The push/pull SD40s on the NSM tailings train grind their way up the grade and through the curves out of Silver Bay as they head for the tailings pond among the brilliant fall colors.

After running light up to Norshor Jct. to pick up bentonite hoppers interchanged by CN, a trio of SD40-3's head back to the plant at Silver Bay while a track worker runs up the east main.

Reaching the approximate half way point on their 47 mile trip between the plant and the mine while passing through one of only three public road crossings on the route.

Pulling up the grade out of the Lake Superior basin, three SD40-3's are barking hard as they pull the empties back inland from Silver Bay to the mine at Babbitt. The NSM nose logo was the frostin... (more)

Breaking the silence for a moment are three SD40-3's working hard pulling empties back inland from the Lake Superior basin and the plant at Silver Bay back to the mine at Babbitt, MN. Fall colors ... (more)

An empty twenty eight car tailing train descends the last few miles towards Silver Bay.

With a SD40-3 on each end of the train, NSM 651 shoves 28 cars of 'tails' to Babbitt for unloading.

In the last light of a cold winter's day, NSM 651 pushes hard on a loaded tailings train traveling inland the seven miles from the plant to the tailing pond to unload and then return to the plant ... (more)

Off to dump tailings.

A loaded tailings train heads to the Milepost 7 basin with one SD40-3 on either end.

A 30-car tailings train with an SD40-3 on either end (you can see the other unit between the cars on the right) prepares to ease under the loadout at Silver Bay.

Another train of waste course tailings heads up to the basin with a blue NSM logo pushing in DPU mode.

Having run the complete 47 mile NSM mainline with tailings ( fine waste rock from the taconite production process) for the mine haul roads, NSM 651 heads back to Silver Bay and is just outside Bab... (more)

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.

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