Java Sugar Steam 2002 - West Java

PG Rajawali II (previously PTP XIV, before that PNP XIV) operates all the mills in West Java. These can be reached easily from Cirebon which has good facilities. Alone among the nationalised sector, these mills do not charge visitors. On the other hand, all the mills are now rather run down and activity of any kind including the steam locomotives is quite limited. Most years I try to spend two or three days in the area in the hope of some interesting action but in recent years I have invariably been disappointed. 2002 is reportedly better than 2001, not a difficult result to achieve.

1.KADHIPATEN Mill Index

Closed in 2000 and unlikely to reopen. Looked very sad when I dropped by on June 23rd 2002 with the stationary engines being dismantled for spare parts.

2. JATIWANGI Mill Index

As in 1999, I visited on 6th July 2000 found the mill partly dismantled for spare parts and most of the field lines and virtually all of the yard lifted.  The five steam locos were covered in dust in the shed. The mill staff would love to sell the locos for preservation but HQ seem to have no mechanism for this.

3. GEMPOL Mill Index

This mill will not reopen - officially it is now a sub-unit of Sindanglaut and the little cane grown in the area is delivered there. One of the Henschel locomotives (12) from here has now been sent to Taman Mini in Jakarta. When I visited in 1999, staff told me that the other Henschel was now on a tourist railway in Jambi (Central Sumatra), a fact I am unlikely to be in a position to check out!  4, 5 and 8 together with another derelict at least were still in the locked shed.

4. SINDANGLAUT Mill Index

Working 'normally' on 4th July. The north-west lines are definitely closed and at 16.00 I found the mill heaving with trucks - this is another mill where the railway is on its way out. Of the steam locomotives, 12 (minus tender) was on yard duties with 8, 10, 11 and 13 all within a couple of kilometres of the mill on the east side. 10 was first back at 17.30 (by which time the conventional cameras were long packed away) and I suspect that 11 would have followed soon after. I did not stay as I needed to conserve my energy for my upcoming tours. On 7th July I was back with my group and things were broadly similar. This time is was 10 that came back at 17.45 shortly followed by 11. On 18th August, the season was drawing to a close, but the locomotives still worked to the fields and came back after dark. 

5. TERSANA BARU Mill Index

Looked a little better than 2001 when I stopped by on June 23rd 2002 at 13.30 just before the shift change. 1, 2, 3, 6, 11, 12 and 20 were in steam and there were some road deliveries which would have need shunting later although I didn't see a wheel turn...  On 8th July at 14.00 we found things more or less back to 2000 levels with plenty of huffing and puffing up and down. By the time I had taken my pictures in the mill itself it was 15.30. Almost as soon as we had decided to stay and not have another crack at Sindanglaut, there was a massive derailment and a mill breakdown and nothing more moved before 16.45 when the light failed and we left. On 18th August the mill yard was very quiet as the season had just two days left to run. Having seen this mill in its prime, the present operation leaves me very sad.

6. KETANGGUNGAN BARAT Mill Index

The major disappointment of 2002. I was told at Tersana Baru on June 23rd that it was not working and indeed all locos were locked in the shed. Asking around I was told that one of the bridges near Luwung Gajah was damaged (about 3km beyond  the big bridge which forms the Central/West Java border). There seems to be no intention at the moment to repair it and assuming that trucking is successful this year then this is probably the end of this unusual working.

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