Steam in Shandong and Zhejiang

 

by Shibato Taro

 

I visited Shandong & Zhejiang, discovered new SL line. So I inform you and many steam loco enthusiasts. (It is a lot of fun “Loco” means “crazy”. We are crazy for locomotive.)
 
1. Zhejiang HENGSHAN Alloy Metal (9th & 10TH September)
Last year March I visited SHAOXING, Railway staff said in Zhejiang four places use steam locomotive. He said (1) SHAOXING (2) HANZHOU Glasswork (3) LANXI Aluminum (4) HENGSHAN STEEL. But I didn’t know “HENGSHAN STEEL”.

In August I checked a Chinese online map web and discovered “HENGSHAN Steel” line in JIANGDE city. Finally, I visited Zhejiang from 9th to 10th September.

I rode on train 5055 to from Shanghai to JINHUAXI, transferred on a bus to LANXI and on to SHOUCHANG. I walking along the road I discovered the railway. I walked to the factory; found a scenic station and a SY shunting there. Locomotive numbers are 1443, 0923, 1668. Only 1443 shunted, the other 2 locomotive did not.

Next day I visited SHOUCHANG (HENGSHAN Alloy Metal Works Railway), SY1443 went to SHOUCHANG CNR station on 9:45, but returned on 10:00. Very Fast Return! And railway staff is around SY1668 and scrapping it? It is not comfortable! But Railway staff is friendly, so waited in staff’s room.

 

SY: 1443, 0923(OOU), 1668(OOU)
 
2. Shandong JINING

Last year in May, Europeans visited (Roy Bowden,No.430), but we didn’t know where it is exactly. During our July visit, we did not discover it. But Japanese railway fans suggested us this railway, so 6 Japanese railway fans visited Shandong on 17th, 18th November. We rode on train T178 from Shanghai to YANZHOU, rented a taxi to JINING. We visited workshop, but staff didn’t approve to take photos. We negotiated company management, but they said they could not approve us to take photo. But outside the workshop they approved. So we went to a railroad crossing.
About 9:00 QJ7124 moved inside and ran to YANZHOU-XI CNR station with some cars. About one hour later the QJ came back.
 
QJ: 7121, 7122, 7124, 7130 (All high deflector QJ) and 1 QJ.
Total 5 QJ, but used only 3 QJ.
 
3. Shandong ZOUCHENG

And we went to JINING 2nd coalmine for YANZHOU coal mine railways. Crossing staff said “soon train will come”, so we waited. About 11:30 a tender first QJ come. On the back of the train, there was high deflectored QJ7126!
We decided to wait for the QJ`s return, took a lunch and went to the yard. About 13:30, QJ7126 arrived with many freight cars. (K18DG ? Electric power plant coalmining car)
Then, we went to NANTUN station and took a photo of QJ7126 before visiting  DATONGZHANG QJ workshop: QJ7190 is shunting, and 3 QJ (including QJ7126) returned to DATONGZHANG yard till 17:30.

Next day we visited QJ workshop. QJ7126 worked in the yard, QJ7190 & 6811 were shunting.
We went to DONGTAN and XINGRONGZHUANG, but we could take photo only of DF4DDs, no QJs present.
Railway staff was very friendly, but the company recently bought new diesels in order to replace the remaining QJs. We think before Chinese new-year this line will be fully dieselized.
We visited another workshop and tooke photos of 11 dumped QJ before returning to Shanghai via JINAN by train (4908 & T105).
 
QJ: 6811, 7189, 7190, 7126(High deflector) and 3 QJ(6814, 7188, 6936) in use (7 QJ).
QJ 3538, 3595, 6284,6782, 6812, 6848, 6866, 6953, 7123, 7191 and another one, all oou
 
Taro Shibata,

Shanghai, China