They have no plans to aquire additional diesels in the next months. On the other hand they're planning to purchase another locomotive for special trains. They intended to buy a 2-6-2 YJ in 2005. Later they want to purchase a QJ as well.
Regular steam service will last at least until 2007. Steam in front of freights is very limited now, but almost 100% of the passenger traffic is handled by steam.
Diesel is more expensive than steam, they confirmed. Anyhow, the new DF4Bs can haul some 4,000 tons while the SYs are limited to 2,000 tons by now. In former years we saw 3,100 tons trains handled by a single SY. For the light passenger trains the costs for diesels are almost double the expenses for steam. Per transported ton of coal the costs diesel/steam are similar.
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Locos in service: |
dumped: |
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steam: SY
KD6
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diesel: DFH3
DF4B
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(There are some more. Not all SY
JS
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You can hire the KD6 at short notice (two days in advance). Prices for the loco are said to be 8,000 RMB for the locomotive in regular service (passenger trains) or 5,000 RMB plus 2,000 RMB per coach or 1,000 RMB per freight wagon for special service (half day). In April 1 Euro was 10,5 RMB.
The passenger timetable:
2005 will be the last year which sees SY's hustling through the steelworks of Benxi. Between my visit in February 2005 and April 2005 there was a remarkable change. Diesels are nearly all over now, and only the old blast furnace area is still steam only. The recently inaugurated blast furnace areas are served by diesels (class GK). There are no repair facilities for steam anymore.
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In April 2005 we found in service: Steam SY
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These new arrivals of GK class GK1C
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The situation in electric transport seems to be unchanged. We found
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The steelworks of Fushun do not allow visits by foreign visitors. From outside we spotted SY 0839 working.
This factory just next to the steelworks owns three SY. Permits for visitors are not obtainable.
The open cast pit of Fushun is much less active than before. Partly they replaced the railway by a conveyor belt system. Anyhow, there are still some SYs in service. We could see a single SY with a passenger train at the bottom level of the open cast pit. The most interesting rail operations are not the steam locomotives in and around Fushun. There is still a number of old Japanese electric locomotives and railcars in daily use. The extensive rail network of Fushun needs further exploration.
During a brief visit we could grab only a few numbers:
Japanese built electric locomotives:
Electric railcars:
As already noted in my recent report (February 2005) the management is going to purchase diesel locomotives from 2006 onwards. In service we found:
JS
After they introduced the through service of diesel locomotives on the section Daban – Baiqi they were able to replace all QJ over the pass. The sixth diesel which is running through Daban - Baiqi is the Baiqi-based DF4D 4235. Another three diesels will arrive Daban mid April 2005. With these additional diesels the chances for steam on the pass falls to almost zero. Because some vice managers are not absolutely sure that they can cope without steam alltogether, they've extended the working contracts for the fire cleaners and fitters in Linxi, Jingpeng and Yalagaitu until 2006. The former plan was to dismiss them by April 15th 2005.
In the nearby future they will operate the passenger train between Daban and Benhong (via Haoluku/Baiqi) with only one diesel locomotive. The fuel will be filled at Baiqi station from a private tank truck which is already under contract to fuel the railcar. This methode of operation will save another diesel locomotive.
Mid April 2005 we found some ten to twenty percent of the freight trains diesel hauled on the section Daban – Chabuga. They changed the timetable several times during the day. So a morning timetable is not necessarily valid until noon.
On the steam "front" there is only one good message: the new line Sanggendalai – Lanqi (which is not finished yet) was confirmed by Daban officials to be steam operated in the beginning. Date of inauguration will be fixed only ten days in advance.
The last steam operation on the Jingpeng pass was a single headed empty train March 27th, back as light engine March 28th, departure Haoluku 03.00 am. Sad end ...
Locomotives seen in use:
QJ
All together we saw 19 active steam engines on the line and a few more in the depot (I didn't notice their numbers). Shunting engine is QJ 6981.
The intended end of steam on the section Daban – Chabuga was still unchanged ("At least until end of 2005.", according to an official in Huhehaote; confirmed in Daban as well).
Seems to be high noon for steam in China! Still worth extensive visits though.
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