Java Sugar Steam 2004 - Far Eastern Mills

These mills are run by PTP Nusantara XI, formed in 1996 by the amalgamation of PTP XX and PTP XXIV/XXV. These mills were previously PNP XXIV/XXV and before that PNP XXIV and PNP XXV. The Situbondo area is definitely 'unspoiled Java', with facilities at the beach 'resort' of Pasir Puteh to match - in other words, gricers' heaven. If you want luxury, then try the new Hotel Rosali in Situbondo itself. For Semboro, stay in Jember which has hotels for all pockets, unfortunately there is nowhere to stay in Tanggul. Of course, Olean has long been firmly in my top few mills.

I think Panji, Wringinanom and Asembagus have the best medium term prospects of survival.  In 1999/2000, even around Olean I could see much less new cane, although since 2001 there has been some recovery. All of which amounts to bad news for the steam locos. One final small word of warning, many of the working girls at Pasir Puteh are more 'working' than 'girl'....

33. KEDAWUNG Mill Index

I did ask the mill to steam a loco for my 2003 group, but they declined to do so.

34. WONOLANGAN Mill Index

Steam could best be described as 'long out of use'. One locomotive was allegedly serviceable in 2001 but there was a huge hole in its spark arrestor chimney and no doubt several others in more critical areas. 

35. GENDING Mill Index

The four steam locos here spent most of the last ten years in store although in the early 90s a couple were used occasionally as some kind of job creation scheme. The cost of annual boiler inspections put a stop to this.  OK Mallet 4 is now at the Frankfurter Feldbahnmuseum, the other three are still stored in the shed. 

36. PAJARAKAN Mill Index

There is no possibility of the two remaining steam locos being put back into action.

37. JATIROTO Mill Index

This mill has had the biggest collection of disused and dismantled locos in Java for many years.

38. SEMBORO Mill Index

Began milling in early June. Firelesses 2 and 3 were working as usual behind the mill in mid July/August, but there is no longer any active conventional real steam here. Jung 0-6-0T 29 is usually serviceable and usually but not always one of the OK 0-4-4-0T Mallets, but they are only used for special charters. 

Mallet 15 failed before departure on the occasion of my first visit, but lasted longer on the second.

39. DE MAAS Mill Index

This mill did not work in 2000 and will remain closed. The two locos are still here in the shed (although 3 has gone to Asembagus).

40. WRINGINANOM Mill Index

In 2002, I asked the management to repair 6 for my group visit (it would take about a week according to shed staff) but they declined.  That must have been the end of steam here.

41. OLEAN Mill Index

I visited Olean on 30th April. Final preparations were being made for the new season to start on 3rd June, including painting all four active steam locomotives. 1, 4, 5 and 7 worked regular daylight field trains in 2003, and again in 2004. There is a mill system map on the Olean Heritage Page. Click here for more Olean 2002 steam action, there are more pictures in the 2003 report. Keep your fingers crossed because with the disastrous situation in Cuba and the field lines closed at Trangkil, this has to be the best steam operated sugar mill railway left in the world today. In 2004, the locomotives did not work to the fields every day but when they did they tended to leave the mill at 12.00 and get back around 14.00, making photography tricky. But these pictures say it all:

The roads in the cane area are being sealed and the railway lines are in poor condition. Expect rail haulage to be abandoned at some stage 

42. PANJI Mill Index

I dropped by in August 1999 and it was quite clear that there is now no prospect of any of the steam locos here running again. I had previously described the locos here as 'stored' and although superficially they look OK, most of the non-ferrous fittings have been removed for the other mills in the area. For those who like that kind of thing (I would use the word 'pervert' but that is what my ex-wife calls me) then the little diesels look quite nice on the road side field trains. 

43. PRAJEKAN Mill Index

The serviceable smaller locos were reallocated to De Maas and Asembagus some years ago. The other locos remain in store, a tragic end for the magnificent Luttermöllers.

44. ASEMBAGUS Mill Index

In 2002, 5 had expired with boiler failure, 0-8-0T 3 was renumbered 10 and 0-6-0T De Maas 3 (2) was here as 11. 11 was still a runner in 2003, while the frames of 5 have been put together with the boiler of 10 to make another 'new' loco which also carries the number 10. Click here for my 2002 private afternoon at Asembagus.

This mill is very rewarding photographically but it demands patience as on some days there is no steam activity... 10 and 11 are at work again in 2004, I brought my group here for an afternoon and we had 11 on the south line:

The mill declined to run our usual box van special, apparently wood supplies were not always available in the mornings.

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