What a winter! In January 2007 temperatures in Beijing reached almost zero degrees Centigrade! It was much warmer compared to all my previous winter trips to China. The coldest place we visited was Zhalai Nuer. In the morning temperatures dropped to minus 27 degrees Centigrade, but during the afternoon we had some minus 14 degrees centigrade only. We were a little overdressed for such a warm winter. However, steam exhaust was superb, we had brilliant clear days and some hazy days as well, almost no trouble with the wind and steam – steam – steam!
Darryl Bond has produced his own site about this tour with a huge load of fascinating pictures. Check it out here.
Bernd Haase has produced a picture gallery which is available here.
Contents
The tour started with this magnificent loess mountain line. There are no changes to my previous reports. Not mentioned before in my trip reports is the slag tip. Trains are very short (two tippers, one flat wagon) and are pushed to the tipping area. Every time I have seen this train the locomotive has faced towards the slag wagons. Trains are about every two hours. Although freely accessible, the area is officially not open to visitors. So take care when going there. People are friendly, but officials might not be happy if they see you there. This area has nothing which could be called safety regulations, and only staff needed to work there and with proper security instructions are usually allowed there. In my opinion it’s not a question of danger, it’s a question of security that you shouldn’t go there. Take care! One accident and every further visit to Baiyin might be denied.
Locomotives seen:
SY 2008 is a fantasy number (Olympic games compatible). The original number is SY 0701, built in August 1973.
No change here as well. Well, no change is not quite correct as construction work is undergoing at many places of the steelworks. The high demand for steel is the engine that keeps the steam locos alive. The steelworks have been buying diesels for several years now, but the production is growing, new furnaces are being installed, a new coking plant was established and so on. The demand for rail transport has grown constantly in recent years and that’s the only reason why diesels haven’t replace all the steam locos by now. They do all the extra work, and steam is still active at the old blast furnace, the coking plant, the rolling plant, the fire stone factory and the slag tip.
Slag tip: Baotou is a rare place where you can get an official permit to visit the slag tip. But rules have changed. From January 1st, 2007 you’re not allowed to visit this site during darkness any more. Visitors need to leave the steelworks and the slag tip area by 5pm and are not allowed in before 8am. This is to be understood as a safety requirement. The management has no objections if you take pictures of the railways, but they want to avoid any risk of an accident. So far it’s amazing how freely you can walk around once you have permission. In some older reports there are those who say it’s possible to enter the steelworks and the slag tip without official permission. Yes, it is. Just take a taxi and pass the guard’s post without showing your face. But, think twice before you do so, the first incident, and this might be the last time that the steelworks allow railway photographers. Many other steelworks deny visits but Baotou instead welcomes tourists. They have even opened a branch to promote Industrial tourism. This is focussed on tourists who just want to see a steelworks, not for railway enthusiasts. The visitors are Chinese, seldom foreigners. These people are only interested in seeing where the steel they use comes from. They have no problems with the rule “not before 8am and not after 5pm”. As long as railway enthusiasts who want to visit this really interesting site take good care for the rules, we all can get access. Unauthorised visits might change the mind of the management.
Locomotives seen:
Coking Plant:
Fire stone works
Blast Furnace and slag tip
Rolling plant
Yard Shunting and spare under steam:
Cold in the shed:
Museum exhibits/plinthed
Our main programme started in Huludao. We never had such brilliant, clear weather there. Almost unlimited visibility, possible because of a slight breeze, led to wonderful pictures. The external condition of the locomotives is now much better than some time ago. The railway workers said that there are no plans to change to diesel. For overhauls they’re using the Factory 701 workshop nearby which will overhaul locomotives at least until 2008. So this operation seems to have a future beyond the Olympic games. Under steam and in service we found JS 6307 and JS 8207.
This workshop was established as a military stand by workshop in a tunnel near Nanpiao. During the cold war, in the late 1960’s, two tunnels were built on two levels parallel to each other, connected by spurs from each end of the tunnels. The upper tunnel is wider than a tunnel usually is and contains the main erecting hall. From the main tunnel a U-shaped side passage with some extensions and two connections to the main tunnel was built to give room for the main engines used for repairing locomotives and some military equipment. Outside the tunnels, only a few office buildings and a small stabling point have been built. In January 1970 the tunnel system was finished, the workshop equipped with machines and a small inauguration celebration was held. The date of inauguration - January 1970 - gave the name to the works: Factory 701. The full operation and equipment wasn’t used for the first decade, as it was only for military emergency use. In 1981a decision was made to use the workshop for repairing steam locomotives, as it was judged there was no likelihood of mobilization, military attack or war preparations. The first locomotives from various industrial lines were outshopped in1983. The number of overhauled locomotives was small in the beginning but grew as they built a new boiler erecting shop outside, just in front of the tunnel. Factory 701 had its heyday between 1991 and 1995, as more than 50 locomotives a year left the workshop in fresh overhauled condition. The development of the recent decade:
| Year |
SY
|
YJ
|
JS
|
QJ
|
Total
|
| 1996 |
41
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
42
|
| 1997 |
32
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
32
|
| 1998 |
26
|
0
|
6
|
5
|
37
|
| 1999 |
20
|
0
|
2
|
13
|
35
|
| 2000 |
17
|
0
|
2
|
21
|
40
|
| 2001 |
26
|
0
|
5
|
13
|
44
|
| 2002 |
23
|
0
|
2
|
6
|
31
|
| 2003 |
13
|
0
|
3
|
10
|
26
|
| 2004 |
12
|
0
|
1
|
11
|
24
|
| 2005 |
11
|
0
|
5
|
6
|
22
|
| 2006 |
12
|
0
|
2
|
2
|
16
|
| 2007 |
?
|
0
|
?
|
0
|
26
|
The QJ’s from the JiTong line ensured continued work for Factory 701 for a while. In 2006, the last two overhauled QJ’s nos. 6988 and 7081 which were purchased by the Railroad Development Co. from the U.S. The Company chairman, Henry Posner III is a railway enthusiast and purchased these two QJ’s from the JiTong line and holds an option on a further three. These three are dumped in the workshop and awaiting the final decision, scrap or overhaul. The numbers of the additional three QJ’s are 6998, 7002 and 7040. QJ 6988 and 7081 have been shipped to the U.S. already and are based at the Railroad Development Co. owned Iowa Interstate Railroad (U.S. states Iowa and Illinois).
The prospect for the works has been dark since 2006. The number of overhauled locomotive declined dramatically, with the loss of the QJ’s from the JiTong line, a small number of the smaller SY’s couldn’t keep the workshop alive alone. In mid 2006 it was said that the workshop would be closed by mid 2007, probably in Spring 2007. As several other workshops for steam locomotive repair gave up due to the decline of steam operations in China, the small size of the 701 factory became now a trump-card. With more than 20 overhauls a year the workshop is able to work profitably. The main surprise was that they had acquired 26 orders for overhaul already. 19 of these are heavy overhauls, the rest intermediate overhauls. So one thing for sure: China’s steam will not die with the Olympic games in 2008!
Locomotives are coming from all over China now. The most distant steam location which sends locomotives for overhaul to 701 factory is the open cast mine in Sandaoling. Quite a long way to go!
The 701 factory is owned by the Laodongfu Gongsi (which can be translated as Labour Service Administration Company). This is a collective owned cooperative of 24 companies of which one is the 701 workshop. At the moment there are negotiations to privatise the cooperative, after privatisation the future of the workshop is unsafe again. It can be considered to be safe as long as they are able to get more than 20 orders per year. As Sandaoling is planning to establish its own workshop the question of the survival of the 701 factory seems to be a short term question.
In their heyday they employed more than 500 people, today they have still 210 employees. The workshop has it’s own locomotive for shunting, JS 8162.
A visit to the factory is now possible for foreign tourists, but you need to make an appointment in advance. Just to go there and knock at their door might not be a good idea. If you want to visit this workshop I’ll give you the phone numbers you need. Your guide should hence make the appointment and you can enjoy a look inside a once military secret. Just send me an email.
We made only a short visit to Nanpiao and found no change except that some of the rust dents in the sheet metal of the BJ diesels have now become holes. Go on rust, make them naked and then knackered!
What a disappointment! They try to make everything just right, but they have failed to satisfy the demands of photographers. During their “Steam Festival” they had their KD6, JS and YJ under steam and hauled charter trains with these locomotives. Charter trains consist mostly of the museum stock (three coaches, two of them old shaped) and two locomotives. Sometimes these two locos have been coupled tender to tender or at each end of the train was one locomotive. They offer the driving of a steam locomotive and rides on the charter trains.
The normal passenger trains have been steam hauled as well – at least in general. Their charter trains weren’t an acceptable photo or video object for us, as this is really a Mickey Mouse operation. So we asked them to haul scheduled trains with their special locomotives. They agreed, but what a misunderstanding. We wanted to take pictures of a real steam operation. As soon as loco crews spotted photographers, they opened all holes where steam can escape. Even after we said we didn’t want to see a big cloud of steam where there should be a chimney, they didn’t stop opening the piston valves and covering the whole motion, cab and tender with steam. We than took a charter train with the KD6 as they didn’t want to use this particular loco for scheduled trains. We arranged the normal rolling stock (six ordinary passenger coaches) for our train so we could make good shots. But, even here it was almost impossible to teach them not to open the piston valves on the open line. They thought, steam enthusiasts want to see as much steam as possible. Only at one location we managed to see the train with closed piston valves, ten minutes later at the next photo stop they opened these valves again.
Last but not least, we were told that one of the afternoon passenger trains was to be hauled by YJ, chimney first. Great. We went to a position, where the loco crew could not see us and waited. An air horn sounded in the distance, then the train came in view: hauled by a DFH3 diesel locomotive. Sorry, they don’t understand how to make steam photo- and videographers happy. They tried their best, but they are only able to please normal tourists and, maybe, some other groups of railway enthusiasts who like to look out of the window of a steam train. The most annoying point of the visit to Tiefa was their business behaviour. Last year, we were told, the price for taking part in their “Steam Festival” was 150 RMB per person. In Autumn 2006 we asked for the price and they confirmed the old price. With less than two weeks in to go they called and told us that the price is now 1,500 RMB per person. Ten times the old price. We had no chance to change the itinerary after all tickets and charter buses had been paid for already. We were close to the Chinese New Year when it is almost impossible to get sleeper coach tickets with short notice. So we had to go to Tiefa and pay their 900 % higher price - for the last time. If we support their museum project, we want to see what we have come for and not what they think we would be happy with. Tourism in China is a brand new part of the economy, but it probably will need some decades before they find out why tourists come and how to please them. We clearly said what we wanted and our requirements were very easy to handle without spoiling the normal traffic. If they don’t listen to what we’re saying (and we told them not only one time, and we spoke to the right people) then there is no chance for them to see one of my groups again. We’ll go there for their normal trains, when steam operation is quite as it should be, but we’ll not charter anything as this is expensive and not rewarding.
Locos in service:
Diesel
Jixi is a delight in every respect: very friendly people, nice countryside, much action, banked and double headed, long trains and frequent service.
Plans for dieselisation are disturbing the joy, of course. In May 2007 they hope to get their first big batch of diesels which should replace all steam operated line service on two systems: Hengshan and Chengzihe. These two systems are the most interesting ones as both offer banked trains, and Hengshan sometimes even double headed trains.
After the first batch of diesels the situation should be as follows:
Remark: see my new trip report from March 2007 – they have new plans which are much better for steam loco enthusiasts!
Hengshan has always one SY as spare under steam, this loco has never been active whenever I have been there, so the system seems to be completely lost. We saw the rebuilding of a bridge to make it able to resist the heavier diesels. When diesels arrive they’ll soon realise that with six driving wheels and much more axle load they don’t need to haul trains with two or even three locomotives any more. This might lead to a reduced number of diesel locomotives in Hengshan, and the left over can be send to another system. All I can recommend is to go there soon, very soon.
After the first dieselisation the best system will be Didao. Lishu (probably Mulin) is most scenic, but traffic is sparse and chimney first trains are very rare. But Didao has more to offer than just a big washery which is difficult to photograph because locos face north when shunting at the impressive installation.
The washery is the centre of the operation. Here is a big control office as well as the stabling point for locomotives. Just south of the washery is a small coal storage, where trains are pushed up the coal dump under sometimes impressive sound and steam effects. If you visit only this site, you’ll scratch only the surface of the system. The washery is best for normal photography in the late afternoon.
From the washery there is a line to the south. It passes by the China Railway station and turns to northeast, passing the working mine Jinkeng and the closed mine Linjing. Around Jinkeng there are good positions. The line passes through the village. Trains to the power plant are tender first or banked downhill until the CR-station and from there uphill. All trains return chimney first and roll down as far as the level crossing before they open the regulator and thrash uphill towards the Didao washery. Between the washery and the level crossing are also good positions. Best place is near a small level crossing just at the beginning of the bank to the steep line. Trains pass a closed factory in a curve (where you can see the entry signal for the station) crossing a level crossing and afterwards have a mountain with houses to the east and fields to the west. After the line passes this little open part, it comes to a built up area where wires disturb the positions. As this section is northbound, the late afternoon light is best for standard photography.
You can expect one to two trains every hour on this section.
From the Washery to the west is the Lijing coalmine and a big spoil dump. It seems there is coal storage as well. If you climb up the old dumps of the Lijing mines you have an excellent view over the mine and the dumps. You can even see the state railway and the line to the power plant. Lijing mine is still unpainted while Jinkeng has the typical pink colour. Trains have to drive hard to get up to the dump. Usually trains are tender first or banked here, but there is good potential for interesting shots, however.
The Lijing mine and the dump sees about one train per two or three hours, so you need a bit more patience here.
Loco seen in service:
Lishu:
Hengshan:
Chengzihe:
Didao:
We didn’t make a visit to Donghaikuang.
What an exciting place. As often as I go there, Zhalai Nuer is still one of the best places for steam photography. We went to the workshop again. Just as our group arrived, a big meeting ended. The manager of the workshop had good news for us: The end of operation of the open cast pit will be in 2010, not in 2009 as expected. So he needed to re-start heavy overhauls! There is no discussion about diesel locomotives or electrification, the open cast mine is running out of coal and will stick to steam until their last day.
There are so many good opportunities for steam photography that I compiled a gallery with some shots. Click here for the gallery.
Locos in service/in the workshop
All together we saw 31 SY under steam, not too bad for two days in 2007! In the Yunxiaochu depot we saw SY 1234 dumped.
On way back to Beijing we passed by Dayan (east of Hailaer). Besides the reported diesel we could still see steam. In the CR interchange yard we found SY 1307 waiting with a long train.
Darryl Bond has produced his own site about this tour with a huge load of fascinating pictures. Check it out here.
Bernd Haase has produced a picture gallery which is available here.
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