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Steam in China 2006

by Markus Mayer

Jixi, Huanan, Sancha-Luocheng

Jixi

Visited Chengzihe and Hengshan between 17th and 21st.

Chengizhe:Got the following locos

SY 1437,1544,0733,237,0590,1351,1058 Traffic level was high as expectet.Unfortunately,there was no train to JiXi Xi one day due to trackworks.

Hengshan:SY 1340,0341,1095,0746,0804

Traffic level a bit lower than Chengzihe but many trains from Hengshan CNR to Zhongxin,especially in the morning.One day I got 5 trains (all single headed,no banker) between 8 a.m. and 9.30 a.m.Another day I saw a single headed and banked train.I was waiting about 300m above the second level crossing.No problem to see the banker in this position ,also if train would be double headed.

Huanan, visited between 22nd and 27th.

Not much traffic due to a low output at the mine.About 2 to 4 trains in daylight.Some days there were 3,some days just 2 locos in steam.In service (they changed sometimes): C2 168,011,043,044

A local at Tuoyaozi seems to improve his salary:Foreigners have to pay 50 Y if they want to go from Tuoyaozi to Lixin,but just between September 15th and December 15th !Reason is,that the money is needed for paying the firemen if there is a fire in the fields above Tuoyaozi.Locals have not to pay for sure because they have a special permission.You don't believe that?I also didn't so I refused to pay and... nothing happened....I was told that a group with guide had paid...

Here is the (in)official price list if you're planning to find accomodation in a railway workers house at Lixin: 20Y per night (just for sleeping there), 50Y for each meal

If cou come with guide you have to pay the fix price of 200 Y,per day! Not bad,isn't it.....?

Sancha

What a landscape!My first visit here and it would be a real gem...if...there would be more trains. Today I got the following locos at Luocheng shed:
JS 8284,cold,in good condition
JS 8286,cold,in good condition
JS 8374 and 8377,oou,in bad condition
JS 8376,in steam for the train to the mines north of Luocheng

No problem with the police neither at Luocheng station nor at the line to the northern mines.

The service to Sancha was done by JS 8353.The nb train seems to run later as before due to many shunting activities along the line.Yesterday I spotted SY 0371 in service between the factory north of Sancha and Chayan.

Markus Mayer

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© 2006 Markus Mayer