Java Sugar Steam 1999 - Kediri Area Mills

These mills are operated by PTP Nusantara X, previously PTP XXI\XXII, before that PNP XXI/XXII, and before that PNP XXI and PNP XXII. Individual and group visitors who check in officially can expect to be charged the equivalent of U$6 per person per mill. At first sight, this area seems less affected by the problems in the industry than Solo and Madiun, but Mojopanggung must be under threat.

24. LESTARI Mill Index

If there are any locos left here they will be wrecks, the 3 remaining good locos now being at Gempolkerep.

25. MERICAN Mill Index

At 15.00 on July 20th 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 were working from the delivery yard although the mill itself was clogged up with cane. Presumably 2 was round by the crusher as usual. After the depression of Madiun, it was good to find the mill very busy on the afternoon of August 13th, although 7 appeared finished for the season, parked out of use in a siding. It was equally busy on August 22nd. As usual the night photography here with the bagasse fireworks was awe inspiring. On August 23rd, we drove past at 16.00 and saw two loaded trains cross the road outside the mill so things were going normally again.

26. PESANTREN Mill Index

At 15.30 on July 20th, 214, 216, 217 and one diesel were at work in the delivery yard and 228 was working the empties from the mill.  I did not go into the shed area but there appeared to be one OK Mallet and one conventional locomotive outside. 226 was also working when Nobukazu Furuhashi visited in June. On August 13th we visited the delivery yard and found 214, 217, 226 and 228 doing not very much as the mill had been out on strike the previous day and was about to resume crushing. Consequently, there was a lot of cane in the main mill yard and very few trucks coming in. On August 23rd, the mill had suffered a serious breakdown. So at 14.30, only 228 was in the cane yard and every available lori was full of cane and there was a long line of trucks waiting to deliver. We found 8, 182, 214, 216, 217 and 226 outside the shed and four of the Mallets duly left for the cane yard just after 15.00 but the promised start up did not occur and we left at 15.45. Inside the shed were 9, 150, 151, 193, 194 and 212 in various stages of dismantling/overhaul.  The official roster showed 13 steam (and 5 diesel), it was not clear which of the locos in the shed was considered beyond redemption.

27. NGADIREJO Mill Index

Nobukazu Furuhashi reports 205 working in late June.

28. MOJOPANGGUNG Mill Index

Nobukazu Furuhashi reports 2, 3 and 7 working in late June, with 6 under repair and 8 spare. It seemed similar on July 26th when I stopped by to make sure 8 would be steamed for my visiting groups in August.  The locos looked less well cared for than a year or two ago. On August 14th, the mill had suffered a serious breakdown and the yard was totally blocked, but the same three locos were in steam.  On 23rd August, the mill was very quiet and processing the cane almost as soon as it arrived. The mill had insufficient bagasse to steam 8 for either of our visits and indeed were using a small diesel on yard shunts where steam would previously have been used. 

29. JOMBANG BARU Mill Index

No trace of steam locos remains here.

30. CUKIR Mill Index

The remaining steam locos were sold to the Kediri scrap merchant in 1996.

31. GEMPOLKEREP Mill Index

Nobukazu Furuhashi reports 2, 3L, 4L, 11 and 12 working in late June. We were here on August 14th and had major problems getting access which may have been related to the fact that the mill staff had recently been on strike. As a result, the mill was only just getting back into action, but 2 and 3L were busy working the empties, 4L and 12 were working the mill feeder and 11, 18 and 19 and two diesels the cane yard. I was delighted to see 4L in action, because it was more than ten years ago that I last saw it working at its original home, Lestari.  The rest of the steam fleet was on shed apparently serviceable.

32. TULANGAN Mill Index

Three of the remaining steam locos were sold to the Kediri scrap merchant in 1995; the other presumably was scrapped.

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