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I have to say the prospects of the smells from public toilets in China in the Summer
would put me right off this kind of trip, but if you like watching steam trains (probably
you won't get many good photographs in Summer) then why not try it. Peter-H Patt records
the dying gasps of main line steam on CNR.
A foreword: with the prospect of rapidly vanishing steam activities on CNR rails, a
limited vacation time available and the wish, not to stay at each and every ludian and not
to travel hardseater overnight unexpectedly I decided to organize some parts of my trip
through the well-known Mr. Zhang from CITS Changchun.
I know that taking taxis and planes to travel through China is not the perfect cheap
way of public transport but it saves time and allows you to chase trains...
I followed the standard Northern China steam path: Da'an Bei - Fuxin -
YiXian/Beipiao -
Yebaishou plus an excursion to Wuhai. My sighting information will just show freight
trains but no passenger duties (except steam hauled ones).
Partly I have been accompanied by Frank Ebert (Da'an
Bei-Fuxin-YiXian) and traveled the
rest of my itinerary alone.
These are the headlines:
1.) Steam in the Shenyang bureau will not finish in August 2001. All visited depots
told us that they will continue using steam until summer 2002.
2.) No deadline was given for the Hohot-bureau (Wuhai Xi) yet.
3.) If you have to pay it, the visitor's fee for Da'an and Fuxin depots is
"officially" 100Y - don't pay more and demand a receipt!
4.) At least 4 new DF5 (built in 2001) have taken over shunting duties in/around Da'an
Bei.
5.) The daily mixed Da'an Bei-Taipingchuan can be QJ- and DF5-hauled. No other passenger
trains are steam hauled currently (DF4 and DFH3 do the job).
6.) Beipaio-Chaoyang passenger trains: QJs run smokebox first on the stretch
Chaoyang-Beipiao.
7.) Fuxin-YiXian-Yebaishou: fixed freight paths exist but except a few sure QJ workings,
trains change haulage every day. There is apparently no different schedule on weekdays and
weekends.
About 50-70% of all trains are still with steam (but not all are pure QJ hauled!).
8.) Wuhai-Jilantai branch: still 100% steam with unpredictable schedules. Shunting done by
JS.
9.) Baotou-Dong: all JS have been withdrawn and replaced by DF5.
19 May: after an uneventful Lufthansa flight I arrived in Beijing and got
shocked by 36 degrees Celsius temperature at 08.00H in the morning already! I took the
airport bus to the city and went to Dahuichang by underground/bus around noon and found ng
locos 02 and 04 ready for action and SY 0231 simmering in the yard but, unlike my December
visit, not shunting this time. Action on the ng started on time at 14.00H but lasted only
until 15.30 when both locos finished work for that shift. I stayed in Beijing overnight to
wait for my travelmate Frank who arrived the following day.
20May: in order to save time to travel to Da'an we took a China Northern
flight to Changchun where we arrived at 12.30H. A minibus awaited us already and took us
towards Da'an Bei. There were working sites every 3-5 kilometers on the road so that
driving was quite tough.
At Nong'an station we overtook QJ 6280 with a long freight to Da'an Bei which waited for
the crossing with K651, hauled by DFH3 0010+0224. Stopping at Qianguo later we found QJ
6891 and QJ 6809 in the small depot, together with steam crane Z151-517 (if anybody is
interested in steam crane statistics…).
At 18.10 JS 6237 (high deflectors) arrived with a short local freight from Da'an
Bei,
while QJ 6280 and QJ 6891 already waited in the yard to depart to Da'an Bei: QJ 6280
departed at 18.15 light engine, the latter one followed with a heavy freight 15 minutes
later.
The first sign of grooming bad news were 2 DF5 (building year 2000 and 2001) shunting
around the station with no JS to be seen.
We continued towards Da'an Bei, stood in one of the ludian and were eager to go to
Taiyangshen the next morning.
21 May: things started badly this morning: when we arrived at the station
around 06.00H we had to discover that all shunting duties had been transferred to
brand-new DF5 (as seen in Qianguo already). Later we learned that only 1 JS was used for
the shunting group of Da'an Bei which includes work in Da'an Bei, Da'an, Qianguo and
Changshantun, the rest was done by DF5. All other JS were stored at Da'an Bei depot.
The trains L701/702 consisted of modern tourist train stock and had DF4 at the front,
departing at 06.13.
As expected, QJ 7086 departed with the daily mixed to Taipingchuan on time 06.27H. What we
didn't know and had to find out now is that the local passenger train to Taiyangshen was
published everywhere to depart at 06.38H but was retimed and departed 06.28 now - while we
were shooting the departure of QJ7086 the DF4 hauled north-bound passenger left the
station without us…
As the weather was overcasted and didn't show any hope for improvement we decided to stay
around the station/yard/depot.
These were the movements we saw:
QJ 7173 freight from Ranghulu 06.45
QJ 6368 freight from Ranghulu 07.10
QJ 6347 freight from Ranghulu 07.25
QJ 6886 light from Ranghulu 07.40
QJ 7119 freight from Taipingch 07.50
QJ 6847 freight to RGH
08.00
QJ 6886 freight to CGQ
08.25
QJ 6924 freight from RGH 08.30
QJ 6435 freight from TPC 08.40
QJ 3179 freight to RGH
08.50
QJ 6851 light to CGQ
09.20
DF4 freight from RGH 09.30
DF4 freight from TPC 09.40
QJ 7119 freight to TPC
09.50
QJ freight from RHG 09.55
QJ freight from TPC 10.10
QJ 6875 freight from TPC 10.30
DF4 freight from RHG 10.30
QJ 6435 freight to TPC
10.40
QJ 6882 freight to RHG
10.50
QJ 6924 freight to RHG
11.00
QJ 6435 freight to RHG
11.20
Thanks to a strong wind the gray clouds had disappeared in the meantime and we enjoyed
a mostly sunny day. As the yard was empty and nothing would move within the next time we
decided to visit the depot where we couldn't enter without having paid the official fee of
100 Yuan. Security is very tight (as we should discover 2 days later) and you have no
chance to enter the depot without paying the fee.
Those locos were present: QJ 3251 / QJ 7081 / JS 6481 / JS 6239 (all under steam).
within the next 5 months these QJs will be scrapped: QJ 6852 / 3181 / 3115 / 3287 / 2764
(which has the tender of 6682) / 2749. Cold but serviceable: QJ 6484 / 6308 / 6809.
Additionally we got the information that steam will NOT finish in August 2001 but is very
likely to end in summer 2002 because the electrification of the Beijing-Harbin mainline
saw some serious delays in the Shenyang bureau area.
We changed locations and moved on to the big river bridge, staying at the small harbour
and watching these trains:
QJ freight to RHG
13.30
QJ freight from RHG 13.50
DF4 freight to RHG
14.30
DF4 freight to RHG
15.00
QJ freight to RHG
15.40
QJ freight from RHG 15.50
Returned to the crossing north of the yard we saw:
QJ 3251 freight to CGQ
16.10
QJ 7081 light to CGQ
16.30
QJ 6367 light from RGH 16.40
DF4 + QJ 6371 + DF5 light from CQG 16.40
QJ 7104 light from RGH 16.50
QJ freight to RHG
17.00
DF4 freight from RGH 17.10
QJ 6371 freight to RGH
17.20
Unfortunately the clouds became dominant again and we decided not to waste time for
grey and dark pictures and went back to the ludian.
Around 22.00 we returned to the shed and found QJ 6281 and QJ 6143 beside several DF4.
22 May: not wanting to miss the passenger to Taiyangshen again we went to
the station around 05.30H to have enough time to photograph the mixed before boarding our
train. To our surprise we saw a DF5 being in charge of the mixed today! Indeed this train
can be hauled by QJ and DF5 now! Departing north on the train we saw QJ 6882 and QJ 6325
in the depot.
Basically on every station on the way we crossed freights hauled by QJ 6887 / DF4 / DF4 /
QJ 7081.
We had hoped for a lot of trains as we had seen yesterday's activity on this line but we
were a little bit disappointed (the weather changing from cloudy to sunny during the day
again). During our walk from Taiyangshen to Lizhi we met:
QJ 63xx freight to DAB
08.00
DF4 freight to DAB
09.20
QJ 6882 freight to RGH
11.30
QJ 6924 freight to RGH
12.10
QJ 6484 freight to RGH
13.20
DF4 freight to DAB
14.00
QJ 6887 freight to RGH
14.20
QJ 6847 freight to DAB
14.50
DF4 freight to RGH
15.10
QJ 7081 freight to RGH
15.30
At Lizhi we saw:
QJ 6112 freight to DAB
15.50
DF4 freight to RGH
16.40
QJ 7173 freight to DAB
16.40
QJ 6361 freight to RGH
17.30
QJ 6847 freight to DAB 17.30
QJ 3251 freight to RGH
18.50
We went to a small good restaurant at Lizhi (follow the main road off the station and you
will find it after 500 mtrs on the right side), had a very good dinner there and took the
evening passenger train back to Da'an Bei.
23 May: The weather hadn't improved and thick clouds covered the sky, again
we hoped that the conditions would change during the day. Indeed the sun came out in the
morning but disappeared soon after again…
The mixed to Taipingchuan was DF5 hauled again, the early morning trains noted were:
DF4 freight to TPC
06.50
QJ 7104 freight to TPC
07.20
Having seen QJ 7104 departing with the oil-tanker-train we had the crazy idea to chase
it. Crazy because we didn't know how bad the roads along the line should prove to be.
After 9 kilometers and 40 minutes drive we arrived at Jianshe - just to see QJ 7104 still
waiting in the station! Within the next 20 minutes it was crossed by another freight
heading towards Daban, lead by QJ 7086 + DF4, followed by QJ 6571 with its freight train
to Daban.
Superb QJ mainline action!
Furthermore the following activity was recorded around Da'an
Bei:
DF4 freight from RGH 09.30
QJ freight from RGH 10.00
QJ 7086 freight to TPC
10.30
QJ 6571 freight to TPC
11.00
QJ 6773 light to depot
13.00
QJ 7081 freight to RGH
13.40
QJ freight from CGQ 13.50
We decided to visit the depot again and had just entered the depot area when a security
guy demanded to pay another 100 Yuan entry fee. We went to the office with him and showed
our receipt from the first visit. Of course it was not accepted because it is valid for 1
day only. Thus we decided to move out and go back to the crossing. On our way out we were
stopped by armed security who indicated that we should return to the depot immediately to
pay our fee. We refused (as we haven't taken any picture inside yet) and continued leaving
this place.
We spend another afternoon at various spots around Da'an Bei and noted the following
trains:
QJ freight from RGH 14.40
DF4 freight from RGH 15.00
As the weather got really worse now we went back to our ludian before taking T1344 at
01.21H to Dahushan.
24 May: On our way to Dahushan we overtook QJ 6089 with a local freight at
Heitan. This train followed our passenger and we met it again at Dahushan.
Dahushan itself has a small shed where we could see a dumped QJ and JS awaiting their fate
to be scrapped one day.
By taxi we went on to Fuxin where we were refused to enter the shed. So we simply walked
to the southern end of the yard where QJ 6707 and QJ 6725 (deflectorless) shunted; QJ 6321
and another QJ were already lined up for their departures at 11.10 and 11.50 respectively.
Those 2 trains should be regular steam performers the next days! JS 6479 shunted some
wagons in a siding.
As the weather wasn't too good again we did not bother much about the industrial activity
around Fuxin: we just saw SY 0941 / 1010 / 1369 and electrics 041 / 390 at Taiping before
heading towards YiXian. On our way we stopped at Qinghemen: SY 0720 served the mine at
Aiyouying, transferring from/to its base at Qinghemen via the CNR mainline. SY 0035 was
found cold at Aiyouying.
We saw:
QJ 6226 freight to YIX
15.00
SY 0720 light to AIY
15.10
SY 0720 light to QIG
15.40
QJ 6671 freight to YIX
16.10
QJ freight to FUX
17.00
A huge black line of clouds with heavy lightning had built up in the meantime and just in
the moment we closed the doors of our taxi it started raining…
Arrived at YiXian we found a good hotel (Kaishen
binguan) with inroom shower/hot water
facilities for 80Y (off the station behind the crossing on the left!). Looking out of the
window we saw a sunny strip below the black sky and headed to the station where a friendly
station master told us to hurry up because QJ 6671had just arrived with its local
southbound freight. Not only this - it waited for a crossing with another freight train
which slowly moved into the station, hauled by QJ 6753!
Mainline steam crossings in wonderful evening light!
Even this train had to wait - for another freight on its way up north: we hoped for a 3rd
QJ in the station! Unfortunately it was DF4 hauled …
Nevertheless the day had ended perfectly - never give up!
Frank had to return home already today and we took a taxi to Jinzhou where he boarded
the night train to Beijing. On my way back to YiXian I stopped briefly at the Bajiaotai
power plant to find JS 6211 and JS 6244 in the small "depot" just beside the
crossing.
25 May: With my limited Chinese knowledge I tried to explain my taxidriver
that I wanted to go to Shangyuan station early next morning. He nodded promptly which made
me a little bit suspicious - I had read in other reports that it is not so easy to go
there…infact it was quite easy because he took the main road which makes a huge turn
across the countryside - it took me 1,5 hour to go there.
From the mentioned reports I had hoped to find a QJ eldorado - but at least during the 3
days I have been there it was more a photographer's nightmare…
I had decided to walk back to Zhoujiatun where the taxi driver should pick me up again and
met the following trains on my way (approx. timings for Zhoujiatun):
DF4 freight eb 08.00
DF4 freight eb 08.45
QJ 7117 freight wb 09.15
QJ freight eb 11.40
QJ 6410 freight wb 12.40
DF4 freight wb 13.30
QJ 7117 freight eb 13.40
QJ 6750 freight eb 14.00
DF4 freight wb 15.10
DF4 freight wb 15.50
DF4 freight wb 18.00
DF4 freight eb 18.00
Very disappointing: only 4 out of 12 trains during 10 hours were steam hauled…
26 May: Having learned something from the low level of activity yesterday I
had made a masterplan where to shoot what train to optimize my results…it worked fine
- except that most of the masterminded trains were diesel hauled now…
QJ 6226 shunted at YiXian station around 05.30 before I went off to Zhoujiatun station
where I moved around this day and saw these trains:
QJ freight wb 07.00
DF4 freight eb 07.30
DF4 freight eb 08.10
DF4 freight eb 09.00
QJ 6991 freight eb 11.40
QJ 7117 freight wb 12.30
QJ freight eb 13.00
QJ 6410 freight wb 13.10
DF4 freight wb 13.30
DF4 freight eb 14.20
DF4 freight wb 15.40
QJ light eb 16.10
DF4 + DF5 freight wb 16.20
DF4 freight wb 17.30
DF4 freight eb 17.30
Another day with lots of diesel movements and bad weather on top. I started to become
frustrated.
One more note: as you can see from my sightings there is definitely no special weekend
schedule (Friday vs. Saturday) - I spend the following days around Beipiao where I
couldn't see any change of activity from Sunday to Monday either.
27 May: This morning I continued my trip to Beipiao where I found a good
hotel (Bei Mei binguan, 140Y per room incl hot water any time and rooms well kept).
After a short visit of Beipiao station (nothing to see) I went off to Beipiaonan where QJ
6679 passed me with the Chaoyang passenger - I expected this train to run tender first and
thus didn't care much about it but it steamed away smokebox first! Logically the return to
Chaoyang would be tender first now…The schedule for these trains (as described in
various other reports) remains unchanged but all locomotives on these passenger duties run
tender first to Chaoyang and smokebox first to Beipiaonan now!
At Luotuojing a QJ was ready to depart so I went to the river bridge south of the station
and waited for the trains to come:
QJ 7117 freight sb 09.00
QJ 6679 pass sb 09.25 tf
In Beipiaonan station I was greeted by 4 QJs: 6226 / 6672 / 6991 / 7117 and found this
steam action:
QJ 6691 banked by QJ 7117 freight to YIX
10.30
QJ 6672
freight to BPO 10.40
QJ 6990
freight from YEB 11.00
QJ 7117 light
from Nanling 11.10
QJ 6990 banked by QJ 7117 freight to YIX
11.30
QJ 6172
freight from BPO 12.00
QJ 6943
freight to YIX 12.30
I tried to chase the latter train but as it consisted of 8 cars only it was too fast -
even uphill the train run faster than the taxi did because the road to Nanling station is
being rebuild right now…
East of Nanling I waited for the next trains from
Fuxin, the 2 steam hauled freights at
11.00/11.40 departing Fuxin were due to arrive soon:
QJ 6321
freight wb 14.00
DF4
freight eb 14.20
QJ 6410
freight wb 14.40
This time the schedule worked perfectly!
Back at Luotuojing I wanted to give the depot a try - and I wasn't arrested nor asked
to leave the place: everybody was very friendly and I was even invited to the depot and
could move around in- and outside the depot without any hassle! In the small depot I found
QJ 6095 / 6382 / 6410 / 6672.
Back at the bridge I saw:
QJ 7117 + 6172 light
to BPO 17.00
QJ 6679
pass to BPO 17.10
QJ 6679
pass to CHA 18.20 tf
The railwar service between Beipiao and Beipaionan was worked by DMUs 1007 + 1008.
Be careful if you ask for "the station" in Beipiao: everybody translates it with
Beipaionan because it is the more important station…
28 May: the day started around Beipiaonan:
QJ 6679
pass to CHA 06.40 tf
QJ 6943 + DF4 light
from YEB 07.20
DF4
freight to YEB 07.30
QJ 6679
pass to BPO 08.30
DF4 + GKD1-4008 freight to YIX
08.50
QJ 7117
freight from BPO 09.00
QJ 6672
freight to YIX 09.30
QJ 6679
pass to BPO 09.40
QJ
freight from YIX 09.50
QJ 6911
freight to YIX 10.40
QJ + QJ 6172 (banking) freight
to YIX 12.00
I had to move on and visited the Chaoyang yard on my way to Yebaishou around 14.00:
I found QJ 6943 shunting while QJ 6471 + QJ 6409 waited to take a freight train to
Yebaishou.
Before I could enjoy the departure of this train a policeman arrived, arrested me and
guided me to the station. On the way I managed to change my film in the camera though and
smiled at the 8 (!) grim looking fools waiting for me at the railway-police building. Of
course I should hand out my film and my notebook - unfortunately I never understand what
those revolutionary heroes want from me.
After their disappointment that I could speak English only I pretended to have understood
suddenly what they wanted and showed them some steam locomotive pictures - which they
commented with just "No" and finally told me to leave. Magically I had no
problems to understand this again…
Unfortunately I had to use the official way out now - I just reached the rails again when
I saw my train storming out of the station. Thanks to my good driver I got 3 more shots
from this train on our way to Yebaishou!
At Bolouochi I waited for other trains to come but only 1 made it during daylight:
QJ 6776 freight to YIX
18.00
As mentioned in some other reports you may now avoid the serviceless and overpriced
Jianping Binguan because there are at least 2 other hotels available: either the railway
hotel on the left side of the station which is cheap but offers no shower. Or you may take
the "Shancheng Binguan" which is the last building on the right side before the
road bridge to Yebaishou town (if you follow the main road straight off the station). On
its 3rd floor it offers spacious rooms with hot water and the biggest bathrooms with
showers I have ever seen in China (all for 120Y).
Having not been in Yebaishou for several years I was shocked to see how fast this small
town had developed: not only 2 new hotels, but also new buildings everywhere - sometimes I
had problems to recognize some previously well known streets.
But the depot is still there and will use steam until summer next year (as already
confirmed by the Da'an depot). In Yebaishou I was also told that the local mayor presses
hard to keep the steam locomotives in service because the railway told him that they will
sack a few hundred low-qualified workers with the end of steam maintenance at the
Yebaishou depot. The unemployment rate in Yebaishou is already high and the town officials
would like to avoid another sharp raise!
29 May: looking out of the window I got frustrated right away: sunshine with
big black clouds moving exactly in the direction of Yebaishou…
At the well-known crossing close to the depot I saw:
JS 8328 shunting
05.00
QJ 6990 light from depot
05.10
DF4 + QJ 6086 freight
from SHI 05.20
QJ freight
to YIX
05.30
QJ + QJ 6086 freight
to HGS
05.30
QJ 6411 + QJ 6990 freight
to HGS
06.00
DF4 + QJ 6086 freight
from HGS 08.10
DF4 + QJ 6086 freight
to HGS
08.30
QJ 6677 light to depot
09.00
QJ 6417 + QJ 6729 light to depot
09.50
QJ 6086 light from
HGS/to depot 10.00
The weather got bad now and it started to rain. What else could I do than visiting an
old friend at the Yebaishou depot who showed me around. I found these locomotives (all in
steam):
QJ 3268 / 6086 / 6409 / 6414 / 6416 / 6417 / 6418 / 6554 / 6677 / 6726 / 6728 / 6729 /
6776.
The rain had stopped meanwhile and it was fascinating to see more than a dozen locomotives
steaming in the depot but it meant as well that line-duties were majorly diesel right now.
A quick look at the dispatcher's board showed the sad truth: only 1 steam only hauled
train would leave Yebaishou within the next 5 hours! All other trains would be diesel only
or have a diesel in front of the steam loco! As the only pure steam train would work to
Hongshi which I had photographed a lot of times in the past I decided to drive eastwards
to wait for the doubleheader from Chaoyang.
To cut a long, sunny, DF4 dominated afternoon short: it arrived at 19.00H, the obligatory
cloud covered the sun and I didn't even take a picture. It was nice on video though…
Having had enjoyed the DF4 parade today I wanted to keep Yebaishou in my memory as I
had learned to love it during all my previous visits during the early 90s (steam all over
the place) and bought a train ticket to continue my trip to Wuhai - via Beijing tonight.
The train should leave at 01.30 and I visited the depot before the departure of my Beijing
bound train again: now escorted by not less than 6 security guys I took pictures of QJ
6321 / 6414 / 6418 / 6776 / 6728 / 6729 / 6x21.
No sleepertickets were available (neither at Yebaishou station nor on the train) so I
bought a dining-car ticket for 40Y and had some hours of sleep before the conductor woke
me up at Chengde to move me to a free hardsleeper berth.
30 May: The train arrived at Beijing station on time (10.15), by taxi I went
to Beijing Xi where I bought a softsleeper to Wuhai Xi (I thought…) for 340Y to
depart on train T177 at 15.26!
On the train I realized that my ticket was good to Wuhai only, the conductor didn't bother
and told me to pay at WuhaiXi - what I had to do at the ticket control gate: 16Y on top.
31 May: the train arrived at Wuhai Xi at 10.00 and after dealing with a taxi
driver we searched for a better place to stay than the WuhaiXi Binguan or just a ludian -
and we found a small hotel in Wusutu, some 5 kilometers south of WuhaiXi with hot water
and decent rooms with showers for 60Y the night. If you are fancy to go to
WuhaiXi, go to
the Yongtai Binguan at Wusutu: if you travel on the mainroad WuhaiXi-Wusutu-Yinchuan you
will find a white obelisk on the right side and a wide tar road branching off at the
obelisk. The next house on the main road, right side, after the obelisk is the hotel, it
has its telephone number in red neon lights displayed outside: 3442894!
After booking the room I continued to the road bridge 1 kilometer further south and saw
already the daily mixed slowly approaching the big curve at km 6. This and the other
trains I saw during my walk from the bridge to km 15.7 where the other big road bridge is
located, were:
QJ 6909 mixed to WUX
11.30
QJ 7065 freight to JIL
13.10
QJ 7056 freight to WUX
15.30
My taxidriver picked me up at the big road bridge, not believing that I walked the
entire way and we drove back to Wusutu to wait for the uphill mixed in perfect evening
light:
QJ 7056 mixed to JIL
20.00
We chased this train to the big bridge and got a fantastic silhouette shot 40 minutes
later!
Sometimes it is worth to have a taxi (I paid 150Y) because I could easily chase all
evening trains between the 2 bridges!
The weather had been sunny (and hot!) the entire day and it continued to be desert-like
for the next days. Unfortunately the traffic level during daylight decreased day by
day…
01 Jun: Wandering around the big road bridge I saw:
QJ 7065 freight to JIL
08.30
QJ 7056 mixed to WUX
12.10
QJ 6909 freight to JIL
13.40
Back at Wusutu I waited for hours to note:
QJ 7056 mixed to JIL
22.30
02 Jun: again at the big road bridge:
QJ 7057+JS 8265 light to JIL
11.00
QJ 7056 mixed to WUX
12.30
QJ 6909 freight to JIL
13.50
QJ 7065+JS 8264 freight to WUX
19.00
and at Wusutu again:
QJ 7056 mixed to JIL
20.00
03 Jun: disaster day:
QJ 7065 freight to WUX
06.00
and nothing else…
My schedule this day was very tight because I had to catch K178, leaving WuhaiXi at 18.07!
I visited the shed at WuhaiXi very early in the morning and found not a single QJ present.
Thus all engines must have been on the line and I had hoped for a lot of traffic - but it
didn't happen.
The taxi-driver waited for me at the big road bridge and I extended my deadlines to leave
the line and to return to Beijing in 15 minutes intervals…still hoping for a train
rolling over the big bridge in perfect afternoon light. Nothing happened. No train since
the early morning, even the mixed didn't show up until:
QJ 7056+QJ 6909 mixed to WUX
17.00
Back to the big bridge - and the mixed had stopped at km 6 again because the track had
been covered with sand during the day of non-activity on the line. The crews had to shovel
the sand from the rails - while I and the driver got a little bit nervous because the
departure of my train advanced without mercy. After hours (as it seemed to me) the train
moved again - just to stop in front of sand-dunes on the track at km 5 again. I got
mad…just 20 minutes to go, warm evening light, a QJ doubleheader just 1 km away from
me - and no sign of movement.
15 minutes to go: whistling - but no movement. 12 minutes left: the train started moving
and passed me 2 minutes later.
Running back to the taxi, with highspeed to the station, storming to the ticket
counter, buying just any hardseater, finally on the train at 18.05! Phew…
I managed to get a hardsleeper to Baotou-Dong where I left the train and stayed
overnight.
At the depot at Baotou-Dong I found no JS and the service-board in the dispatcher's
room noted diesel engines for all duties only. The crew explained that all trains to
Shiguai are DF5 now and the JS had been transferred to Baotou-Xi.
I checked it again the next morning: the Shiguai passenger was DF5, indeed.
04 Jun: After visiting the station I continued to the airport and took an
Air China flight to Beijing and connected to my Lufthansa flight without problems.
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