railography photo galleries : China : Shenyang Bureau : Tonghua Area : 92-020-15 : (18 of 38)

Steam Revival

Freight on the line north from Tonghua to Meihekou had been dieselised shortly before my first visit to the area in early 1990 but later the same year all the diesels were transferred west to the Shenyang - Changchun main line and steam returned.

The 31st of January 1992 dawned still, clear and outrageously cold, well below -30C, and stayed that way all day. QJ 2321 and an unidentified sister approached the top of the climb north of Gangou with a Tonghua bound freight, passing an abandoned guard post, probably dating from the days of the Japanese occupation, at the entrance to the summit tunnel. The locos were down to walking pace, battling frozen brakes and bearings and leaking steam from every orifice but there was never any doubt that they would make it.