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| Steam in China | ||
| by Michael Allen | ||
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| China is the last country on earth with a significant quantity of steam engines in regular service. Fifteen years ago, China Rail adopted a policy of eliminating steam traction by the year 2000, and they have largely succeeded, but if you know where to go, there are still pockets of China Rail steam to be seen. More importantly though, the booming Chinese economy has lead to the building of several new provincial railways using the large numbers of surplus steam locomotives now available from China Rail. At least two of these provincial lines look and operate like heavy mainlines. Steam should continue to exist on at least one of these lines, through 2003. | ||
The Trains Travel Tips On Line Resources Photo Locations Non-Rail Tips Personal Recommendations | ||
| OK, we know there is still "big" steam in China, but why do I want to go there? My friend Gary Hunter answers the question this way: "I've always regretted having been born too late to experience mainline steam in the U.S. Railroad photos from the '30s and '40s have always intrigued me: huge locomotives erupt with black smoke as they move heavy trains up mountain passes; a dozen engines steam quietly at a servicing facility; husky switchers work a steel mill. I'd look at those grand pictures, and I'd feel a sense of disappointment that I would never have an opportunity to witness such scenes. But in China, at the beginning of the 21st Century, I can still experience it all. The details are different, of course, but the sights and sounds and smells are the same. I can take my own photos of '30s and '40s mainline steam." | ||
| The Trains | ||
| At first glance, Chinese steam may seem unpalatable, but if you look closely at the mechanism of a QJ, you will see it is a basic US 2-10-2 from the 1920's that has been dressed up with modern boxpok drivers, smokelifters, welded tenders and European style red drivers. The reason for this is simple; in 1931 the Soviet Union purchased 5 Baldwin 2-10-2's and five ALCO 2-10-4's. Using the US locomotives as a model, the Soviets built over 3,000 FD class 2-10-2's. In 1952, the Soviets began producing the LV, another 2-10-2, as a successor to the FD. Some FD's were then re-gauged and shipped to China. In 1956, the Soviet's stopped building steam locomotives and it is believed the drawings, patterns and machinery for building the LV were also sent to China. The QJ class 2-10-2, which appeared in 1957 is the result. The Chinese claim the QJ is an entirely Chinese design, but the QJ is clearly based on the LV design. China had approximately 8,200 steam engines 15 years ago, of which over 4,600 were class QJ 2-10-2's. China Rail achieved a level of standardization the Pennsy could only dream about. Today, mainline operations in China use only two classes of locomotive, the QJ 2-10-2 and the JS 2-8-2. QJ stands for Qian Jin, translated as "forward" or "progress." JS stands for Jian She, translated as "construction." The JS looks much like a shortened QJ, but they seldom have the elephant ear smoke lifters and look quite different when first encountered. A few industrial lines still use JF (Liberation) 2-8-2's, very American looking engines dating back to the 50's, but most use the SY (Aiming High) 2-8-2's that were still being built at the Tangshan locomotive works as late as October of 1999. A few YJ 2-6-2's are known to still exist at steel mills. The narrow gauge forestry lines use C-2 class 0-8-0's, based on the Polish Px48 class. | ||
| Few American railfans take an interest in steam outside of North America. The locomotives are funny looking, the engines all look the same, China's a communist country, it's cold, the food is bad, getting there is expensive, the steam engines have air horns, for God's sake, etc., etc. Have I covered all the negatives and stereotypes? First of all, may I say that I'm a New York Central fan and for a long time I wouldn't look at a Pennsy engine. Those funny pilots, high headlights, Belpaire fireboxes, etc. were just plain weird. For me, it was harder learning to love Pennsy steam than it was learning to love Chinese steam! OK, from head on, a QJ 2-10-2 does look like a Mohawk, but that's not the reason. Honest! (About those air horns, all Chinese steam locomotives are equipped with both air horns and air activated five chime steam whistles. Air horns appear to be used in the cities and as a warning, but steam whistles are frequently used as well. Sort of like the Daylight!) | ||
| Travel Tips | ||
| As we pointed out in our article on choosing a rail tour, China is the destination for fans looking to see big steam in actual service. Because the remaining steam locations are either widely separated or are in areas with little tourist infrastructure, a tour is the best way for the first time visitor. Most tours of China do not feature special trains, except on the forestry lines. Getting you to the line side to take those photos of regular trains is the service the tour operator provides. A tour can take you to all the good locations, take care of the hassles of transportation, meals and lodging, and provide entry to workshops, factories and steel mills. In addition, an English speaking guide will be with the group to deal with local officials, take care of lost luggage, lost hotel reservations, etc. For those who are a bit more adventurous and don't like traveling in a large group, it is now possible to organize your own mini tour. There are several Chinese guides who work independent of CITS, the giant Chinese tour service that used to monopolize all travel in China. Contact one of the guides listed in the resources section and do your own thing. This type of "do it yourself tour" will still provide you with a Chinese guide, vehicle and driver at each location and take care of meals and accommodations. How well your tour works will depend on how well your guide speaks English and how well you are able to communicate your wishes to him/her. It's a Communist Country. Yes, it is, but you wouldn't know it by the way the Chinese are living and doing business these days. It seems like everyone has a cell phone, bicycles have given way to cars and the Neon sign franchise is doing very well. You'll only see the bureaucratic side of communism when arriving and departing through customs and when dealing with the officious railway station staff. You won't see much evidence of police and military presence when traveling about. Since railfans tend to visit factories and steel mills, you will encounter security there, but just like in the USA, plant guards are just doing their jobs. Unlike the US, once your guide talks to them, they will often let you into places you really shouldn't expect to get into. The Chinese are, however, very sensitive to western criticism of their human rights record. If you are seen photographing a prison or other security installation, they will assume you are a journalist and that you are up to no good. They won't realize you can't read the signs in Chinese and didn't have a clue as to what that building by the tracks was all about. When shooting in urban areas, it is best to keep your guide with the group just to avoid such mistakes. A friend was photographing near the helper station at Chengde and was detained for a short period. They didn't take his film, but they did review his video and asked him to erase a couple of shots that included a prison building, which is next to the tracks. | ||
| When To Go:Because the coal used in China does not normally produce vast quantities of smoke, we recommend traveling to China during the cold weather period of November through March in order to maximize the steam effects. | ||
| The Language:China's official language is Mandarin Chinese. The characters have been standardized and simplified so that they are universal throughout China. The spoken language is highly variable by region, as China has many dialects. There is also Mongolian, written and spoken in the northern areas. Most visitors will depend upon their guide/translator to get them through, but some attempt at speaking the language will be well received by the locals. Spending a few weeks with a tape language program would be a good idea. Learning to read characters is only recommended for those planning on traveling alone, when finding the railway ticket office for foreigners, hotels and restaurants is vital. | ||
| The Weather: China has all the climate extremes of the US, Mexico and Canada combined. Travel in China can be rugged and it can be hot, cold or in-between. If you are visiting during the fall-winter-spring period, the weather in the northern steam centers will be much like that of Minnesota during the same period. So yes, it will be cold. It's only mind numbingly cold from mid-December through mid-February, so it is possible to choose your level of cold. I can attest from personal, January experience, that it is possible to spend all day outside, beginning at -21 degrees F, reaching a high of -5 degrees F and not have any problems! | ||
| Getting There:There is no getting around the fact that it is a long way to go. We flew via Northwest, non-stop from Detroit to Beijing. This flight is fourteen hours westbound and 13 hours eastbound. Prices are variable and hard to predict, but $850 has been a common winter-time round trip fare. Many people travel to China via Hong Kong and Shanghai as well, but as most remaining steam is in the north, I recommend arriving via Beijing. | ||
| Lodging: Hotels in China are divided into those for locals and those for foreigners (and party members). With the exception of the forestry areas, there are foreigner class hotels at the best known steam centers. Expect that your hotel will be at least adequate, but be prepared for your room to be too hot or too cold and for the bathroom plumbing to be marginal at best. ("Why is a QJ like a Chinese hotel bathroom? Because it's dirty and most of the fittings are broken!") | ||
| Getting Around: China is a huge country with a very poor highway system. You will either need to take the train or fly to cover long distances. Most railfans visiting China use a combination of long distance trains and minibus for short distances (China's domestic airline is not exactly the safest in the world). China has two classes of travel, hard class and soft class. Hard class coaches are crowded, while soft class is less so. Hard class sleepers are open dormitory style, with six bunks per section. There may or may not be a curtain between the aisle and the bunks. Hard class can be very crowded and people will be eating, drinking and smoking all around you. There is a thin, hard mattress and a heavy quilt provided, along with a rice hull pillow. Soft class is European style compartments, with four berths per compartment and a sliding door to close off the aisle. Mattresses are thicker and bedding is supplied. Soft class berths and seats may be hard to obtain, especially around Spring Festival (Chinese New Year), unless your guide gets them well in advance of your trip. Most railfan visitors plan an itinerary that allows them to take an overnight train to their next destination, arriving early in the morning, ready to start filming the action. You should insist in advance that your guide obtain soft class berths. We strongly recommend that you plan to spend at least the night following each train trip in a hotel, rather than taking another overnight train to yet another destination. | ||
| Food: Maybe it's because we would head directly to dinner after a day out in the sub zero air, but the food was terrific! Breakfast will look a little strange at first, but it is tasty, filling and hot, so you'll manage. You may get the traditional steamed dumplings, rice gruel and sliced pickles, but we also got fried eggs, omelets and a tasty fried raised bread that compared favorably with Dunkin' Donuts. Lunch was usually taken on the run, to avoid missing a shot, so it can be whatever you take with you. Instant noodles packaged in a Styrofoam bowl are available everywhere. Just add hot water from the thermos in your bus or train compartment, wait five minutes and lunch is served. There are also various kinds of bread in cellophane packing and some bland but filling packaged sausage available just about everywhere. These will fit in your camera bag for lunch if you are away from your hot water supply. You might want to bring along a dozen chocolate bars for line side snacks, or for long bus rides. Dinner, even in the smallest towns, should be better than anything you will ever get from your local Chinese take out at home. Practice using chop sticks, but most restaurants will give you a fork or spoon if you just can't manage chop sticks! | ||
| Money & Prices:Chinese money is known as Ren Min Bi or Peoples Money. The unit of currency is the Yuan. There are 100 Jiao in a Yuan and currently, 8 Yuan = $1.00 US. | ||
| Trip Costs: Once you are in China, your costs will depend on which method of travel you have chosen, Tour group, small group with guide or on your own. For Tour Groups, airfare is generally included in the total price, as are all meals and internal travel. You might spend nothing at all, but you should bring some money for souvenirs or extra drinks and snacks on the train. There is also an airport exit tax of 100 Yuan at Beijing. Some of the remaining steam centers have begun to realize that there is money to be made from railfans and now attempt to charge a photo permit fee of 50 Yuan per day, per person. They may also charge up to 200 Yuan for the group to visit an engine depot. Independent travelers, if they have sufficient courage, are often able to refuse to pay, but with a group, you will have to, as the railway, in cooperation with local police and government, has the ability to make life difficult for your Chinese guide. A small group (4-6 persons) with a guide can expect to pay from $1600 to $2000 (not including airfare) per person for two weeks, depending on the class of hotel used and the size of the group. This figure would include hotels, all meals and land transport in China, including trains for long distances, private mini-bus for shorter distances and for train chasing at individual locations, photo permits, guide fee and tips. You be the judge if $2,500-$3,000 total cost for two weeks of incredible steam adventure is affordable or not. For the truly hardy (or cheap) Rob Dickinson has a guide to China for $25.00 per day available on his web site. If you go entirely on your own, you should allow at least 50% more time, as you will be spending more time arranging transportation and lodging. For three weeks of independent travel, not including airfare, plan on spending about $500-$600. | ||
| Online Resources | ||
| Use the following links to plan your trip to China: | ||
| http://dialspace.pipex.com/steam/internat.htm - International Working Steam Locomotives - Rob Dickinson's outstanding web site that catalogs revenue-producing steam worldwide, including China. | ||
| http://severn.dmu.ac.uk/~mlp/crsg.html - The China Railways Home Page - a terrific resource for the traveller. | ||
| MapQuest - order maps online. | ||
| Omnimap - order maps online. | ||
| Universal Currency Convertor - self-explanatory. | ||
| (Links are provided as a convenience and do not imply any endorsement of products or services offered on the linked sites.) | ||
| Other Resources | ||
| Package tours: Are offered by TRANSNICO INTERNATIONAL & GROUP S.A. TRAIN TOURS of Belgium, STEAM AND SAFARIS LTD. Winhill House, Edale Road, Hope Sheffield S33 6ZF, Englandof England, INTRA EXPRESS Hobby- und Studienreisen GmbH of Germany, and others. You will find contact details for these companies on the Operators page. Chinese guides for do it yourself tours:Sun Xiaolan of China Liaoning Steam Locomotive Photography Association (e-mail: lslpafj@sy-public.ln.cninfo.net) Li Weishu (Fax: 0086-431-8587783; e-mail: liws@public.cc.jl.cn) Liu Xue Jun, Welcome to China Photo Steam Train (Fax 0086-314-421844881) | ||
| Maps: China Railway Atlas, Quail Map Co., 2 Lincoln Road, Exeter, UK EX4 2DZ | ||
| Books: Steam on 4 Continents, Part IV: China, G. Haslbeck & D. Wardale-Available from Goodheart Productions, PO Box 47131, Chicago, IL 60647. Extreme Steam, Steve le Cheminant, Vernon Murphy, Michael Rhodes Available from Goodheart Productions. Dragons of the Great Rail, K. Murai- Available from the Author, 3168-8 Asahigaoka-machi, Hanamigawa-ku, CHIBA-shi, 262 JAPAN | ||
| Videos: Vanishing World Steam, Vol. 1, China - Goodheart Productions. Steam and the Great Dragon - Goodheart Productions. Steam Around the World, China: Steam Paradise- Greg Scholl Video Productions. | ||
| Magazines: Continental Railway Journal-c/o Brian Benn, 3 Hayfield, Leybourne, West Malling, Kent, ME19 5PX, England. 12 pounds sterling per year (4 issues) World Steam- 3 Shadwell Grove, Radcliffe on Trent, Nottingham, NG12 2ET, England. E-mail worldsteam@proweb.co.uk. 28 pounds sterling per year ($40) (9 issues) | ||
| Photo Locations | |
| As mentioned previously, many of the famous steam centers in China like Zhongwhei have disappeared within the last two years, but there are still enough great locations left that you can't even begin to cover everything in two weeks. Here are the locations that are currently drawing railfans from around the world. | |
| Jing Peng Pass. In this era when steam is finishing up on the railways of the world, here is a line where steam is just beginning. Opened in December of 1995, the Ji Tong Railway of Inner Mongolia traverses 943 km (585 miles) of high desert plateau, using more than 120 QJ 2-10-2's on about 20 trains per day. At approximately the mid-point of the line, the railway must cross a range of mountains, at the now famous Jing Peng Pass. Using five 180 degree horseshoe curves, seven tunnels and numerous viaducts, double headed 2-10-2's struggle over the pass with coal trains, mixed traffic trains, tank trains and passenger trains in one of the greatest steam shows of the past 20 years. | |
 | The curved viaduct at Si Ming Yi on the Jing Peng pass, January 2000. Photo by Michael Allen. Copyright 2000 Michael Allen, all rights reserved. |
 | This cut is upgrade from the curved viaduct at Si Ming Yi. January 2000. Photo by Michael Allen. Copyright 2000 Michael Allen, all rights reserved. |
 | Tunnel 3 on the pass. January 2000. Photo by Michael Allen. Copyright 2000 Michael Allen, all rights reserved. |
 | At the summit of Jing Peng pass, two trains meet. January 2000. Photo by Michael Allen. Copyright 2000 Michael Allen, all rights reserved. |
 | East of Jing Peng Pass, two QJ's work upgrade through the S curve at Yuxhoude. January, 2000. Photo by Tim Lab. Copyright 2000 Tim Lab, all rights reserved. |
 | A rare single header crosses the Si Ming Yi viaduct on the west slope of the Jing Peng Pass. January, 2000. Photo by Tim Lab. Copyright 2000 Tim Lab, all rights reserved. |
 | A pair of QJ's struggles upgrade eastbound towards tunnel one, with a brickworks in the background. January, 2000. Photo by Tim Lab. Copyright 2000 Tim Lab, all rights reserved. |
| Chengde: Only 120 km north-east of Beijing, there is a steelworks branch line that runs 20 km, from a China Rail connection at Chengde to a steel mill at Shuangtashan. This line climbs steeply to a double tunnel summit, about 3 km before Shuangtashan. Three engine trains regularly battle 3% grades to move 14 coal cars up to a power station and the steel mill. This line uses both JS 2-8-2's and SY 2-8-2's and all possible combinations may be seen, but the most common is one road engine and two pushers at the rear of the train. The final 3 km from the helper station to the summit are quite scenic and can be photographed from line side or from above on the surrounding hills. | |
 | A coal train on the Chengde - Shuangtashan branch. Photo Copyright 2000 Michael Allen, all rights reserved. |
| Baotou: Fourteen hours by train west of Beijing, Baotou is the northern terminus of the Bao-Shen Railway. This line opened in 1996 to serve coal mines at Shenmu Bei and features a number of long viaducts. There is a stiff grade northbound from Aobaogo to Dongsheng that requires a pusher on fully loaded trains. Double headed QJ's on the head end and a QJ shoving on the rear is a fantastic sight, especially early in the morning when the sun backlights the towering clouds of steam. There are also two passenger trains in each direction during daylight hours to add to the interest of frequent coal trains. There is a new electrified line being built from the south, scheduled to reach the mines in August of 2001, so this steam show only has 15 months to go. Also at Baotou, the China Rail branch line to Shiguai is still operated with JS 2-8-2's due to a shortage of light axle load diesels. The DF-4, which has dieselized the mainlines, is too heavy for this lightly laid branch. At present, there is a daily passenger and one or two freights per day on this very scenic line. As of this writing, one or two of the suburban trains running out of Baotou Dong are still steam, also using JS 2-8-2's. | |
 | San Ta Ji viaduct near Baotou. Photo Copyright 2000 Michael Allen, all rights reserved. |
| Anshan Steel Works. This enormous steel mill, located just south of Shenyang is an overnight train ride north east of Beijing and still has a large fleet of SY class 2-8-2's and even some YJ 2-6-2's steam locomotives, but steam is scheduled to be phased out over the next two - three years. Recently access to the mill has been curtailed to the blast furnace area, with the slag dump reportedly now off limits. | |
 | A YJ class 2-6-2 at Anshan in July 1987. Photo Copyright 2000 Michael Allen, all rights reserved. |
| Other Steam Locations: Tongchuan Mining Administration. Also in the west, two hours north of Xi'an (home to the famous pottery army) are eight JF 2-8-2's. Scenically, the line is excellent, running through hilly terrain with steep grades. Locomotives are worked hard and fast on both empties and loaded trains. More trains run at night than in daylight, plus there are some diesels currently in use and more on the way. Most reports indicate weather here is very iffy and several days are recommended in order to get sufficient decent shots. Daqing Coal Company, Tiefa. The newest steam engine in China, built in October 1999, is working at this very busy complex. With up to 20 SY class 2-8-2's, frequent freight and passenger service, this is an interesting line to visit, but it is not in a very photogenic area. Tiefa is about 2 hours north east of Anshan by mini bus and visits can be combined. | |
 | A C-2 class 0-8-0 pauses with a loaded log train on the way to the mill at Weihe. February, 2000. Photo by Robert Horlacher. Copyright 2000 Robert Horlacher, all rights reserved. |
| Tonghua/Hunjiang. This well known steam center, east of Shenyang and almost on the North Korean border, still has 42 locos, with at least 20 active JS locos allocated to the shed. About half are road engines, equipped with smoke lifters, while half are shunters, with the lifters removed. Fuxin. Located 200 km west of Shenyang, this is another busy colliery system. At least 20 SY, plus some CNR QJ's and JS's are active here. Frequent local passenger and freight trains on the mine railway are 100% steam. This area is somewhat more scenic than Tiefa. Da'an Bei. The last fully functional steam depot on China Rail. The shed has 56 active steam locos, 47 QJs and 9 JSs. Nine DF4 diesels arrived at the end of last year and another nine are due in May of this year. This will have a big impact on steam working and the depot will close completely by August 2001. Currently, one can see an average of 20 steam hauled freight and passenger trains each day. Because most trains change engines at Da'an Bei, there are considerable numbers of QJ movements on and off shed throughout the day. The station itself has an 8 track hump yard with a JS hump switcher. If you want non-stop steam action on China Rail, get to Da'an in the next nine months or so. Da'an Bei is a couple of hours west of Harbin by bus and has not seen much railfan interest previously, as the area is quite flat. Tongliao: Tongliao Dong, about 20 km north of Tongliao, is the eastern terminus of the Ji Tong railway. In addition, about half of the CNR freight trains from Tongliao south to Xinlitun are still steam. The engines on this line may be based at the Da'an Bei shed. The Manchurian forestry lines. All are 762 mm gauge using C-2 class 0-8-0's. The two best Narrow Gauge lines are the Weihe Forestry Railway and the Zhanhe Forest Railway. Many of the forestry lines have closed in the last two or three years, but these two seem to be secure for another couple of years. Weihe is the most famous and most frequently visited, but the Zhanhe line has some spectacular canyon country at the far end. | |
 | Compare this photo to the Px48 class 0-8-0 shown in the Poland Travel Resources page, and you'll see a striking resemblence. |
 | Narrow gauge 0-8-0 C2 21055 pulls empty log buggies from Weihe to the woods. This view is southbound just north of Pinglin. February, 2000. Photo by Robert Horlacher. Copyright 2000 Robert Horlacher, all rights reserved. |
 | C-2 21053 pauses with a loaded log train on the way to the mill at Weihe. This view is passing the loading point north of Shuangfeng. February, 2000. Photo by Robert Horlacher. Copyright 2000 Robert Horlacher, all rights reserved. |
| The other narrow gauge lines. There are still many narrow gauge lines serving quarries and mines, scattered around China. Finding them is for the hardy and adventurous, but two are conveniently located near Beijing and are often visited on a half day after arrival or before departure from the airport. The Yexi Stone Quarry is a few km north of Capital Iron and Steel, also frequently visited by groups killing time, waiting for participants arriving on different flights. Dahuichang Stone Railway is located 30 km south of Beijing. Both lines use C-2 class 0-8-0's. | |
| Non-Rail Tips | |
| As the oldest civilization in the world, it seems a shame to visit China only for the steam. If you can manage a few extra days, we recommend that you spend your first two days in Beijing and visit the Forbidden City, then take a train or bus an hour north to Badalang and see the Great Wall. If you are interested in the JF's at Tongchuan, you will be only two hours from Xi'an, home to the famous pottery army. Spend a bad weather day seeing this incredible sight. There is too much in China to get into other recommendations, but these cultural sites won't take you out of your way and are a must see. | |
| Personal Recommendations | |
| There is a temptation to want to see everything in a two week trip, but don't do it. Allow sufficient time to see each area and for travel between sites. Because the Jing Peng pass is currently the top attraction, nearly every group will go there. Be aware that the weather can be variable and it is often windy. You should allow five or more days just for Jing Peng Pass. If you want to visit the forestry lines and some of the steam centers in the north-east, you will need to skip the western locations, such as Baotou, or you will need at least a three week trip. If you decide to go in January, we recommend that you prepare yourself for getting hot and sweaty climbing up steep hills at 20 below zero Fahrenheit, followed by standing around for an hour or more! This means wearing moisture wicking long underwear and using layering your clothes. Wear one or two layers of long underwear, trousers, fleece shirt, wool shirt, down parka and outer wind shell with hood. Don't try to have one layer do it all, or you will get overheated and sweaty on your walk or climb in to a photo location and then get chilled while waiting for a train. Climb or hike in the least amount of gear that will keep you warm but not sweaty, then put on additional layers when you get there. You will also need warm head gear, such as a balaclava, also glove liners and thermal gloves. We recommend some form of Pac boot, but they will be too hot for normal daily wear on trains and your flights to and from China, so bring a pair of trainers or hiking boots. Also, interior China is very dry in the winter and the cold will cause your skin to dry out and crack. You should bring along good sunscreen and some form of hand cream or lotion. | |
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