Java Sugar Steam 1999 - 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 (they have made a start with Gempol and Jatiwangi). 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 but keeps the steam locos as the best economic proposition.

45. TRANGKIL Mill Index

I stopped by at 15.00 on July 19th. The season was in full swing having started on May 21st and was originally expected to run through until September, although in the event it lasted till the end of August.  All four locos were working.  1 was at Suwadak on the north side, 4 at Sumur on the south side and 3 at Sukoharjo half way to Payang on the south side. 2 was about to go out to Payang and unencumbered with a group I took the opportunity to ride out and back - something I last did in 1990! The track is now not very good compared to before and we had just eight loris - leaving six more for 3 which we passed on the way in.  Departure was just as the light started to fade at 16.40, the crew gave me several run pasts (no money here, just a couple of packets of cigarettes, a couple of photos from last year and a big smile). This must be one of the longest steam runs in Java today at nearly 15km and by the time we got back to the mill we were leaving a trail of sparks behind us.  As I headed home to Pati, I passed 4 coming in with another short train. Encouragingly, again there were large areas of newly planted cane. On July 20th, I saw 1 taking out 34 empties on the south line at 09.00.

On August 8th, the mill gave us an afternoon made in heaven which tour leaders like me can normally only dream of. We arrived from Solo just after 14.30 to find a diesel hauled cane train pulling into the yard and all four steam locos still out. We were directed to 4 on the Nguren line which we found coming in about 2km out. Two shots later we were heading south from the mill and found 2 on the main road. A quick U turn gave us several more shots and then for good measure we were able to repeat the sequence with 3. By now 1 was approaching on the Payang branch and was duly chased back to the mill for a 16.45 arrival.  All four locos photographed in excellent afternoon light and there were still two more afternoons planned here..... We were at our hotel in Pati by 17.00 for a cold beer. Shagnasty from the 1995 trip would have been pleased to see that the working girls had now taken up residence, an attraction which later in the month proved irresistible to Shagnasty II.

August 9th was almost a rerun of the previous day except that 2, 3 and 4 rotated duties, so the north line duty was an unattractive 3 tender first and 1 and 4 ended up double heading from Jetak Kidul just north of Payang.  This seemed the most attractive option to me, although some of the party chased number 2 in along the main road around 15.00. 1 and 4 managed to drop one lori in the dirt at 15.30 although they opted to abandon it and the rest of the train so they were in to the mill at around 16.45.  By now 2 was also down the branch at Ngepungrojo so I dropped in on it for a quick night photography session - made easier by having photos of my excursion with the same crew in July. Future visitors might like to learn from others mistakes - it helps to set the camera to "B" before using fill-in flash, ask McLeod of McLeod. On August 10th, 1 and 2 were at Wonorejo west of the main road south of the mill, 1 left for home at 15.00 and 2 at 16.00. We opted for 3 and 4 double heading from Jetak Kidul, progress was steady rather than spectacular until 4 ran out of water/bagasse near the mill turn off abandoning 3 which struggled another 100m before giving up on the long train. The train was then split with 3 getting home at 16.15. We had to head for Cepu so we ignored the second half and 2's arrival.

Headquarters had told us that the mill would finish on August 27th, so it was no real surprise to find things rather quiet on August 26th. The field lines had obviously not been used for a few days and the only external activity was 3 on the ash train on the Sidomukti line. The other locos were allocated to the road yard although in the event 4 was not needed.

46. PAKIS BARU Mill Index

No change (yet!), 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 all working round the mill with 1 and 2 in reserve in case of breakdown or for use with tour groups! The mill's season started in May and had been planned to go on till some time in late September. However, when we were arrived on August 9th, we were told that the Government's lack of action on the sugar crisis meant that the season would now end on August 11th - the mill couldn't sell the sugar it was producing or pay its farmers. Management said that it was unlikely the mill would handle any raw cane in 2000 but might process imported raw sugar instead. 1999 is Pakis Baru 2's 100th birthday and after letting us loose with 1 and some mudskips on August 9th, the centenarain 2 was turned out for a demonstration train with mudskips on August 10th. It was not a totally successful birthday party. It had rained heavily overnight and it was overcast. The bagasse had been given a good soaking and one cylinder was blowing.  It took a long time to get to Tayu with the mud skips and we then ran out of fuel. 3 was summoned with the necessary and we eventually had a spirited return until some 500m short of the factory we ran short of steam. Too much bagasse went into the firebox and the fire went out, even 5 litres of kerosone could not revive it and it was then discovered that the loco was out of water and we were rescued by a diesel.... We were all conscious that it might be 2's last ever steaming and it was a rather sad group that left the mill.

The season ended here on August 14th as expected and when we visited on August 27th, we found all the steam locos in the shed, but as we were expected the shed staff immediately pulled them out with the diesels for the first timers to photograph them. We reciprocated by posing the entire shed staff in front of the locos.....

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, 6 and 8 were in fact transferred to Candi where they survive dumped out of use.

48. KEBONAGUNG Mill Index

It was a relief to find the field lines in use on July 24th. 5 was in steam outside the shed, 10 and 6 were shunting the yard and 4 was on line at Tutut (the other locos all looked out of use).  I found it on the triangle there with a  full train with a recent derailment.  The light which was darker than south China grey went black and it poured with rain.  Time to find a hotel and a cold beer! ex-Krebet Baru 8 was missing - allegedly it had been sold to be used as a monument in Bali. Well that makes it the first ever steam loco in Bali as far as I know, but I won't be going there to look for it.

I took the morning off on July 25th to get some work done (these steam pages hardly pay for themselves let alone my beer). In the afternoon, 4 and 10 were at Jambearjo near Krebet.  I arrived in time to see 4 set off for the mill with a loaded train at 15.30. 10 then set back over the big bridge towards Tangjungsari. I sat down to wait for its return which was rather later than I had been led to expect at 17.00, by which time the light was well down.  I then followed it through Tangkilsari but didn't wait at Tutut as the road through there now carries a lot of traffic even in the evening which would have spoiled the fireworks shots.

In the morning of August 15th, 6 and 10 were shunting the mill yard, 4 was having a boiler washout. At 08.30, 5 took out a set of empties half of which were left at Tutuk and the other half at Jambearjo. We left the crew at 10.30 trying to mend the water pipe from the tender which had been wrecked by collision with a derailed cane lori..... In the afternoon, 10 was there to collect the fulls (and 4 was due to go to Tutut). Owing to typical Javanese tragi-comedy, the train was unable to leave until 17.00, great for video, shame about the stills. But the pseudo-departures during shunting were very photogenic. We returned on August 21st . This time 10 was again at Jambearjo and 5 at Tutut. We found 10 at 15.00 and by 15.20 all the loris were on the main line. For the next hour the crew gave us a series of superb run pasts (six I believe) until the light failed just before Bumiayu. My tour group were extremely satisfied and for once I did not have to pay for my own beer. (5 was much later as there was a derailment on the temporary track.) On the morning of August 22nd it was good to see some empties heading for Cerme on the south line from the mill as all activity I had noted previously was on the east lines. I spent the afternoon here on August 29th. Only 5 was out, at Cerme. We arrived at 15.00 just as it left the field, we had three full cracks at it thanks to the friendly crew, all in splendid afternoon sunshine.

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.

Two former Rejoagung locomotives (6, an OK 0-4-4-0T, and 8, a Vulcan 0-6-0T) are stored here. The management is keen to sell them but they are not in very good condition.

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