Sunday 15 November

Joined a group of 3 English, two Italians and a Frenchman at Heathrow flying out ahead of the main tour party (steam & safaris) who would join us the following Friday. Flew out on an Air China 747-400 which was just 2.5 months old! Flight very routine and didn't see any of the Leonids meteors.

Monday 16

On time arrival in Beijing where we immediately transferred, by bus, the 45km to Miyun. Train to Chengde was not until 14:50 and as usual the Chinese guide (Mr Ya of Chengde) was paranoid about us missing it! Thus we arrived in good time and after a good lunch could watch a DF2 on pilot duties and various BJs on freights. DF4(1983 build) hauled to Chengde traveling hard-class (Mr Ya made some money there!) but enjoyed the ride nonetheless. Arrival at Chengde around 18:50 where we checked into the Yunshan Hotel.

Tuesday 17

Spent the day linesiding the steelworks branch spending the day almost entirely on the hill. After a slow, cold start traffic was at one stage almost hourly!

SY(1422)+ SY(532)		down freight	09:30

JS(5720)+ SY(1422)		up freight 	10:30

SY(532)+ JS(5720)+ SY(1422)	up freight	11:30

JS(5723)+ JS(5720)+ SY(1422)	up freight	12:30

JS(6403)+ JS(5723)+ SY(1422)	down freight	14:49

JS(5720)+ JS(5723)+ SY(1422)	up freight	15:25 (banking loop)

JS(6403)+ JS(5723)+ SY(1422)	up freight	16:10 (banking loop)

Wednesday 18

Again spent day on the hill, around banking loop and town. Accepted the offer of a cab ride in SY(1765)-3/4 regulator, 45% cut-off and no more than 30 rounds of coal in the firebox all the way up!! WOW!! And we were on the rearmost loco of three!! Mike LaPlante has already described it brilliantly in these pages but what an experience. All that was paid were a few English coins the enginemen wanted!

JS(5720)			up freight	08:50 (on river bridge)

JS(5720)+ SY(1422)+ SY(1765)	up freight	10:10 (banking loop)

SY(533)+ SY(1422)+ SY(1765)	up freight	11:20

SY(533)+ JS(5720)		down freight	12:40

SY(1765)+ JS(5720)		up freight	13:25

SY(1422)+ SY(1522)		down freight	14:52

SY(533)+ SY(1422)+ JS(5720)	up freight	15:25

SY(1522)+ JS(5720)+ SY(1422)	up freight	16:05 

JS(5720) 			up freight	17:00 (on river bridge)

Just to prove the 'it's going too well to last' adage this day, our final half-day before returning to Beijing, was disappointing. Trains were relatively few but those that ran we seemed to miss either by being in the wrong place at the wrong time or by getting stuck in traffic in Chengde trying to chase! We became experts at seeing smoke clouds disappearing above the prison as trains started to climb!

SY(1522)		freight 		09:25 departure from CNR yard	

SY(1522)+JS(5720)	up freight		09:40

JS(5720)+JS(6403)	up freight		11:08

The two JSs then returned down the bank and waited around until we left for lunch.

Early morning observation in Chengde yard revealed a DF2(1969 build) on shunting (it smoked more like a steamer!), a few BJ freights and a DF4 passenger arrival from Longhua.

Caught train Y226 (the non-stop tourist train) back to Beijing hauled by a well decorated DF4. Steam shed at DongMiou still extant complete with steam cranes but looked very derelict and no dumped locos seen. Open coach very cold (boiler compartment open but the dragon lady had locked the coal away!) and there cannot have been more than 50 people on the whole train. Arrival at Beijing Main was on time where our Beijing guide Yun Yun (18 years old-younger than me!) met us. 1998 built DF10 was on the blocks on the opposite platform.

Spent night at the Peace Hotel. One piece of advice-the German beer bar near the hotel is part of the hotel and at 46Y a glass charges hotel prices. You have been warned!!

Did not note the diesels we encountered, not even the DF10!

Friday 20

Spent a cultural half-day in Beijing. I was keen to visit Capital Iron and Steel but nobody else wanted to so the Forbidden City and Temple of Heaven were 'griced' instead! Tianamen Square currently dug up in preparation for next year's 50th anniversary celebrations. Transferred to airport where the main tour party and Derek Phillips were waiting. The guide for our tour was the Queen of Chifeng 'Tina' who was acting as national tour guide for a large group for the first time.

Transferred to Harbin on flight CJ8188. Temp in Beijing around freezing-temp in Harbin -25oC-welcome to QJ country!!

Bused to Mudanjiang but a quarter of the way along fuel waxed up and we all had to retire to a lonely roadside cafe to await a replacement which arrived around 04:30 the next morning. And to think I paid for this!

Arrived in Mudanjiang at 08:00 and checking into the New Manhatton Hotel we had an hour before heading out to Shandi. We met briefly with another British tour who handed over some info on workings and the news that our next destination, Yebuli, was not operating.

The area around Maodashi and Shandi is as good as the books say. Pity that steam seemed so rare. All freights we saw were diesel-worked but the 10:30 Mud-Dongfenghong and the 13:30 Mud-Muling? passengers were steam on all days we saw them except the 10:30 which produced a DFH3 on the final day. On the Monday the passenger down the curve (ex.Dongfenghong?) was also steam. Also we spent some time each morning at the Mudanjiang station throat. Only steam arrival was the 08:15 which produced the same supershine QJ we saw on the 13:30 departure the previous day. 08:30 departure to Jiamusi was DF4 worked although the previous group had seen it with steam.

We also had a brief visit to Muling shed with no permit, having followed the line from Shandi. Two QJs were on the preparation roads, four were dumped along with three DF4s in traffic. The half-roundhouse appears closed and boarded up although the turntable was in operation. Minutes later we were escorted off the premises by the local Police and it was only some quick talking by 'Tina' that we did not see the inside of a Muling prison cell!

How long does steam have left here?

Saturday 21

10:40 2xDF4 light up curve

11:20 QJ 6904 pass 10:30 ex-Mud up curve

12:20 DFH3 pass down curve

12:25 DF4 short freight up curve

13:00 DF4 freight up curve

14:40 QJ 3121 pass 13:30 ex-Mud up curve

Sunday 22

08:15 QJ 3121 pass arrival at Mud station 08:30 DF4 Jiamusi pass departure 08:35 DF5 hauled SY501 into works-anybody know where this SY works? It looked in a bit of a state! 11:20 QJ6448 pass 10:30 ex-Mud up curve 11:50 DF8/DF4 coal up curve missed 12:40 pass down curve-on way to Muling

QJ 2917/2964 in steam QJ 2921 + 3 other unidentified supershine engines dumped

Muling station pilot ?386-I thought that this was a smoke- deflectorless QJ-others swear it was a JS! Hopefully the photo will reveal all. 15:00 QJ3121 seen climbing to line's summit and photed from the road

Monday 23

After a fall of snow it was back to the curve for a third day and so no works/shed visit much to the annoyance of the local guide.

08:15 QJ3121 pass arrival at Mud station

08:30 DF4 Jiamusi pass

09:30 DF4 freight down curve

11:25 DFH3(0066) pass 10:30 ex-Mud up curve

12:10 DF4 train of flats up curve

12:40 QJ 6904 pass down curve

14:40 QJ pass 13:30 ex-Mud up curve

15:30 DF4 freight up curve

Tuesday 24

The Yebuli forest railway had ceased operating on September 1 due to concerns over deforestation but (don't panic!) would recommence on December 1. As a result the group opted for the extra day in Mudanjiang (the Monday) and those who wanted to visit the narrow-gauge could do so, by road, and meet up with the group on the train to Anshan. The main party in Mud went out for a DF4 on the 08:15 arrival we had seen steam the other days before catching the 09:30 departure for Anshan.

Myself and two others went by taxi from Mud, spent an hour looking round at the dead locos and stock (but I have at least seen a C2 now!). In the shed one C2 had been overhauled last year and looked splendid but typically was stuck right at the back!

We then rejoined the group at Yebuli station on the train to Anshan at 12:30. Trip to Anshan produced nothing of interest (DF4s and DF8s on line work) except for a QJ on a freight in Harbin albeit piloted by a DF4d. Coach was freezing by nightfall and when I managed to 'persuade' the dragon lady to look at the boiler while standing in Changchun I saw that the fire had clinkered up and almost gone out! Steam was thought to seen in both Changchun's and Shenyang's shed areas but nothing positive.

Yebuli C2s:

01, 02(supershine)

4,05(dumped in yard)

06, 7, 10(rebuilt 1997)

161

309  

All were dead but due to steam again 1.12.98

Enroute to Anshan:

 QJ:3042(Harbin)

 JS:various pilots

 DF4: 7112,1923,7416,7415,7424+others

 DF4d:5167,5112,5087,4091+others

 DF8:114,134,157+others

 ND5:402

 DFH3:172,237

 DF5:1515,1551+others

 DFH5:230,229

Arrival at Anshan was at the inhospitable time of 01:03! Hotel was right across the station forecourt and overlooked the railway yard.

Wednesday 25 November

Woken early to see a QJ stonk out of station with a freight around 06:30. A JS(5344) was also present in the yard passed by several ND5s on freights. Visited the steelworks during the day. Beautiful clear day with little wind and so no orange sky-I want my money back!!

First port of call was the steam shed and works, then Blast Furnace No.9, slack tips and an electric depot before visiting a restaurant and catching train (hard sleeper for six of us as there were not enough soft-berths available) to Tonghua.

Anshan steelworks shed

JS:	5806,6003

SY:	0574

repair shops

SY:	0573,0833,0837,0901 

YJ:	290

dump

JS:	5808,5809,6004

PL2:	242 + one other unidentified, possibly a YJ

USA:	51

Blast Furnace No.9

SY:	0090,0115,0131,0307,0433,0436, 

   	0440,0441,0570,0571,0835,0900,

   	0902,0906,1035,1037,1038,1505,

   	1560,1567,1580

YJ:	289,291

elsewhere

PL2:	244

DFH5:	131

DFH5c:	4002,4004

TS:	6004,6006

DFH7:	7012,7009

Electrics noted

EL2:	7416

ZG80:	861,863,865,868

37E1:	1505,1506

  ? :	4601

BD1:	402,403,404

ZG-48A:	413,414,552

  ? :	4502

(thanks to Pritchard for non-steam classifications)

Thursday 26 - Friday 27 November

Arrived Tonghua early in morning and after breakfast in an hotel had shed visit. I managed my first good look at a JS2 which was pleasing. However, less so was the news that steam could be finishing by the end of the year. We had to work through our local guide who asked the shedmaster but later on she seemed to change the story slightly when she realized that tours would no longer come to Tonghua. You pay your money and you take your choice!

Line workings to Hunjiang (renamed Baishen) seemed overwhelming in favour of unkempt DF4ds but we did see a reasonable selection of workings over the two days including some stiring runpasts by several JSs, in supershine with various deflector arrangements and often blue air reservoirs. Who says there is no variety in China! Also not so good was the falling snow which commenced late on on the Thursday and carried on until well into Friday depositing a good six inches onto the ground. Hence light was horrendous on the Friday. Thursday night was spent at the Baishen hotel-very pleasant! Left a snowy Tonghua on the train to Changchun at 21:03.

Tonghua Shed

JS:	5480, 6368, 5771, 8211, 5443, 5855 (motion repair by light of a torch!)

	6037, 6315, 5448(dumped and number not clear) 

	


	5319, 5203, 5691, 5017, 5968 - dumped outside

DF4d:	4124, 4159, 4160, 4230, 5020

DF5:	1256, 5009, 1516, 1695 (1998-undergoing final commissioning tests)

Thursday 26

09:15 DF5+JS 8211 coal train to steelworks near steelworks

09:23 DF5 1671 pass to Tonghua near steelworks

09:37 JS 6103(wsd)pass to Tonghua near steelworks

10:15 DF4b 4656 freight to Tonghua near steelworks

10:48 DF4b 4160 pass to Hunjiang near steelworks

11:25 JS 6360(fsd) freight to Hunjinag near steelworks

11:50 JS 5678(fsd) freight to Tonghua near steelworks 

      (almost ran me down on the river bridge!)

12:47 DF5 freight to Tonghua at summit

13:15 DF4b freight to Tonghua at 3-arch bridge below summit

13:25 DF4b freight to Tonghua at 3-arch bridge below summit

13:40 JS 6103 freight to Hunjiang at 3 arch bridge

14:15 DF4b pass to Tonghua at Hunjiang side of summit

14:50 DF4b freight to Tonghua ''        ''  '' ''

15:25 JS 5771 freight to Hunjiang on '' ''  '' ''

15:35 DF5 pass to Tonghua

Friday 27

08:20 JS 6315(fsd) freight to steelworks @ steelworks branch

09:50 JS 5480(fsd) freight to Hunjiang at summit

10:29 DF4b6432 freight to Tonghua near Daoqing

10:40 JS 6368(fsd) freight to Hunjinag ''  ''

11:22 DF4b 4158 pass to Hunjiang near Guyuan

12:02 DF4b/JS6103(wsd) freight to Tonghua ''  ''

12:30 JS 5855(fsd) freight to Tonghua  ''  ''

12:55 JS 5480 (fsd) 3-wagon freight to Tonghua  ''

13:15 JS 5731(fsd) freight to Hunjiang ''  ''

14:05 JS 6368(fsd) freight to Tonghua near steelworks

14:30 DF5 5009 freight to Hunjiang     ''   ''

15:00 Df4b 4521 freight to Hunjiang    ''   ''

15:05 JS 5480 freight to Tonghua       ''   ''

15:30 JS 8155 shunting              Tonghua yard

15:45 JS 6350 freight to Hunjiang    ''      ''

16:10 JS 8232 shunting industrial area near hotel

21:20 JS 8154 through station light 

Saturday 28 November

Delayed by four hours en route to Changchun due to train hitting a tractor and trailer at a level crossing an hour away from Changchun. Driver killed and it made us lose our path into Changchun station resulting in us being looped at Changchun Nan for 40 minutes. Managed to see some of the SYs at the adjacent power station so time was not a complete waste!

Plan orginally had been for breakfast, shed visit, works and trams. However all but last two were chopped as we tried to regain some time. Works was disappointing with very little present for overhaul. However we did see SY3023 in primer and in steam in the test house. A 2-8-2 built in 1998-beat that Tornado!

In the paint shop was a newly painted QJ complete with brass numbers, brass characters on the deflectors and white railings along the running boards. This looked very similar to QJ6301 we were to see the next day at Jingpeng which had the same imbelishments-any connection? After the works visit (and negotiating for a QJ number plate!) we had a quick look (5 mins) at Changchun's 1935 and 1981 trams running on the cities final tram route. How long can this system last although there are signs of a new livery emerging on some of the newer cars so perhaps the future's bright?

We then returned to the station and boarded the day train to Shenyang. Two QJs were stabled in the stabling roads to the SW of the station but we only passed 1 QJ on line service, two JSs and an SY on the journey south. Had just over an hour in Shenyang before boarding the sleeper to Chifeng. Again as the youngest on the tour I had to move to hard sleeper along with 'Tina' due to lack of berth's in soft class! Am I complaining??!!!

Passed some QJs around Xin Li Tun and Fuxin before turning in for the night. Was however woken up at Yebaishu and looked across at shed as we departed. It was full of steam! Again you pay your money and take your chance on a visit!

Changchun power station (Mengjiatun)

SY:0086, 1580 + one other

Various diesels between Tonghua, Changhun and Shenyang with DF4bs dominating on freights

Changchun works

SY:	1158 (works pilot)

	1450 (cab/boiler undergoing steam test)

	3023 (steam test)

JS:	5036, 5329(both dumped in yard), 

	5740 (works pilot in for attention and still in steam)

QJ:	7136 (frames/boiler/cab)

	2624 (cab), 

	6156 (awaiting paint)

	6911 (paint shop),

	3385 (cut up outside + one other)	

Cranes:	151,268,422

Changchun-Chifeng

SY:	103 (Changchun Power station),1246

JS:	5643 (dumped Changchun)

	6472 (pilot @ Kai Yuan)

	6466

	8238 (pilot @ Yebaishu) 

QJ:	3250

	3181 (Changchun stabling point), 

	1 dumped at Siping

	6838 (wood train at Xin Li Tun)

	6-10 examples on Yebasihu shed in steam at 03;00 on 29.11.98

Arrived Chifeng at 06:00 and transferred to Chifeng Hotel for breakfast before departing, in an Iveco minibus, for Reshui and spent the next 6 days linesiding in perfect weather conditions. The snow which had fallen in Tonghua had also fallen in Inner Mongolia and what's more it stayed on the ground at Jingpeng. The weather did not really turn windy until the Wednesday but temperatures were consistantly below -10, sometimes as low as -20 so it was tough even without wind chill.

Traffic seems to be up and it was not until the last day that we saw our first light engines. Also interesting is that single headers seemed more common as well seeing such sights four times although there seemed to be little differentiation between loadings for one or two locos.

Sunday 29

6301+6274	(W) Shandian	12:55

7009		(E) ''		13:45

6638+6735	(W) ''		13:55 (yes 5 QJs at Shandian at one time!)

?+?		(E) curved viaduct	14:40

6687+6760	(E) first viaduct out of Jingpeng	15:40

		Shandian	16:20

?+?       (W) Level 1 from hotel @07:40

6783+6577 (E) summit tunnel @09:45

6110+6135 (W) summit tunnel @10:05 (held at Liudigou and 

  were really attacking the climb)

7002+6517 (E) Shandian @10:20

6576+6998 (W) summit tunnel @11:55

?+?	  (E) curved viaduct @12:40

?+?       (W) ''      ''     @13:25

?+?       (E) ''      ''     @13:50

6687+7041 (E) ''      ''     @15:10

Tuesday 1 December - Ji-Tong line's third birthday!

6301+6577 (W) Reshui riverbridge 

?+?	  (E)   ''      ''   

?+?       (W)   ''      level crossing

?+?       (E)   hotel

6760+6517 (W)   ''       @11:50

7002+7009 (E)   ''       @12:50

6274      (W)   ''       @13:15

7137      (E)  horseshoe valley on the tanks @15:00

6687+7041 (E)  between brickworks +Shandian @16:00

?+?       (W)  ''      Liudigou and summit tunnel @16:40

Wednesday 2

6735      (W) level 2 above Reshui    @07:50

7143=6380 (W) at Galadesitai  @10:25

?+?       (E) Liudigou   @11:10

6577+6301 (E) horseshoe valley @12:40

?+?       (W)  ''         ''   @13:00

6517+6763 (E)  ''         ''   @15:15

?+?       (W)  ''         ''   @15:35

?         (W)  between summit + Liudigou @16;009

Thursday 3

7037+6135 (E)  Shandian loop @08:45

6884+6576 (W)   ''        '' @10:30

7049+6998 (W) midway between Shandian and Tun4 @11:20

6301+6577 (E) third tunnel exit @12:05

6517+6763 (E) horseshoe valley @14:10

7041+6996 (W) above curved viaduct @14:30

7002+7009 (E)  ''    ''      ''    @16:00

Friday 4

?+?       (W)  hotel                    @07:00

6998+7040 (E)  Reshui 1 level crossing  @09:40

6735      (W)    ''      ''     ''      @10:10

6577+6301 (E)    Shandian               @11:20

?+?       (W)  crossed at Liudigou      @

6639+6277 (W)  Reshui 2 crossing        @12:30

6517+6763 (E) ''     1    ''            @13:10

6687+6580 (W) ''     ''   ''            @13:25

7009      (E) ''     2    ''            @14:05

7002+6760 (W) ''     1    ''            @16:45

2645 pass (W) ''     ''   ''            @21:39

Saturday 5

7037+7010 (W) level 1                    @09:50

6135+6388 (E)  ''   2                    @10:40

6876+6884 (W)  ''   3                    @11:30

(?+?)     (E)  ''   1                    @12:05

7041+6998 (W)  Reshui 1 level crossing   @12:20

6687+6639 (W)  along Chifeng road        @12:45

We returned to Chifeng in the Iveco minibus leaving four tour members on in Reshui for an extra week. Journey was uneventful and we paused for lunch in the village half-way along. After a meal in Chifeng we boarded the train for Beijing at 20:50 and settled into out soft-class bunks.

Sunday 6

Arrived Beijing Bei at 06:30, transferred to the Peace Hotel for a 'western style 'breakfast-delicious!- before heading out to the airport for the 11:45 flight back to the UK. This again was uneventful and we arrived in London on time at the end of another successfully steam tour.

Some final thoughts...

It is fairly obvious that steam is finishing rapidly. Assuming that Tonghua finishes this year as the shedmaster said there will be very little left in scenic areas. Perhaps Yebaishu and possibly Fuxin are still worth looking into but soon all that will be left are the industrial sites. So I am in debt now with a student loan, missed three weeks of uni but as I have done most of what there is to do in Northern China I certainly have no regrets. If you haven't experienced it then GO NOW! There is NO time left.

Richard Hay