Java Sugar Steam 1998 - Private Mills

Rejoagung and Krebet are large efficient mills which got rid of their steam 10 years ago, having used it very little in the years before then. Both have large fleets of diesels. The same company runs the Cirebon mills for the Government, no doubt the attraction was the two new mills at Subang and Jatitujuh rather than the run-down steam mills. They won't be buying diesels for them, more likely, they will shut them down. Trangkil and Kebonagung have the same management who have installed modern machinery within the mills but have stuck with steam for their railways because 'it does the job'. Pakis Baru similarly has new mill machinery (and has just increased capacity by nearly 50%), but keeps the steam locos as the best economic proposition.

45. TRANGKIL Mill Index

I spent the afternoon here on 6th August.  All four locos were in use.  1 was tripping to and from the road yard. 4 went to Nguren on the northern lines and was back by 15.45. 2 was on one of the short branches west of the Pati road and was back by 16.30. 3 was part way down the Payang branch and returned around sunset.  Having elected to follow 4, I was also able to get good photographs of 2 and 3 later.  It is noticeable that the young crews still do not have the skills to get as much out of their locos as their older predecessors, stops for a blow-up are now common but were previously unknown.

On 16th August, 4 was out of action with wheel problems. Apparently some of the cane cutters had withdrawn their labour so there was not much work for the locos.  1 went out to Nguren on the north line (in place of 4 which usually works it).  2 and 3 spent most of the afternoon working the road yard before 3 finally went down the short branch to Kajar near the mill turn off.  It worked back to the mill, splitting its train to get it up the gradient and round the curve to the main line, getting in at about 16.30.

17th August was a big disappointment.  Although a full service of empty cane cars had worked out in the morning, 1, 2 and 4 spent most of the afternoon in the road yard and only 3 went half way down the Payang branch by 14.00.  Quite what happened to it will remain a mystery as we waited in vain behind the petrol station and saw only 2 go out light engine and return just after the light failed at 17.00.

August 18th again saw most of the activity initially concentrated on the road yard.   However, 4 was sent to Nguren just after 14.00 and returned to the mill in excellent light by 16.00, passing 3 en route which was to collect the rest of the fulls.   Meanwhile 2 had been to Sumur on the south line and back. 1 was sent to Kajar at 16.30 and while coupling the fulls was joined by 2.  The pair set off for the mill just before the light failed at 17.15, unfortunately a large bus stopped right in front of the gallery so you won't be seeing the picture here!

46. PAKIS BARU Mill Index

Not a good season.  Milling started at the end of July and will run for four months instead of the usual six and the mill is operating well below capacity.   Apparently, this is partly due to the bad weather and partly due to the price of sugar rising only in line with inflation (~50%), farmers need more than this because the cost of spare parts for trucks has risen 400-500% with the Rupiah devaluation. Neither 1 nor 2 is in use this year, but all the other locos are working.  On 7th August, I found all 5 working locomotives lined up in the road yard.  It had rained overnight and only at 08.00 did the first cane truck arrive.  I had a long journey to make so left, but the first train cannot have run before 08.30.

On Independence Day, August 17th, the mill was working normally. 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 were on the road deliveries as usual, the first train ran at about 07.30 and thereafter at regular intervals of 15-20 minutes, although there was a long gap after 09.20 so that two trains could run at 10.00 so they could join in the general whistling and hooting at that time.  The mill steamed 1 for us and we took a few mud skips out towards Waturoyo for a photo session.

On August 18th, it had rained overnight and the mill was again slow to start but by mid-morning the road yard was up to near capacity and trains were running frequently.   2 was steamed for us and took a few mud skips to Tayu, much to the delight of both my tour party and the local population.

47. REJOAGUNG Mill Index

Only the OK Mallet preserved at the north end of the mill by the road junction remains of the once large fleet of steam locos. Previously reported scrapped, 6and 8 were in fact transferred to Candi where they survive dumped out of use.

48. KEBONAGUNG Mill Index

A lunchtime visit on 2nd August found 4 shunting the yard, with 5 and 10 in steam outside the shed.  In the afternoon, 5 went to Wonokerso on the south lines and 10 to Jambuarjo on the east lines.  Unfortunately, neither was ready to return with fulls before the light failed.  It was good to see 5 working again after major repairs in 1997.

On 23rd August, 4 and 6 were on mill shunts with 2 and 5 cold but serviceable.  9 appeared not to be in use this season. 10 was tracked down to Jamboarjo way out near Krebet but it was clear it would not return before dark and in any case it started to rain..... On 24th August, 5 left the mill at 07.15 with a set of empties for Wonokerso on the southern section.  It returned with just two fulls crossing the main line outside the mill at 09.30. In the afternoon, 5 was reported to be at Jamboarjo. We found 10 at Cerme on the southern section. The fulls were on the line by 15.30 despite a derailment on the temporary track.  However, this slight delay allowed the cloud to build so the daylight run back to the mill (by 16.15) was fine for video but not stills.

On August 29th and 30th, the mill was totally overrun with road deliveries, many of which would normally have gone to nearby Krebet, the reason was not apparent.  Anyway, little was moving by rail, the normal afternoon steam trains from Cerme and Buring were delayed, we were told until the morning but they went sometime during the night.  The following morning 4 and 10 were shunting masses of fulls and no trains of empties at all appeared to go out.  In the afternoon, only 10 was out and I tracked it down at Karang Duren near Wonokerso. The injector had failed and it looked as if I would have another abortive session.  However, the fireman was despatched into the desa for a couple of spanners and by 16.00 the loco was a runner and the train which was composed of cane cars loaded with temporary track was assembled.   It only remained to 'persuade' the driver to turn the loco on the triangle and an unusual train set off for the mill in perfect light and at just the right pace for me to get four excellent shots en route before arrival at 16.50, 5 minutes before the light failed.  It was definitely not a classic year here, but like Olean with its double header on the last day in 1997, Kebonagung had definitely 'saved its best for last'.  

49. KREBET BARU Mill Index

There are no steam locos left on site.

53. CANDI  Mill Index

This mill is not on my map, but is on the old main road just south of Sidoarjo, just north east of mill 32, Tulangan.

I was tipped off that a couple of steam locomotives were seen here in 1996, although visitors many years ago reported this mill 'all diesel',.  I stopped by on 5th August and found two former Rejoagung locomotives (6, an OK 0-4-4-0T, and 8, a Vulcan 0-6-0T) unfortunately well out of use.  They were presumably sent here around 1987 when PT Rajawali (who run this mill as well as Krebet Baru and Rejoagung) had their big clear out.   According to staff they were used on the line as far as Tangulangin some 4km away and were last used 'a few years ago'.  Definitely an opportunity missed on my part!

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