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hide options panelHeihe Local Railway
6 photos
updated : 2016-07-16
The Heihe Local Railway built and operated a standard gauge line between Longzhen and Heihe in northern Heilongjiang. The line started in the 1990s with a fleet of second hand DF Class diesels and was one of the last places to use them. By 2008 they had been replaced by brand new DF4Bs.
JiTong Railway : Tongliao - Chabuga
4 photos
updated : 2016-07-16
The easternmost section of the JiTong line was flat and uninteresting for most of its 188km but the final 19km from Fuxindi to Chabuga involved a serious climb in decent scenery. By late 2003 five DF4s hired from China Rail were handling most of the traffic and steam was eliminated shortly afterwards.
JiTong Railway : Daban Depot
12 photos
updated : 2016-07-16
Daban was one of three depots on the JiTong line and was responsible for around half the line's fleet of approximately 100 QJ 2-10-2s. As the line dieselised from both ends, steam operations were concentrated on Daban, by then the world's last main line steam depot. The end came in late 2005.
Shibanxi (BaShi) Railway
23 photos
updated : 2016-07-16
This isolated narrow gauge operation was an absolute delight, with superb scenery, steep gradients, dilapidated rolling stock and friendly locals. All it needed was more sunshine. Since our visit in 2007, the line has become a commercialised tourist attraction, losing much of its appeal in the process.
Shenyang Railway Museum
7 photos
updated : 2016-07-17
The Shenyang Railway Museum was established at Sujiatun in the early 1980s and contains a more interesting selection of locomotives than its counterpart at Beijing. The most unusual thing of all is that it's a museum that doesn't really welcome visitors, particularly foreign visitors.
Weihe Forestry Railway
11 photos
updated : 2019-09-25
The Weihe Forestry Railway was one of many 2'6" gauge lines built to exploit the forestry resources of Manchuria, most of which have now closed. Weihe was one of the last to use steam and finally closed in March 2003. Most of these photos were taken a couple of weeks earlier when the railway was still busy.
Tangshan Locomotive Works
6 photos
updated : 2021-03-22
Tangshan is arguably the birthplace of Chinese Railways and the locomotive works dates from the late 19th Century. It's is best known for building over 1750 SY Class 2-8-2s between 1960 and 1999. These pictures were taken on a visit in March 1988, by which time production was already tailing off.
Huanan Forestry Railway
47 photos
updated : 2022-11-24
This narrow gauge line in Heilongjiang carried coal rather than timber. It was a fabulous line that ran through a variety of landscapes including a hill section where loaded trains were banked. It wasn’t an easy line to photograph but it was one of the most rewarding. Closure finally came in April 2011
JiTong Railway : Chabuga - Daban
79 photos
updated : 2022-11-24
The 155km section east from Daban to Chabuga had the honour of being the world's last steam worked main line, finally succumbing to diesels in late 2005. What a superb line it was, with wide open spaces, distant mountains, long inclines and no shortage of excellent photo positions.
JiTong Railway : Daban - Haoluku
148 photos
updated : 2022-11-24
The 204km line from Daban to Haoluku opened at the end of 1995 and included the climb over Jingpeng Pass. It was a photographic paradise with plenty of bridges, tunnels and horseshoe curves set in glorious mountain scenery. The first diesels arrived in late 2004 and steam had finished by early 2005.
Beijing Railway Museum
10 photos
updated : 2024-04-29
The Beijing Railway Museum houses a large collection of steam, diesel and electric locomotives and other rolling stock. Many of the exhibits seem to have been selected for being unusual rather than being typical examples from the working railway but it's still a fascinating place to visit.
It's difficult to comprehend the scale of China's railway system or the speed with which it's changed over the last few decades. The photos here are the result of dozens of visits to main line and industrial locations across the country since 1984 and depict many classes of steam, diesel and electric loco at work.
