Java Sugar Steam 2008 - 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

(Buses between Nganjuk and Kediri pass very near the mill which is visible to the east from the traffic lights where the main road curves on the outskirts of Kediri.)

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, since when Colomadu 3 has come out of retirement at Tasik Madu.. Of course there is quite a bit of centenarian steam inside the sugar mills.

I was here in the late afternoon of 21st May 2008. The (new) shed was locked and bolted. Outside were several freshly painted tenders and water tanks, clear evidence that steam will be in use during the season starting in late June. I didn't stay long, I was being harrassed by a Satpam who no doubt had been told to sweep up visitors to make them pay the statutory US$10! 

This 2005 picture shows what you can expect to see when the locos are put back together again:

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! In July 2008, just 2 (unusually) and 8 were working the fulls, with the 0-4-2T not needed. They were burning wood which meant that the usual night time fireworks were not on offer. Mallet 205 has arrived here from Ngadirejo and is said to be serviceable. Later in the season 6 was at work, 5 was said to be 'finished'.

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, although 205 is now at Merican..

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

(Minibuses between Mojokerto bus station - on the bypass - and Ploso should pass the mill which is north-east of the town on the north bank of the river. It's a long time since I got here by public transport!  For more specific local information see Jan Willem's report. RD)

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, as seen again by our group in July 2008. (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. In September 2008, the Luttermöllers were retired (as an 'experiment') and their work given to tractors, small compensation was one of the 0-8-0T on fulls.

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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