This section shows the details of the trip on a day by day basis. If you’re looking for loco numbers or individual workings, you’re in the right place.

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A day of travelling and hanging around airports. Fortunately everything went smoothly, although both my flights were late by around half an hour, there was plenty of slack in the schedule to accommodate the delays. I flew with Air France from London Heathrow to Paris Charles de Gaulle on AF1281, an A321, then, after meeting up with Peter, on to Beijing on AF126, a Boeing 777-300. In view of the unbelievably complicated security farce at CDG, perhaps the airport would be better named after Charles’ ancestor Asterix the Gaul.

We flew over Benhong on the way into Beijing and the black patch indicating where the JiTong stabling pint had been was clearly visible although the telltale plumes of steam were absent. Arrival at Beijing was scheduled for 11:45 but we were half an hour late. This wasn’t a problem as we had six hours to kill before our next flight. After collecting our bags, we met up with Xiaolan and Robin in the arrivals hall and passed the time drinking tea. We continued on Hainan Airlines flight HU7103 to Mudanjiang, operated by a Chang An Airlines B737-800, arriving only five minutes behind schedule. At Mudanjiang, we met up with our driver and continued to Jixi by road, arriving at 22:45 despite the road being covered in snow in places. Our base for the next five days was the Qinghu Hotel, located in the ridiculously named National Territory Resources Mansion building in the centre of Jixi.

A disappointing start to the day at Didao-Hebei where the wind changed from being wrong for silhouettes to being wrong for conventionally lit shots just as the sun came up. Traffic levels seemed low, although past experience indicates that they do vary a lot from day to day anyway. Four locos were seen in use : SY 0407, 0950, 1205, 1446.

On the way to Chengzihe, via the supposedly improved but still pretty rough road along the north bank of the river, the sight of SY 0804 heading to Dongchang for the shift change came as a bit of a surprise as it was always a Hengshan engine. SY 1437 was photographed on a spoil train climbing from Zhengyang to Xinghua at 09:38, followed by SY 1058 on a short train of coal empties at 10:15. Back at Dongchang, SY 1340 was working the hoppers to Beichang and was seen leaving at 11:54.

We returned to Didao and spent a pleasant couple of hours at the point where the CR line to Linkou runs parallel with the mine railway. SY 0950 and 1205 were photographed heading back to Didao-Hebei with empties at 13:21 and 14:07. On the main line DF4Ds 3033 and 3019 worked trains K7077 and 7078 (Mudanjiang - Dongfanghong and v.v.) while most freights were hauled by new HXN5 diesels (GE design) based at Harbin depot (HXN5 0102, 0120, 0159, 0170) with only DF8 0087 representing the old order. Up till this point the sky had been clear but by the time we left it was clouding up rapidly.

At Chengzihe-Beicheng SY 0863 was shunting the washery and SY 1340 arrived on the hoppers from Dongchang at 15:23. By now the light had virtually gone so we headed over the river to Qiaonan to look at the silhouette on the branch to the new mine. Unfortunately no trains ran at the optimum time, not that it made any difference to me as I’d fallen asleep on the bus. SY 0804 and 1351 were seen at Qiaonan.

We started the day at the river bridge west of Chengzihe with a train of loads heading to Jixi Xi at 06:45 hauled by SY 1369 and a train of empties in the other direction at 07:10 with SY 1058. The sunrise had been a feeble affair and the sun struggled, and ultimately failed, to break through the low cloud all day.

SY 0863, 1058, 1340, 1351, 1369, 1437 and 1545 were all at Dongchang for shift change at 08:00. Also there was a mine policeman who informed us that after a visiting gricer had broken his leg there a few days earlier, the management had decided that no visitors would be permitted at Dongchang without an official permit and everyone would have to be accompanied by a mine official. Totally impractical for most gricers and yet another example of how one person’s moment of misfortune or carelessness can spoil it for everyone else.

At the tip west of Xinghua, SY 1437 came up with the spoil empties at 09:20 followed by SY 1351 light engine at 10:02. This was a big disappointment as a long train of empties had gone from Dongcheng to Zhengyang earlier with a loco at each end, usually a reliable indication that there would be a train up the hill to Xinghua, not just a light engine.

With no sign of the weather clearing, we took a trip to Hengshan to see what was happening there. SY 1344 was stabled at Xinhengshan and GKD1A 0106 was also shunting around there. One of the DF10Ds came down the hill from Zhongxin with loads during the early afternoon. The line to Erkuang had obviously seen some use recently but no loco was seen, either at Hengshan or the mine. A pair of DF8s were in the CR yard, a class that rarely visited Hengshan in the past and a consequence, no doubt, of the influx of HXN5s displacing the DF8s to replace DF4Bs from local work around the Jixi area.

Back at Chengzihe-Beichang, SY 0863 was washery pilot and SY 1545 left with a spoil train at 16:00, taking the eastern leg of the triangle to Dongchang. We set off in hot pursuit and found that the train went through Dongchang and on to the spoil tips north of the line halfway between Dongchang and Zengyang, the trains usual destination until just over a year ago when they were diverted to the new mine near Qiaonan. Now, it seems, everything is back to normal again.

Jixi was foggy as dawn broke but by the time we reached Didao it was snowing. The sunrise was a washout with no sun and very little moving around Didao-Hebei yard. SY 0407, 1205, 1213 and 1446 were seen at work over a two and a half hour period. As we left Didao, a very long freight passed on the main line hauled by a DF8 and an HXN5.

Next stop was the tip near Xinghua mine where SY 1437 appeared as expected with its spoil train. There was no train of empties to Xinghua though. On to Donghaikuang where SY0639 was yard pilot but left just before 13:00 to pilot SY 0746 up to the mine with a long train of empties. By this time the gentle snowfall had developed into a full blizzard with a strong northerly wind blowing the snow sideways. The roads were becoming extremely slippery and we decided to return to Chengzihe before they got even worse. The trip back was slow and we passed several road accidents on the way.

After about 30 minutes parked up near Beichang, the snow suddenly stopped and the sun came out. The rest of the afternoon was sunny but there were few good shots on offer. SY 1018, now fitted with a homemade stovepipe chimney, was washery pilot, SY 1058 was working the spoil train, SY 1369 was on the Dongchang - Beichang hoppers and SY 0804 was on trips to Jixi Xi.

After a couple of cloudy days, it was good to find a clear sky at dawn but the strong north-westerly wind severely limited our choice of locations. We started with a visit to Didao where all five locos were in use. Despite this, it still seemed very quiet around Hebei washery during the early morning. SY 0407, 0950, 1205,1213 and 1446 were all seen.

Over at Chengzihe, SY 1437 did its usual morning trip up the hill to Xinghua with the spoil train, followed by SY 1351 on a long train of empties, the first occasion in four days that a long train had run in this slot. A couple of hours at the river bridge west of Chengzihe yielded nothing worthwhile but the afternoon was good at Beichang with SY 0804, 1058 and 1369 all in action. A late visit to Spoil Tip Junction for a silhouette produced only SY 1351 tender first light engine.

All in all a good day despite the wind.

Another sunny day but with little traffic on either the Didao or Chengzihe systems. We started at Didao again but there wasn’t a lot of action in the first few hours of the day. SY 0407, 1205 and 1446 were seen. On to Chengzihe where SY 1437 stormed up the bank from Zhengyang towards Xinghua with the morning spoil train. There were no empties today. The afternoon was spent waiting for some action on the line from Didao-Hebei to the top mine but it was almost 16:00 before SY 1213 finally showed up with a train of empties.

We left for Mudanjiang Airport shortly afterwards, arriving in good time for HU 7104 at 20:50 to Beijing. It was snowing when we arrived at 23:00 and transferred to the Capital Airport Hotel for a very short night.

Off to Baiyin today after saying goodbye to Robin. We had just received the news that there was now at least one diesel working there, maybe more, and wondered what would be left to photograph.

First we had the problem of getting to Baiyin. After checking in for flight HU 7231, we went to the departure lounge to find the aircraft covered in snow with one man on a ladder trying to scrape the windscreen clear. Despite the flight being marked as delayed, we were boarded half an hour before the scheduled departure time and backed away from the gate only a few minutes late. After what seemed an eternity of stop-start taxiing, we arrived at the de-icing pad and, eventually, got sprayed and set off for the runway, just over an hour late. Somewhere west of Beijing, the cloud below thinned out giving views of a steamless Baotou steelworks and the desert covered in snow. At Lanzhou we found our chauffeur driven limo and travelled to a disappointingly snow free Baiyin, taking just over an hour for the journey. The car, a comfortable but old Toyota Crown, and driver were hired from the Baiyin Non-ferrous Metals Company, a condition of getting the photo permit. At Baiyin, we stayed at the upmarket Wansheng Hotel at the west end of town.

Our first sighting was of SY 1470, in excellent form, storming the bank with the 15:15 passenger to Shenbutong. The Sanyelian passenger was hauled by the previously reported diesel, GK1A 0206, presumably after working the ore train. SY 0965 tripped up to Sanyelian to collect some wagons and followed the diesel passenger back down to Gongsi. SY 1470 also worked the 18:15 passenger to Shenbutong.

At Gongsi there was an unidentified SY shunting the far end of the yard. SY 0612 was in the storage compound adjacent to the workshops, SY 1013 was being overhauled, SY 0819 and SY 1047 were cold but looked serviceable. The dumped locos weren't checked but there was no sign of any changes since last year. Unaccounted for were SY 1581, 1583 and 2008. There was no sign of the two "guests" from Yaojie, SY 1097 and SY 0125 that had been here a year previously.

In the depot yard was DF7G 5183, just out of its box and still with the price tag attached. According to staff, it had arrived on 6 March and they were still playing with it. No decision had yet been made about when it would go into traffic or what it would be used for. Like the GKD1A, the loco is lettered BNMC (Baiyin Non-ferrous Metals Company) and carried the standard, very unattractive, two tone brown livery.

On a happier note, I saw my first standard green DF4B of the trip today, after almost a week in China - how times change!

A beautifully clear dawn in Baiyin city but the valley up to Shenbutong was filled with fog. When SY 1470 approached Dongchanggou with the morning passenger, the sun was shining and there was snow on the ground. It was just a shame that you couldn’t see the train through the mist. We waited until 11:00 for the ore empties but they didn’t run.

The middle of the day was spent at Gongsi, with SY 0965, 1470, 1581 and 1583 all seen around the shed and yard. GKD1A 0206 left with the ore empties around 12:30 while the DF7G sat on shed with staff crawling all over it. SY 1047, reported yesterday as cold, was in light steam inside the shed today. Of the regular engines, only SY 2008 remained unaccounted for.

SY 1470 worked both afternoon trains to Shenbutong while the GKD1A worked the Sanyelian train. The DF7G came out to play during the afternoon and was seen working a trip from the complex up the steep bank into Gongsi yard. Hopefully that’s where it will stay.

Rumours abound about how many diesels are due, when they will arrive and when steam will finish. Everyone you talk to tells you a slightly different story but most say steam will finish in two years.

Another clear start in Baiyin. While it was misty up the valley, it was nowhere near as bad as the previous morning and a reasonable shot was had of SY 2008 on the morning passenger to Shenbutong. The morning Sanyelian train was also steam, heard clearly but not seen. The ore train ran early today, arriving at Shenbutong around 08:55, before the passenger had returned to Baiyin. GKD1A.0206 was the power as expected.

At the depot, SY 1470 was in the shed for a boiler washout and minor repairs and SY 2008 was having a rest between passenger duties. SY 0819, which we thought might have been taken out of service, was said to be awaiting repairs and a return to traffic.

After photographing SY 2008 on the 15:15 passenger to Shenbutong, we saw the GK1A leaving a couple of wagons at Sanyelian and returning to gongsi light engine. It was getting a bit late for the diesel to work the empty stock up to Sanyelian so we waited by the lineside in case the train was steam - it wasn’t.

Afterwards, we set up close to the top of the bank out of the complex. SY 1583 was seen on the slag train, a strange affair consisting of a caboose, the loco, five flat wagons and three ladles, in that order. SY 0965 was shunting one of the factories in the complex and SY 1581 went down light engine to the same area. A few minutes later, both engines came back double-headed on a long train, working flat out up the bank - a very impressive sight. Both crews appeared to be enjoying the thrash to the full.

SY 2008 brought the day to a close by working the 18:15 passenger to Shenbutong. The weather had been clear all day after the morning murk had dispersed but during the afternoon it had become so warm that neither Shenbutong train produced any white exhaust. Fortunately, the double headed trip didn’t disappoint.

A dull, warm start followed by some weak sunshine before visibility collapsed at the end of the day.

SY 2008 was on the Shenbutong passengers and both Sanyelian trains were also steam, with SY 1581 on the afternoon train. There were two locos working slag trains in the complex, almost certainly SY 1047 and SY 1583. SY 0965 covered most of the other trips and shunts including a trip up to Sanyelian after lunch.

The GKD1A worked the ore empties up to Shenbutong and returned to Baiyin with loads around 13:15. After that it retired to the shed for the rest of the day. The DF7G spent most of the day trundling up and down Gongsi yard light engine but also did a bit of shunting from time to time.

Another quiet day for the diesels. The GKD1A worked the ore train to Shenbutong and back then did a bit of shunting before retiring to the shed. The DF7G stayed on shed all day and only moved when SY 0819 required shunting out of the way to let SY 1470 out of the shed following its boiler washout.

SY 2008 worked all the Shenbutong passengers. Both Sanyelian trains were also steam with SY 1581 on the afternoon working. SY 0965 and SY 1581 handled most of the work around Gongsi yard and the complex with the GKD1A lending a hand while SY 1581 was out with the afternoon Sanyelian passenger.

The visibility wasn’t good enough for quality photography in the morning and by the afternoon it was too warm for exhausts as well.

A relatively clear bright start for a change but the temperatures rose rapidly during the morning.

We returned to Dongchanggou for a shot of SY 1470 on the 07:50 passenger to Shenbutong. After another hour it was getting too warm for exhausts and we headed back to Baiyin, passing GKD1A 0206 near Sanyelian with the ore empties. At the west end of Gongsi yard, DF7G 5183 was shunting sulphuric acid tanks.

That was it for Baiyin. After collecting our bags from the hotel, we set off for Lanzhou Airport and a 15 minute early flight MU2415 back to Beijing We stayed at the Capital Airport Hotel for the night and went out for the traditional Beijing Duck to finish the trip off in style. Unfortunately, neither of the taxi drivers we used knew their way round Beijing and we had to direct them to the restaurant (near the Sino-Swiss hotel) and back again.

This was the day that we should have flown home but it didn’t quite work out as planned. The first sign of trouble came before breakfast when we looked out of the hotel window and found that it was snowing, not heavily, but Beijing Airport and snow don’t go well together.

Everything went smoothly at first and we checked in for flight KLM 898 to Amsterdam and went through the formalities without a hitch. The inbound KLM flight had arrived a few minutes early and we were boarded in good time. The doors were closed and we were ready to go on schedule at 11:55, however, we didn’t move.

The Captain explained that we were number 32 in the queue for de-icing and we could be delayed for some time. Every hour we got an update on progress - sometimes we moved up the queue and sometimes back down again. Domestic flights were being given priority as the party big-wigs wanted to get home in time for their tea after a big meeting in Beijing. I was lucky to be in an emergency exit row and had the luxury of being bored witless in relative comfort.

After almost five hours, it seemed that all was lost. Air traffic control wouldn’t even tell the Captain where we were in the queue. Then, unexpectedly, a few minutes later, we got the go-ahead to push back. It took more than two hours to get to the de-icing pad, get de-iced (a process that takes around 5 minutes at a properly equipped airport but took at least 30 minutes at Beijing) and make our way to the end of the runway. We took off just after 19:00 local time or around seven hours late. Just as well that we left then as the crew were on the verge of running out of hours. By the time we got to Amsterdam, the airport was closing down for the night and our connections had long gone.

Fortunately, the process of rearranging flights for the following morning and finding a hotel for the night (at our own expense) were smooth and efficient. My journey back to the UK the following morning also went smoothly and I finally arrived home around 17 hours late.