Java Sugar Steam 2007 - 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$10 per person per mill.

Click here for a photo gallery from the 2006 LCGB tour, courtesy of Robin Patrick.

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

Up to five steam locomotives were in use here in 2006 at a mill whose bagasse Roman candles can make night photography a dream. Watch out for tractors doing more and more work here especially early in the season when bagasse supplies are limited. Two of the OK 0-4-2 (below) are centenarians, I believe they were the only such active steam locomotives in Java in 2006. Of course there is quite a bit of centenarian steam inside the sugar mills.

A July 2007 visitor found 2, 5, 6 and 8 in steam but doing little. In August, the situation was a bit better with tractors more in evidence than ever.. However, it turned into a very long season with the last observation of steam in action being as late as 18th December!

26. PESANTREN Mill Index

Since 2004 it has used only diesels after there had been some remodelling of the yard and this had allowed more efficient operation to eliminate the need for steam. This mill was the last in the world to see working Mallets, given that the rail link to the depot had been severed, quite how the Railway Touring Company expected to see steam at work in 2006 was a mystery to me.

27. NGADIREJO Mill Index

Although the mill probably has a couple of serviceable Mallets they have not been reported in use for quite a few years now.

28. MOJOPANGGUNG Mill Index

All steam was stored in good order in 2003 and is unlikely to see use again. I was told 3rd hand in August 2007 that all the locos have been sold for scrap except for the already preserved 1 and the Baldwin 8.

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

The main reason to visit here is to see Luttermöllers 4 and 12, which work up and down near the mill, best photographed in the late afternoon. (0-10-0s of course, not 0-8-0s as claimed by the Railway Touring Company ...). One or two other locomotives may be steamed but they have done little work in recent years. 

32. TULANGAN Mill Index

Three of the remaining steam locos were sold to the Kediri scrap merchant in 1995; the other presumably was scrapped.

Click here to return to the Java Contents Page.