China steam finale, beautifully filmed scenes in 2011, Youtube.

[Michael Delamar]

"This video shows a locomotive being overhauled at the Sujiatun Repair Works at Shenyang; street scenes at Changchun station including the light rapid transit system; typical sleeper carriages; and steam trains at a Qiqiha'er chemical works and power plant. The power station scenes are short because our visit here was interrupted by the arrival of the local police"

 

[SHMD]

Fantastic - thanks for that.

I'm going to have to dig out my phots of steam in China now!

 

Kev.

[Enterprisingwestern]

Nice to see a high standard of Health and Safety being observed!

 

Mike.

[Michael Delamar]

what i liked was seeing the real weathering on the locos in such clarity

[jhb171achil]

Noticing the word "finale" - just got me thinking, does anyone know if there is actually still any working steam in China?

 

Apart from shunting in coal mines, I think that fairly recently anyway, there were some narrow gauge lines with public services. Anyone know if that's correct?

[TEAMYAKIMA]

On 06/10/2021 at 01:46, jhb171achil said:

Noticing the word "finale" - just got me thinking, does anyone know if there is actually still any working steam in China?

 

Apart from shunting in coal mines, I think that fairly recently anyway, there were some narrow gauge lines with public services. Anyone know if that's correct?

I heard that the last open cast coal mine using steam was to close in October, but I have since heard that it didn't and so it may still survive. It was a 100% steam standard gauge  system at Sandaoling. It was always due to close and so it wasn't worth them investing in diesels. 

[phil_sutters]

Thanks for uploading the fascinating video. I have recommended it to a guy on the photo-sharing website I use, who has shared some brilliant images of Chinese railways. I think I have mentioned his album before, but if I haven't, it can be found at http://www.ipernity.com/doc/302581/album/358661

Best wishes for the festive season and 2022.

Phil

[TEAMYAKIMA]

Sandaoling is still working with 100% steam - except to trains linking to/from China Rail - all mine related workings are still 100% steam.

 

I found these photos taken one month ago.....

 

                        

[bingley hall]

On 17/07/2022 at 16:51, TEAMYAKIMA said:

Sandaoling is still working with 100% steam - except to trains linking to/from China Rail - all mine related workings are still 100% steam.

 

I found these photos taken one month ago.....

 

                        

 

Not quite. The rail operations have contracted considerably in recent years, many rail functions being replaced by trucks or diesels. There are only a handful of steam locos in use daily, down from 20 or more a decade ago. Still probably the steamiest place on earth (when there are no gala weekends in the UK), but now  shadow of its former self.  There are at best two, maybe three, return steam trips per day in daylight.   

[jjb1970]

I was lucky enough to see mainline steam in China, though even in the mid-90's it was being squeezed to the margins and most trains on the lines I traveled were diesel or electric. The QJ was quite a machine.

[jjb1970]

A rather lovely picture from Xinhua News, the caption is 'A steam train runs past cole flower fields in Jianwei County of Leshan City, southwest China's Sichuan Province, March 3, 2023'.