Supergricer on a Steamy Holiday

My annual Java tours leave me very little time for anything that is remotely recognisable as a real holiday. So in September 2002, I booked myself a cheap flight back to Java and spent two weeks travelling round the island the way I used to do, in other words using public transport, staying in cheap hotels and most of all, 'meeting the people'. It was a very steamy trip, some of the reproducible highlights are shown below... There was a little bit of steam on the rails, rather more steam inside the sugar mills, and well...  But most of all I was there to soak up the atmosphere of what is effectively my second home.

At times it was, as ever, a tight fit:

It was a chance to meet old friends:

And make some new ones....

And when the steam trains didn't run there was a chance to go to the beach, where I found this prawn fisherman. 

The sea looked so inviting that I had to take a dip. Unfortunately, my bucket and spade weren't all I had forgotten...

Inside the sugar mills, I discovered further amazing machinery on which I have now reported on more fully (29th October 2002) . Here is a taster...

First up a pair of (English) vacuum pumps dating from 1883 at Cukir:

A 450HP tandem milling engine at Panji

Sudhono's steam powered generator:

Finally, especially for Rob van Dort who inspired these visits, Candi's Tangye 'Soho' belt engine...

However, there was still time to enjoy several afternoons riding the field trains at Asembagus and Olean. Without asking, let alone paying, we were served up four double-headers in six days. Despite a knee condition which left me more legless than a night on the Bintang, I managed to hop off the trains to photograph the three which ran in the daylight. This was the first for which we had to turn my Ojek (motorcycle taxi) around at full speed:

The second was at Asembagus and was less than conventional. This was the unusual sight on the south line at Asembagus when a few cane loris had to be pushed (uphill) out of the way to gain access to the rest of the two trains....

The third at Olean was a great way to finish my stay ( I had ridden back in the dark on a double header the day before surrounded by sparks and the deafening exhaust of two OK 0-8-0Ts): Even the water buffalo were double heading.

Jumping back on the train left me crippled for several days, so despite the wonderful light, I was rendered an almost passive observer:

We saw not a single other gricer. I believe that two Japanese were at Olean but they seemed not to want to watch the double-headers. Where else in the world could you see these sights in 2002?