Java Sugar Steam 1999 - West Java

PG Rajawali II (previously PTP XIV, before that PNP XIV) operates all the mills in West Java. These can be reached easily from Cirebon which has good facilities. Alone among the nationalised sector, these mills do not charge visitors. On the other hand, all the mills are now rather run down and activity of any kind including the steam locomotives is quite limited. Most years I try to spend two or three days in the area in the hope of some interesting action but in recent years I have invariably been disappointed. Despite rumours to the contrary, both here and further along the north coast cane has been planted for next year's crop.  Whether it will be enough to sustain much steam activity is another matter.

1.KADHIPATEN Mill Index

On arrival at the mill on 17th July, I found it had already finished its season, just a day or two before.  All the mill staff apart from a skeleton security presence were on a three day holiday to celebrate what will probably have been this mill's last season. All locomotives were locked in the shed and inaccessible.

2. JATIWANGI Mill Index

I popped in here on 17th July. The mill had been partly dismantled for spare parts and most of the field lines and some of the yard had been lifted.  The five steam locos were covered in dust in the shed, but the two diesels had gone, apparently to Kadhipaten.   In return two of Kadhipten's derelict diesels were here along with the disused '4' and 6 which had had all useful parts removed and will presumably now be scrapped. If the diesels were successfully regauged then steam activity at Kadhipaten will have been very limited.

3. GEMPOL Mill Index

This mill will not reopen - officially it is now a sub-unit of Sindanglaut and the little cane grown in the area is delivered there. One of the Henschel locomotives (12, confirmed by Paul Thompson in December 2000) from here has now been sent to Taman Mini in Jakarta. When I visited on July 17th, staff told me that the other Henschel was now on a tourist railway in Jambi (Central Sumatra), a fact I am unlikely to be in a position to check out!  4, 5 and 8 together with another derelict at least were still in the locked shed.

4. SINDANGLAUT Mill Index

After the depression induced by the mills west of Cirebon, it was good to find no less than eight locomotives in steam at midday on July 17th waiting for the afternoon shift.   They were 4, 6, 7, 8, 10, 11, 12 and 13.  1 was cold but looked serviceable and 9 (complete) and 3 (less than complete) were still stored in the shed. Staff said the season would end about August 20th and it may not have lasted that long..

On August 2nd, we arrived at the mill at 15.00 to find that the afternoon shift had mostly left. 6, 8 and 10 were in the yard with 10 due to work out to the west. 4 was just outse the mill on the west line, 13 was near Karangsuwung and 7, 11 and 12 were on the east line. We headed east and found the trio near the mian line crossing waiting for the tractors to pull up the full loris. Eventually at 17.15, just before the light failed, 12 made a spirited departure for the mill, the other two were expected to return well after nightfall. On August 3rd, 13 was seen taking out a few empties in the direction of Karangsuwung at around 09.30.

5. TERSANA BARU Mill Index

I spent a couple of hours here on July 30th to check out the action (or lack of it). No less than seven locos were in steam in the mill yard, 1, 2, 3, 6, 11, 12 and 20, with 4, 8 and 18 apparently serviceable in the shed along with the usual line of dumped and stored locos. In the whole time I was there, virtually none moved, except for 20 and 11 which moved a dozen loris up to the crusher. The presentation of the locos was not good, the smart orange livery of a couple of years ago looked very tired and both 20 and 11 derailed their tenders while moving around. The yard was a bit busier on August 3rd although the mill itself had problems and unloading was proceeding very slowly. The same locos were in use. The season finished early on August 12th.

6. KETANGGUNGAN BARAT Mill Index

At 14.00 on July 17th, all locomotives were on shed.  5, 6, 7B and 10 were in steam. 7K was cold but serviceable. 1, 2 and 4 were still here dumped.  Staff said the transfer trains to Tersana Baru were working normally. In addition to the one regular Japanese diesel, there were two more here temporarily from Tersana Baru. The situation was similar on July 30th at 12.00 except that 7B had yet to return from Luwung Gajah. On August 3rd, all the overnight traffic had been hauled by tractor/diesel - no doubt the Tersana Baru diesels had been here again. 7B took out a short section of temporary track to the east at 08.00 but otherwise, there was little activity expected during the day. Half my group returned to Luwung Gajah on August 4th and found 7B already there and was able to get several photos as it returned with empties. The season finished early on August 12th, the same time as Tersana Baru..

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