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)

With grey units soon to take over leading the majority of North Shore Mining trains, shoot solid blue while you can!

Perfect Day. Perfect Light. The NSM raw rock loads from the mine in Babbitt roll south towards Silver Bay on a unseasonably warm January day in northern Minnesota.

A lucky shaft of sunlight illuminates the lead units on an ore train.

With a lite fog laying low in the area due to the brisk 42 degree morning, the 5am raw ore train greets the morning sun that is just creeping over the trees in Toimi MN. The smoking 5418, third ou... (more)

1100 loads running a little late as they blast through Toimi with some fall colors still clinging on.

A cool winter scene for hot summer days. The North Shore Mining noon loads crew hum along at a steady track speed on a cold winter day while they move rock from the Babbitt mine to Silver Bay pla... (more)

A pair of leased units long with NSM 650 lug 156 ore loads towards Silver Bay on a beautifully still and crisp (temp 44F) morning in Northeastern Minnesota.

Three blue units lead 156 cars of ore towards Silver Bay on a pristine late spring morning.

Three blue units lead 156 cars or ore towards Silver Bay on a pristine late spring morning.

The crew of the NSM RR gives a friendly little gesture and smokes it up a little as they roll by on their return trip to Babbitt with the empties. It was a great spring day in northern Minnesota ... (more)

The noon loads consisting of three SD40-3's and 156 cars of taconite rock make their way from the mine in Babbitt to the plant in SIlver Bay on a great spring day. The detector chimed in with the... (more)

The crew pulls the empties past the half way point between the plant at Silver Bay and the mine at Babbitt. The trio of SD40-3's sounded nice pulling hard coming up hill on an otherwise calm and ... (more)

A fairly rare catch to find one of NSM's rebuilt SD28s leading a loaded ore train. Here 1234 leads three leased SD40-2s towards Silver Bay with 156 cars.

A classic three EMD set of NSM locomotives breaks the silence of the cold northern Minnesota winter wilderness as they pull the loads of raw taconite rock from the mine to the plant. Once they pas... (more)