The barren landscape lead your eyes to Dongkuang Station and a departing train from the open cast coal mine.

Shoveling of some coal at Dongbolizhan Station for the stoves in the maintenance crew buildings along the yard tracks.

Workers at Jichangzhan Workshop do a final inspection and fire up this JS class locomotive which will soon see daylight.

Final touches are being done before they pull this JS class out of the Jichangzhan Workshop.

On train heads down to Xikeng as a loaded train passes by at Kengkongzhan Station going to the Xuanmeichang Washery.

A steel wheel set sits alone on the Jichangzhan workshop floor.

Every morning, the fresh crews take their trains down to the mine to first get their tenders loaded with coal. This tender was being loaded by a front end loaded as the fireman spray it with water... (more)

This worker looks on with kind eyes. The work never ends in maintaining these giants. Taken at Dongbolizhan Station.

Full steam ahead rounding the bend on the edge of the old open pit.

Carnage lays in the scrap yard adding texture to the frame as a coal truck races along the tracks kicking up a dust storm in its path. Taken at Jichangzhan.

Peering out the small window of the crossing guard shack just in time to see a JS locomotive whistle through the crossing back into Dongbolizhan Station.

Our guide Jun is also an avid railroad photographer. We were always his priority but he would take a few photos with us as well. He had a great knowledge of the area showing us the best locations ... (more)

You can feel and hear the madness from this image. Cinders and smoke exploding from this iron beast as the whistle blows hard and constantly as this show blows by.

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.