China - Cab Ride in JS Class 2-8-2 (1) December 2016
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 5 ก.ค. 2024
- Following several days of videoing the superb JS Class 2-8-2 locomotives blasting their way out of the opencast mine at Sandaoling in China's north western province of Xinjiang, I decided it was time to have a cab ride on one or two of them. This is a record of my first of those rides. The three man crew were a great team and we managed a pretty good conversation with some good laughs, using my bits of Chinese, their bits of English and a lot of sign language. The driver even stopped the train for me when I indicated that I'd like to video from the trackside. I can't see that happening in Europe !
Can't blame them for using coal. It's a coal mine after all - with the fuel all around them.
A rare experience for a coal train enthusiast!
It's an obvious, hard nosed, commercial decision to keep these locos working with endless supplies of free fuel available.
@@JamesBond-zi2xq They do need regular oil and greasing
Actual Working Steam - can't beat it.
Absolutely - the real thing.
A true masterpiece of engineering. Steam engines will never stop being majestic.
That's true - but this place in northern China is now the last place in the world where steam still does genuine hard industrial work. It's the very end of a 200 year history. Andy
Isn't it amazing... where ever you are in the World train drivers always have the same pose.. relaxed but concentrating.. working their engine.. tea cans at the ready.. Superb video :-)
Mark Alden yep a real look at how it really was
Thanks for your comment, Mark.
What would they do if they ran out of coal tho? Does the train stop working or does it have gas incase they run out?
The locos never run out of coal .... they're working a coal mine ! If the mine runs out of coal, there's no need for the trains any more - so that would be the end of industrial working steam.
I forgot about that. But dont they have to clean it first? Like if you got oil and put it in your car then it wouldnt like it.
Those sights and sounds will never, ever get old. Thanks for sharing this fantastic video. Awesome to see the crews up close.
My pleasure - I'm glad you enjoyed !
This video is incredible. Thank you for sharing it!
Well thank you for the high praise !
2:43 Some good wheelspin!
These JS's really work hard - wheel spin all the time.
Yea
What a very kind crew it must have been a day to remember this is my 6'th watch.
They were a nice team. Somehow, with my little Chinese and their equally limited English, we managed two hours of entertaining "conversation" !
Nice dive in the past !! Locomotive and old excavator still at work! !!
These scenes are still available right now - but not formuch longer. China is modernising fast and this will be history soon - even in the far west of the country like this location.
That dragline shovel isn't really old at all...
Thank you for posting, history in the making
It's my pleasure. I'm glad you enjoyed. These are still operating in 2020 but are due to finish this year ..... the very end of 200 years of industrial steam power in the whole world. Please take a look at some of my other videos. You might enjoy them too! th-cam.com/channels/XhrGvTyhQM4uYu1eKQgf6A.html?view_as=public ........ Andy
It also looks like the fireman took advantage of some quiet time to " dress the corners" of the firebox.
Dear gentlemen, Re: injector comments, the engineer has a rod with a valve handle at the top near his leg. That's the water side to injector. He has a red lever by his hip. That's the steam side of the injector. Water open first & close last.
I like the gurgle and vibrations as an injector picks up. It is mightly reassuring! (They are genius devices huh?!)
awesome train video
Thanks. It was a good experience.
Andy and Dandan Fisher your welcome and you should check out my new video's on my channel
Thank you for your very kind comment.
A great video. Thanks to yourself and your Chinese crew (not that they will see this).
Thanks for your comment. The crew were pleased to be videoed at the time !
Very cool great cab ride and overall fantastic video, thank you for sharing.. Greetings from New Jersey..
Thank you so much for your kind comment.
Not only is the train technology old but excavator is also old. I haven't seen a cable pulley excavator before till date. Usually they are hydraulic control. This one run on cable pulley. Amazing!.
If it's still working well, why change it? .... Andy
Hard, hard work , thank you for video .
My pleasure. This is the very last breath of steam working in industry.
Thanks to the Chinese railways for continuing to use and make steam locomotives. I love you guys and started to model my layout with y’all’s locomotives
Sad news has come from China just this week. This system at Sandaoling - the very last industrial steam operation in the world - is to close next month (October 2021). Of course, at the present time, with covid, no-one can visit the site so industrial steam will quietly disappear from the world in a whimper! ...... Andy
Great film. You can smell the loco!
Thank you for your kind comment. Andy
That is just incredible for 2016!
And it's still available to experience right through 2017. These locos might just make it into 2018. Then real industrial steam is finished for good.
Andy and Dandan Fisher what about Narrow Gauge? From what I've seen it looks like steam will still be there as long as those lines are around
There's no narrow gauge steam left in China now. The only narrow gauge steam lines in the world are tourist lines and a few former industrial lines that will fire up a loco if you pay them.
It's very happy to see these old giant beast still functioning properly. The steam comes out from the engine makes it alive to me. I still remember when I first saw its kind first time when I'm a child. Almost like a dragon to me. It's amazing.
These last few steam locomotives at Sandaoling are still operating in 2020 but are due to finish this year. This is now the very last regular industrial steam working in the world and is the end of a 200 year history ..... Andy
Great steam train video plenty of steam smoke and sounds interesting video too. well done.
Thank you for your kind comment !
No problem, credit where credit is due, keep up the good work.
Excellent Video , you lucky people having a cab ride ! , Like the night scene at the end also.
Thank you. These JS's working at Sandaoling are now just about the end of well over 150 years of steam as an industrial power source. Look out for videos coming soon of them blasting out of the mine with loaded trains ... fantastic !
I like the night scene, too. It's like a romantic movie coming to the end ! Yes, that's why we like steam locomotives, they are romantic !
I agree totally !
PIE FACE And diesel fumes from locomotives and trucks are SO CLEAN. DUH
PIE FACE hugs trees
love the sound of jointed rail...
.... and the clanking of the rods!! Andy
Another fascinating video. Question: what is the lever and valve to right of driver's seat? Best guess I could come up with is something to do with the sander.
I'm not exactly certain what all the controls are. Steve, a good friend of mine on the following link will tell you. He's driven these locos on several occasions -
th-cam.com/users/mozebasic
dear gentlemen, nice video! It looks like the engineer is employing an injector from time to time to get the water level back up in the boiler
I bow to your superior knowledge !
@Dr Moriarty That's exactly what it is. Andy
I just cant stop watching this.
Good!! Please keep watching it! Or better still - visit there yourself. You still have a year or two. Andy
I thought it was an auger feed, then he starts shoveling. . .
Certainly not an easy life. Coal dust, coal smoke, ear damaging noise levels. . .
When the steamers are shut down, do these guys still have jobs?
I would have loved to have ridden that cab with you. Unforgettable!
About 20 years ago I got to ride in the cab of a 1928 Shay on the Georgetown Loop RR, 30 or so miles from Denver, Colorado. It was one of the best experiences! Oil fired, night run. I can close my eyes and still feel and smell that loco. Funny what will stay with you
Very nice video. I love to see steam still at work even if it´s in China. A pretty nifty ride in the cab of a working steam engine. Some people have all the luck! Rusty in eastern Tennessee
Thanks again for your comment Rusty. It's really not difficult to make a visit there to see them for yourself.
It would be for me. I recently had a stroke and left my right side paralyzed. I am also partially retired on somewhat of a fixed income. Thank you for your prompt reply; I´ll just have to be content with watching all your great videos. Rusty in eastern Tennessee :-)
I loved your video, magnificent steam train! Love the industrial life, sound of steam trains and the smell of burning coal, beautiful!
Crikey - I didn't realise you could smell the smoke from my video !! Thanks for your comment.
Andy and Dandan Fisher Great Video accomplish from China
Xia xia.
Amazing footage! If I'm not mistaken, steam engines are still in use on local railways in China? It's so kind of the crew that the let you film their work and work of their loco from the inside, you've managed to capture wonderful and mesmerising pictures. Best regards from Poland! ;)
Thank you. The loco crew were very friendly. We struggled but managed to chat for 2 hours! There are just a few steam locos still around China - just in ones or twos and just for occasional shunting. This is now the only location where they're still to be seen working hard.
Andy and Dandan Fisher Thanks for your explanation, still very glad you've managed to shoot it. Cheers! ;)
TRSPomerania i think they are almost out of service. i read somewhere that in a couple yrs from now. the chinese goven will not employ steam on the rails.
@@itsjustnopinionok the Shandaoling steam locomotives will be retired this year when the Shandaoling ceases operation. They might all get scrapped, but hopefully at least one or two get preserved. I'd love to see one operate, but I can't go all the way to China just to see it. Hopefully one makes it to America where I can see it operating.
2022 update. As of two days ago from the time of this message, China has closed down its last remaining steam railways. I think the last steam locos that rode the lines will be kept for shunting purposes, but don't quote me on that.
Great video 👍🏻
Cheers .... Andy
What a life time experience!
I've ridden on the footplate of many steam locos over the years but I did find this ride at Sandaoling to be amongst the most enjoyable. Andy
A fine and awesome beast indeed!!!
I agree. Thanks for your comment Steve.
Now there's direct serving
Great crew the fireman didn't seem to be real busy.
Are they running those boilers at maximum pressure? The pressure relief blow off valve is almost constantly going.
There's a very steep incline to get out of the mine. I think the drivers make sure that the pressure is full before they start on the climb.
Very cool!!
mooddy and magnificent....AND a good cab layout...
These are mean working machines ... meant to do their job !
I like to think that Richard Trevithick would have loved JS.s for exactly the reason you give... a machine for hauling coal just like his Penydaren loco back in 1804 (I think was the date)
I bow to your superior knowledge !
Eeek! I would be freaked if someone bowed to me!
I can't believe anyone is still using a steam driven Locomotive! Great I remember those sounds from my childhood of the wet rail as the Locomotive looses traction.
Love the two Tea Kettles by the boiler door. As Archie Bunker used to say, "those were the days"!
This operation in China's far north west, is now the very last regular industrial use of steam in the world. It's now in its last few months of operation (expected to close in September 2020) and then steam will be dead except as a tourist novelty ...... Andy
Awesome power. It's primal.
These JS class locos are a working piece of history. They're in their last few months right now (Jan 2018) but can still be seen at just this one location. If you want to see them, find the website of FarRail Tours.
Love the kettle perched above the firebox doors. Just manual stoking? Also interested to now how the tipping wagon doors operate - compressed air?
I'm guessing you're from the USA if you're surprised by manual stoking !! The kettle was an important piece of equipment on many steam locos around the world. And, yes, the tippers are worked by compressed air, as far as I know. The trains are air braked too.
Thanks for reply. I'm a Brit. I wondered about manual firing because those locos are worked very hard when the wagons are laden. But I see from your video that the fireman gets a bit of a rest on the return empty trip. Of course the kettle matters! What about eggs and bacon fried on the shovel? Did you find the specification of these locos, eg grate area, boiler pressure, coupled wheel diameter?
You can get all these facts and figures from Wikipedia. Just look up JS Class steam loco. I apologise for accusing you of being from "over there" !!
what do you think about putting this video through youtube's stabilizer?
Once the videos are edited and titled it's no longer possible to stabilise them because the titles are moved around. I've tried it and decided it's better to leave them as they were videoed.
The js class are among my favorites of the Chinese steam locomotives. Knowing that it was 2016 when this was filmed, makes me think that they may as well be the last steam locomotives ever working in China.
These few JS's at Sandaoling are still working (2018/2019) but are now the last steam locomotives genuinely putting in a hard day's work in industry anywhere in the WORLD - not just China. There are plenty around the world which can be fired up for money and one or two that do a little bit of shunting but these represent the end of a 200 year history of steam in industry. Andy
I also like the look of it... reminiscent of the early 1900 design where funnel and the dome on top of the boiler.
Compare to the British, which I also like...they use smoke deflector and not funnel. I know due to their height limitation of tunnels they have to go through. With funnel, the driver vision is not obscured by the smoke.
I like the teapots over the firebox door!
It all adds to the character of the scene. They were a nice friendly crew.
Very very very excellent
Thank you, thank you, thank you!! ...... Andy
Great moment! JS class always acitive in Sandaoling in 2017? thanks to post your steam travels, last steam working in the world
There's a tiny bit still active in Zimbabwe too. I'm just starting to post my latest videos from there ... see the first one at th-cam.com/video/9ZX-Ot-niq8/w-d-xo.html
Did they use turbocharger or would something like this make sense for a Steam locomotive or did they have airinlet when the locomotive drive to make the flames hotter similar what blacksmith do?
In all steam locomotives the steam being ejected from the cylinders is pushed through the smokebox and this draws the fire (like the blacksmiths). That's what creates the puffing sound ...... Andy
So are they going to cut the locos up after they're done or?
They will for sure. For the time being they probably have another year of life.
+Steven Smith - Absolutely! Also used.them in stationary service to put H2O treatment in the boiler.Hated it when they would "break" suction & shoot steam out the overflow !!
The explosion @ 01:43 was interesting; a 'whump' and the blast wave shakes everything.
You're right. I can't say that I'd noticed it before. Thanks.
great vid, nice edit and sound but man, they tearing up the earth along with everybody else
p.s. great blow down near the end and the shot approaching at last light
I know that the steam locos are not good for our Earth but these are the last remnants of the steam age. The pollution from them is really tiny compared to your car and the millions it shares the roads with !
PS. Thank you for your kind comment.
Is that realease of hp steam at 10:57 what is known as blowing down the boiler to remove accumulated sludge?Fantastic video! Could you do an animated video about how the coal is extracted and raised to what was the original ground level please? And possible how the coal is processed and then loaded onto mainline vehicles. Many thanks.
Thank you for your kind comment. I'm afraid you'll have to make do with the videos that I've got ! Sandaoling is on the opposite side of the world from me and it's officially a restricted area of China ! Access to some of the mine areas is very difficult. I have some video of the loading area still to come in the next few days.
Thanks for your reply. Season's Greetings wherever you are, and keep the videos coming please.
I'm in Doncaster, UK .... and thank you - same to you !
Did not see the huge plume of flying sparks at dusk like other videos on Sandaoling JS class. Maybe they put on the spark arrester from time to time?
Take a look at the video below recorded in 2018. They put on the "special show" if you pay them a little! th-cam.com/video/RAE7ZUGbG7c/w-d-xo.html
...... Andy
Beautiful Beast
They're fine machines, even though poorly maintained. Still working ( just) in January 2018.
Love those tea pots.
Well, when you're driving a mobile kettle I suppose it's logical to have tea!!! ...... Andy
Hi, I'd like to go there and check it out - do you have contact details of any hotels to stay at there? Can't find anything..
There are a few hotels in the town but I don't have direct contact details. We have a trip going there in November/December coming up. We still have places but you'll have to be very quick now. Take a look at the "Tour Calendar" - www.farrail.com/ Andy
Sensible arrangement of firedoor treadle. Useful engines presumably descended from the USRA Light Mikado.
This design certainly descended from US designs but probably via a Russian design, previously copied from an earlier US design.
I know this is a late response, but did you ask the crew what their thoughts were on the demise of steam? That might not have been possible w/the language barrier I realize.
I didn't ask this crew in 2016 but I've been back there again in December 2018 and was told that steam should continue until at least September 2020 and, possibly, 2022. The loco crews, of course, will want their jobs to go on as long as possible, I imagine.
Andy
@@AndyDandanFisherSteam Ok thanks!
*_GOOD._*
Thank you.
What's that lever next to the driver's chair?
I'm not absolutely certain. Could it be a mechanism for shifting slag from the bottom of the fire? They're running on poor quality coal and need to do this often ..... Andy
That is a lot of coal being stock piled. Is for one user? (power station /steel mill) ? or is sold on the market?
Mercmad it's a coal mine.
I meant where they unload it, that's a storage dump, not the mine itself.
Most goes to the local power station but some is shipped out to other parts of China.
the best train video without one of ..
That sounds like high praise. Thank you!
Excellent! Pure steampunk.
Agreed ! Thanks for your comment.
I am wondering about the cab controls:
Obviously the regulator is the hanging lever. I am not sure if the floor lever is for the reverser, rather than there being a hand wheel and screw to manipulate cut-off. At first I thought it was the main tender water valve as the driver would throw the lever and turn the valve just in front that I took to be the steam supply to the injector.
Sorta right... the lever opens the steam, the rotary valve controls the water. Throttle hangs from the ceiling, and the main and independent brakes are at his knee. i did not see the johnson bar though. I know it's in there, but too dark to see!
Thanks for your comment. kleetus92 seems to know what he's talking about !
Thanks for helping out here!
I've just read the article about the line in the recent magazine "Australian Railway Enthusiast". What a shame nothing was saved.
That classic cable shovel excavator!!! It’s like a steam shovel
Surprisingly it was electrically powered. You can see the cable running across the ground to the back of the machine .... Andy
@@AndyDandanFisherSteam wow! That’s incredible! I never knew they existed
Bardzo ciekawy , dziękuje
That's my pleasure. Thank you for your comment.
So rare to seem steam locos under a heavy load these days.
Apart from the occasional charter train, these JS 2-8-2's are the very last locos still working hard in industry anywhere in the world (Oct 2018). They mark the end of 200 years of steam history. Andy
Wait isn't the driver supposed to be on the other side?? it sure is werd to see that. I never new China's and probably Europes stream locos Like this. Great vid☺️love that this Tec is still being used
These JS's drive on the left - so the driver's on the left. They're like cars - it depends on the local rules.
Andy and Dandan Fisher cool thanks for replying
The advantage of a steam loco on this track is obvious - steam locos can go in reverse the same speed as they can go forward.. From what Iv heard its kind of a mastery to convince the loco to get going in the direction you want it:d
The real advantage here is that the fuel is "free". They just take it out of the ground.
very good 🌻🌷🌹🌼🌾🍀
Thank you !
i have no doubt these guys could name every single part to these steam locos and assemble those trains blindfolded if their lives depended on it. im sure their will be plenty of grown men crying when the last one rolls down the tracks.
For sure - me included !
That looks like its riding in the sky
I hope that means you enjoyed the video !! ...... Andy
FANTASTIC VIDEO (SECUNDERABAD TELANGANA INDIA)
Thank you for your kind comment. I have some nice video shot in India a few years ago which I shall be uploading soon. Watch this space !!
Fantastic 👍👍
Has this sadly stopped now?
No. I'm pleased to report that there are still about six steam locos still operating here. I have just returned from another visit (videos just being edited) and we were told that steam here would continue to 2020 at least and possibly 2022. Get yourself there, if you want to see the very last example of industrial steam in the world, after 200 years of steam history! Andy
I wonder how the A/C works on those. Perhaps a bucket of water on a string? Still the most efficient and low cost way to moving these cars!
I think at minus 20c outside, air con is not really a necessity!! ...... Andy
@@AndyDandanFisherSteam hehe no kidding.
Great video. Thanks for sharing. Too bad they don't have real whistles.
Thanks for that comment. All Chinese steam locos are/were fitted with both air horns and a steam chime whistle. Sadly they don't use the whistle very often at Sandaoling. Take a look at this to hear them being used alternatively -
th-cam.com/video/xPJx24HDOW0/w-d-xo.html
Andy
Hi Andy how often do they take water glen
Although the locos work very hard, Glen, the actual distances covered are not great. It's my understanding that one tankful of water lasts the whole day. If not though, the watering point is close at hand. Andy
Andy and Dandan Fisher thanks for that information it’s so amazing that these loco still working hard everyday it’s just brilliant well done for filming it and posting it 👍 glen
Sick beat drops at 0:13
That's the steam powered air pump maintaining air pressure in the brake system - you probably knew that !
MUITO SHOW
Obrigado pelo seu comentário ...... Andy
That's one loud Air pump on that locomotive.
I was quite close to it ! ...... Andy
Wish I could do that. Sadly the mines are closing down this year. I don't know what'll happen to their steam locomotives. Hopefully one or two will get preserved, but I doubt it, since they pretty much scrapped all of their steam locomotives except for some QJs.
There are a handful kept for tourist work around China. However, I suspect that, at best, there'll just be one put on a plinth at Sandaoling (if that) ..... Andy
@@AndyDandanFisherSteam I heard there was an JS operating as New Haven 3025. Hopefully they keep one in the Shandaoling style. The overhead headlights kind of have a Pennsylvania railroad vibe.
@@steamtrainfan9542 I'll take your word for it regarding the PRR. I'm only aware of one JS in the USA on the Boone and Scenic Valley Railroad ...... Andy
The country has a large high-speed rail system and still operates revenue steam....wow
This operation in Xinjiang Province is now the very last industrial use of steam in the world. It's long past it's expected date of expiry. It's only kept alive because the Chinese government are starving this Uighur province of any investment in its desperate attempt to punish the Uighur population. Politically sad but it's keeping steam alive! ..... Andy
Why are they using steam locos?
Unlimited supplies of free fuel straight out of the ground !
I just noticed the cabs have wing mirrors!
You've already looked at this video Stephen ! Yes, you're right. There are small mirrors fitted. I suspect they're an unofficial fitting put there by the crews.
11:13 why was she blowing so much steam?
This is a process for clearing limescale out of the pipes to keep them flowing efficiently. Andy
I find it intresting that chinese locomotives have the engineer's post on the left side of the cab while the US and most of Europe(can't really say for the rest of Asia or even Russia) have it on the right side.
They follow British practice. Trains usually travel on the left and they use (or used to use) British style semaphore signals. The loading gauge is US/European though - not British (which is tiny) - and loco styles are similar to US designs, mainly because they're copies of Russian designs which are, in turn, copies of US designs. Andy
I wonder how long a steam engine can remain waiting (e.g. when waiting for a load) until running out of water and/or coal?
Unlike a diesel engine, you don't just switch off a steam engine when the train must wait.
A steam loco will use very little water or coal when it's just sitting idling. These locomotives have very large tenders which hold large quantities of both coal and water. They complete their day's work and still have almost full tenders. They're designed to be able to haul heavy loads over much larger distances than they're working here at Sandaoling.
This is Truly Magnificent! Steam Engine in any kind of fair condition can hold steam for hours with no fire. The coal which I have little piratical knowledge would retain heat longer than oil burner. We use to let the 700 get down to 80lbs before putting a fire back in here. As long as you have say 20lbs of steam to run the blower should be able to get her hot again. They sure beat a diesel. At idle one day used only 50 gallons of oil/bunker C. Did this girl have a feed pump or just 2 injectors? I assume the fireman had a injector on his side too. The Chinese should have copied the Sellers injector and would have only the lever. Nathan got with the program later. Great sounding engine. Thanks Again Clint
Compared with British locos these machines have the advantage of a pump to maintain air pressure for the brakes whereas British engines use the vacuum brake and the vacuum is maintained by a continuously running steam ejector. If the boiler pressure falls to about half the rated pressure the ejector cannot maintain the vacuum and the brakes come on, adding to the problem.
I was fascinated by the regulator. I've never seen one with so much backlash but the driver seemed quite at home with it. On British locos the regulator handle pivots about an axis through the boiler. Horizontal is full open and down at about 45 degrees is shut.
The coal was the worst stuff I've ever seen - just dust and slack. It would kill most British engines stone dead.
A great video - thanks.
Fascinating! Still using steam engines for real work. Might as well with all that coal laying around.
Very cool.
This operation is STILL working but it's due to be shut down in September 2020. It's now the very last regular industrial steam operation in the world - the end of 200 years of history ...... Andy
The locomotives in China are true steampunks!
Hi William. Thanks for your comment. I'm not really sure whether you're saying something good or bad about them !! Thanks anyway though ! Andy
@@AndyDandanFisherSteam I said they are like steampunks because they have such a great elements on their machines. Plus, I said good things about them!!
Couldn't tell if that was a. 5 or 6 speed shifter he was operating! !😄😄😄😄
No gearbox on a steam loco .... but I think you knew that already !!! Cheers, Andy
steel working ?
Yes, Anil. These steam locomotives are now the very last in the world working in industry. Sadly, they are due to finish later this year, ending 200 years of history ....... Andy
China's clean energy program is looking amazing.
When I first visited China, 15 years ago, there was steam everywhere, but it's all gone now - except here at Sandaoling. This operation is now the last proper industrial use of steam power anywhere in the world. We're trying to keep it alive as long as we can - for its historical value. Other than here, huge strides have been taken to clean up China - probably faster than in Europe and definitely faster than the USA. This operation is to be valued for its rarity now. Trust me, the damage done by the 6 locos still working here is absolutely nothing compared to the billions of cars that we all drive every day. Please can we sort ourselves out before we throw stones at China? Andy
Andy and Dandan Fisher quite right. This is the other side of the I drive a Prius and leave all the ( led) lights on when I go off on my skiing holiday coin. Most manufacturing processes are filthy if you want the goods dirt cheap
Chinese are prolific liars. They state it is for Its historical value, yet, look at the engines. Some outdoorly stored 19 centurians could look better. Horrific cut on the costs, thats what It is, you dirty liar.
Are they still running these
Unfortunately, nobody knows for certain. They're supposed to have finished a few months ago but they've been reprieved many times. The covid pandemic means that no-one can visit the site at the moment. Rumours are rife! .... Andy
As of two days from the time of this comment, the steam railways in China have all now shut down. The engines themselves might be repurposed for shunting as far as I've heard but don't quote me on that.
Whom ever set those valves knew their business!
All these Chinese steam locos were well maintained despite their rough appearance. Sadly they're all gone now ... Andy
Great vid. A little cold maybe?????? :-)
Thanks. It wasn't as cold as we were expecting ... only minus 4 in the day. But for someone from Alice, maybe?
Can anyone see the large face on the hillside at 10:14? It appears from behind the side of the loco and moves from left to right. The illusion ends about 10:18
Sorry Mark - I don't see it !
Maybe its just in my minds' eye. Thankyou for your video. I value being able to see the worlds railways in YT videos such as yours
Well - it really is my pleasure !
Hope I could be there someday.
Where are you based? There are trips by steam fans going there all the time.
I lived in China, southwestern areas. Once in elementary school road a Qianjin (QJ) steam train. It was very similar to this one. Not working in a coal mine though, I think it was used as a switcher. Still, Xinjiang is quite far from where I used to live, but it's possible to travel there :)
I take it from your "I lived" that you no longer live in China. You'll have to visit Sandaoling very soon to see the steam. It's expected to finish there in the next few weeks or months. BTW a QJ is unlikely to have been shunting (UK) or switching (USA) - more likely to have been on a freight working.
I see. Thanks for the notice. I will go back to China next week, let's see if I can make it. I wasn't sure if I should use "live" or "lived". I am just in US for school, might not be permanent. Well, I guess you are right about the QJ not being used as shunter/switcher, but that was a very special time, where DF4B and old DF3/1 are taking the roles the QJs. The ride I had was from the yard to a nearby grain terminal.
When you get back to China you need to fly or take the train to Hami. From there it's about 90 minutes bus ride/taxi ride to Sandaoling.
with so many running electronic high-speed bullet train, I think it is ok to just keep a few steam trains in operation, for the train enthusiast and many big boys.
Sadly, these last few steam locos are due to finish their work this year (2020) ....... Andy