The International Steam Pages


Olean, The Sleeping Beauty

Outside the the season, a sugar mill in the tropics rapidly takes on an abandoned look. Over the years several travellers passing through Java in the wet season have talked of 'overgrown and obviously out of use narrow gauge railways'... This is the yard at Olean in East Java in mid May 2008:

 

From the outside, the shed, which is locked and bolted, gives little cause for hope:

 

But inside the steam fleet of four and the two small diesels are spruced up ready for the new season:

 

I wish I could say the mill itself was looking quite as spick and span but there was clearly a lot of work still to be done. However, the decorations were going up:

And the mill had acquired its fourth centenarian engine, a third Five Lilles vacuum pump which was no longer needed at Asembagus:

At first sight, this was the only significant change since my last visit in 2006. Roll on the season and maybe we shall be able to see sights like this again (from 2004):

Click here for the main 2008 reports as they come in. As at the end of May 2008, these reports include a number of pre-season pictures of more steam locomotives overhauled, painted up and ready to work.


Rob and Yuehong Dickinson

Email: webmaster@internationalsteam.co.uk