Lifting heavy wet coarse tailings up from the plant at Silver Bay to the tailings pond at m.p. 7. The veteran EMDs and the tall searchlights make for a good day.

The end of a train of ore empties is just clearing as the North Shore Mining's Tailings Train rounds the sweeping curve behind SD40-3 653 as it rolls along Airport Road in Beaver Bay, Minnesota an... (more)

An empty tailings train rolls through a frosted forest setting as it heads back to Silver Bay from Babbitt.

After delivering cars of tailings to the mine at Babbitt, MN NSM 653 is headed back east towards the plant at Silver Bay, MN roughly 44 miles away.

With their 1x1 power configuration, an empty tailings train runs down into Silver Bay among the peak fall colors.

On a otherwise quiet and tranquil late winter afternoon, NSM 653 breaks that quiet and tranquility momentarily as it and two other SD40-3's chase the sun to the horizon working up hill out of the ... (more)

A 15-car train of ore tailings clears Highway 61 as SD40-3 651 leads and 653 shoves hard on the steep grade out of the plant. The mining company was working on their normal tailings loadout up on ... (more)

As the last light of the day holds on, NSM 653 leads empties out of the Lake Superior basin from Silver Bay back to the mine at Babbitt, MN.

After dumping it's train of tailings, NSM 653 heads back to Silver Bay and crosses over highway 4.

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.

A mere 15 miles off pavement and down a logging road into the woods of northern Minnesota you will come across the Skibo Road crossing at M.P. 43 on the NSM RR. Rumor had it this was the most remo... (more)

A pleasant early evening trip to the tailings basin for NSM 653 and NSM 654.

NSM 653 leads an EMD lease unit and a recently arrived ex-GCFX/WC SD40-3 downgrade towards Silver Bay with 155 loads. Also on the train was NREX SD40-2 5418.

After serving as the a dpu unit on the tailings train, the crew put NSM 653 on it's own little train with five cars from the plant being brought up to Norshore Jct. which is where the NSM RR and t... (more)