Java Sugar Steam 2001 - 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

As usual at the start of the season, not very busy on 23rd June at 15.00. 7 is now dumped in the back of the shed, but 2, 4, 5, 6 and 8 were all in steam. Raise your glasses to 4 and 6, new centenarians. On 13th July, the road yard was being worked by 5, 6 and 8, with 2 and 4 busy at the other end of the mill. Once again it was worrying to see part of the cycle with loaded cane cars performed by a tractor. 27th July saw a similar performance. This is a 2000 picture which could have been taken in 2001.

26. PESANTREN Mill Index

Again it should be the best (nearly the only) place in the World to see narrow gauge Mallets at work. At 14.00 on 23rd June the delivery yard was quiet. There was an anonymous diesel and 212, 216 and 217 simmering. The crews said that only 228 of the other steam locomotives would run this year but I did not have time to go to the shed to check this. On 14th July at 07.30, 212 and 228 plus a diesel were in the cane delivery yard, but 228 had failed. Eventually 217 also turned up and several loads were pushed into the main yard before we left at 09.30. 212, 217 and 228 were at work on the morning of 28th July. This one is for Bob. T and Bob W. both from Canada.

27. NGADIREJO Mill Index

Likely to have a couple of Mallets in light steam under the trees again.

28. MOJOPANGGUNG Mill Index

Last year, I commented that this mill continues to give cause for concern. Maintenance standards for all aspects of railway operation have slipped and all locos now have oil drums for spark arrestors including Baldwin 8 which seems not to have turned a wheel in anger for two years. I did not make a visit this year.

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

A healthy steam operation in 2000, repeated in 2001. I called at the office on June 19th and found the mill busy with one steam locomotive on the empties duty as below, there would have been quite a few more inside working. On July 14th at 14.30, we found Luttermöller 4 was sidelined and 12 had failed and was getting urgent repairs. So 0-8-0Ts 18 and 19 were working the crusher, 2 and 15 were on the empties and 11 was the only steam locomotives on the fulls along with four Japanese diesels. Of the other locomotives 3-L was under major repair and the rest were stored more or less as they had been for the last few years. There had been some tinkering with the track layout so that empties no longer arrived in the yard past the weigh bridge. These are 2000 pictures, they could have been taken in 2001.

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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