Between Jan 30 and Feb 7 1999, in company with another Australian enthusiast, I made my first visit to the Ji-Tong line and the now world famous Jingpeng Pass.

There is little to add to previous reports.

We travelled from Beijing Bei station on TN557 departing 1933 hours arriving at Chifeng 0600 hours. We hired a taxi to take us to Reshui for 500Y arriving at 1030 hours.

Initially we stayed at the Electricity Hotel at 200Y per night and later moved to the Post Hotel at 160Y per night in the extension. Most fans were staying there and the predominant parties were from Germany.

We checked out the China Rail hotel at 360Y per night (very new and well appointed but not good value) and the one alongside (east) behind a flash looking restaurant at 100Y per night, which was awful.

For mobility we hired in the street, a small van for 200Y per day. Our usual day was from 0800 hours to between 1530 and 1700 depending on train running. The van we used was D 23624 and the driver knew what we wanted. The previously mentioned (in other reports) Mr Wu Gua Li appears to have ceased business. His premises in Reshui were locked up and the phone number gave a ‘number not connected’ message in Chinese and English.

Traffic levels were highly variable from day to day. Most days provided four trains each way in useful light but this was by no means consistent.

On the Reshui side it was almost always cold and windy and not a lot better on the Jingpeng side. Our eight full days in the Pass is about the minimum needed to ensure a reasonably comprehensive coverage of all the locations what with the vagaries of weather and traffic levels.

Most days we did not bother asking after traffic patterns and just went for locations. Times when given were generally very approximate.

We did not register with any local authorities and no-one bothered us at any time. We used the same taxi to return to Chifeng on Feb 8 and took TN560 with hard sleeper, departing 2031 hours arriving at Beijing Bei at 0630 hours All I can say is go now, or it may be too late. Jingpeng is one of the last great steam spectacles in the world.

Roland Earl