China Winter Steam- Fuxin

We arrived at the Pingan stabling point at around 07:30 for the shift change on 21st January- our first morning in Fuxin. Each of the SY locos arrivefrom various directions for light servicing and to swap their crew. 

The collection of many steam locomotives in one small area in what appears to be the heart of the city is quite breathtaking. Many pleasing photographic angles were available, enhanced by the rising steam and the remaining snow on the ground from the previous day's flurry. The locomotives shunt into various positions before beginning to depart to their various duties across the system at around 08:30. In addition to the steam locos a couple of DF5 diesels are also observed shunting around. 

This was a truly fantastic start to our time in Fuxin with near perfect lighting- it is certainly encouraging to hear a veteran of Chinese steam who has been visiting for the past 20 years describing the photos we have taken as 'just as good as has ever been possible'- now who said steam in China was dead?

We quickly head to Wulong mine as the shift change begins to reach its conclusion. Immediately upon our arrival a train is ready to depart headed by SY 1195. As soon as it does we are 'boarding' once again and back in the bus to head for our next spot- the spoil dump.










The first stop we make is at the station half way up to the spoil dump. At this point the trains pause to pick up an unloading crew. We have beaten the first steam train of the shift and first witness a four wheel railbus which is bringing workers up for the shift. Where this vehicle disappeared to I will never know as it didn't seem to be up on the dump... nor did we ever see it again!

Shortly after the workers railcar we hear the unmistakable sound of steam beginning the steep ascent to the tip. The trains are pushed up to the spoil heap and we first see the lead wagon coming into view complete with a worker sitting atop the loaded spoil to guide it. After a quick stop to pick up the unloading crew it continues with SY 1319 shoving from the rear as the wagons head for the tipping area.

The view from the spoil heap looking down to Fuxin city is spectacular. We can see mines, the power plant and endless high rise buildings. Thank goodness we have arrived on a clear day with the sun shining!
Hot on the heals of the fist spoil train is another pushed to the heap by SY 1210.

We wait for SY 1319 with the first train descending from the tip before we head higher up to the dumping area. One of the three roads is already occupied by SY 1210 and its train. This departs but it is not long before SY 1195 arrives with another train. While we observe this depositing its spoil yet another train appears in the distance ascending to the top- this time it is double headed with SY 1378 and SY 1460. Having made our way over to it expecting a double headed departure SY 1378 then disappears to run back down the hill light engine.

SY 1210 is soon to reappear on the scene- this time with a loaded train of flyash from the power station. This gets the tour group excited as it has the potential to produce a huge ash cloud billowing into the sky- It doesn't (the practice has been virtually eliminated as Fuxin really doesn't need any more dust in its skies and the ash is now dampened before tipping).

The ash train departs, and so, eventually, does SY 1460- its train was longer than the usual four wagons, but it still seems to have taken an eternity to unload!

SY 1396 arrives just as we are leaving the spoil tip to head back into town. It is now late afternoon and we have not yet had lunch- few however are complaining as the steam action on the spoil tip has been fantastic.

 Change of plan! Back in the city we come to a halt at a level crossing. Passing is SY 1395, Fuxin's decorated loco named 'Zhu De Hao' after the founder of the People's Liberation Army. The loco is pushing an ash train to the spoil heap... after a rapid U-turn in the middle of the city street we find ourselves back at the top of the spoil tip ready for the locos arrival just as the sun is beginning to turn orange at the end of what has been a day of perfect weather and perfect trains.

The day has one more surprise in store for us- as the sunset reaches its climax SY 1378 appears with a spoil train. Everthing (except maybe our own minibus) is positioned perfectly for shooting the pair of trains together in the falling sun. All the photographers, no matter how long they have been coming to China are grinning from cheek to cheek. I am too. What an incredible end to an amazing first day at Fuxin!

Our next morning begins in much the same was as the previous, with shift change at the stabling point. There is a little confusion as the railway staff try to send us away, but before long our Chinese guide Alan comes to the rescue and restores the peace by assuring the railway staff that we have we have permission to be there and have paid for photo permits.

After the shift change we head again to Wulong mine- this time spending rather longer her and the nearby area through which all the spoil trains pass as they begin their ascent to the spoil tip.

We head back up to the tip and catch SY 1319 mid way through its descent. SY 1460 is next on the scene pushing up to the top - we get two chances at the shot this time as the loco stalls on the steep gradient and has to return for a second attempt!

On our return from the tip we call in at the mine to ask if there is any chance of photographing their elderly narrow gauge electric locos. 'No' is the answer and we continue on our way, passing SY 1397 from the bus as we do. We have got used to all these steam trains by this point and driving straight past this one causes little bother!

We stop at a crossing for our next picture- the ancient crossing keepers hut (which is very recently out of use) and traditional housing here provide a pleasing backdrop. Also the temperature has started to rise (a couple of degrees above freezing)- some of the group even remove their coats and enjoy a beer by the lineside between trains. 

Our next port of call is the railway workshop which contained SY 1320 and SY 1818 receiving major attention. Fuxin still carries out full overhauls of steam locomotives here and it is reassuring to see the engines being worked on. A DF5 locomotive is also being overhauled in the depot and SY 1396 is inside receiving running repairs before departing.
Once we have taken our fill of shots inside we move out to the stored loco line and of course take plenty more of the locos which will almost certainly not see traffic again.

We seek out what is possibly the last older style crossing keepers hut which is still in use for our next shots- we are not sure how long we will need to wait for a train here- but luck is on our side and within the space of about 20 minutes we have seen steam heading in both directions.
More good luck was in store on the drive back into town- we pass a level crossing where SY 1210 just happens to be backing a train into the power station. We make a quick about turn and promptly pour out of the mini bus (the 'emergency' back doors proving very helpful on this occasion) to capture the steamy industrial scene.

Finally- a day later than planned we make it to the loco servicing point. Our 'sunset friend' SY 1395 the decorated loco is here again for some sunset shots under the coal loader.

With that we say goodbye to Fuxin and into the buses we go to begin our journey to Pingzhuang.









Our respite from Fuxin is brief as our time in Pingzhuang is cut short (more on that in the next section!) so 24 hours later we find ourselves once again enjoying the steam at Fuxin- just in time for sunset.
The steam once again played ball with a SY 1396 busy shunting in the main yard. It was joined by DF5b 067 which also made some pleasing shots (though much of the group decided to totally ignore the 'box shaped' loco.)

Our final morning in Fuxin dawns with the air thick with fog (or far more likely- smog). I attempt some different angles of trains crossing one of the city roads rather than heading to the stabling point immediately once again. We then follow this with another trip up to the spoil tip- the atmosphere is totally different in this new weather. Gone are the long views over the city where you can pinpoint other steam locomotives in the distance- instead there is an eerie haze shrouding everything from view.

Pollution such as this is now probably the biggest threat to the remaining steam operations in China. Authorities are urging industries to 'clean up' and the steam engines which are seen as 'dirty' and 'polluting' are an easy victim. Fuxin appears to have no plans to completely dieselise in the near future and has a relatively young fleet of locos. However this is of course China and anything can change in an instant.

China Winter Seam 2014- Daiobingshan

My first Chinese steam locomotive- SY 1772 is pictured at Daiobingshan before sunrise on the 19th January 2014 prior to working the 06:40 passenger to Dongguantun. We had arrived in Daiobingshan the previous evening following an overnight flight from Germany to Shenyang and then a transfer on the minibuses that would become our home for the next week.

Having watched SY 1772 depart from Daiobingshan we then went on the chase- achieving the first steam sunrise shot of 2014's FarRail 'Winter Steam Spectacle' tour.

While steam is still 'real' in Daiobingshan it is filmmakers that now keep steam viable here. There is also a steam keen management who have attempted to set up a museum on the line.
One of the 'museum' locos, not usually in normal traffic is KD6 487. We were very lucky to see the loco in traffic having only expected to see SY traction on the line.
The KD6 is seen outside the lines depot at Daquin waiting to work a management special.

A short while later the KD6 gets its management special moving. As the spoil mound in the background indicates, the real purpose of the Tiefa (Tieling - Faku) railway is to move coal- though these trains are now all worked by diesels.

Having worked it's special service to Hanjiagou the KD6 performs a few light engine run-pasts to the delight of the photographers. Unlike the other locomotives we would see on the trip the KD6 is not of Chinese origin- it was built in the USA and shipped to China by the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration after WWII. This story also makes the KD6 far older than other locomotives in service in China, dating from the 1940's. Once KD6 487 finished it's career in the 1990's it was moved to Daiobingshan and became the first steam locomotive in China to be restored.

While you could say we were not blessed with the most amazing weather the image of KD6 487 steaming a passenger train across the viaduct in Daiobingshan is no less spectacular. The photograph was taken from the top of a building site! Only in China!

By lunch snow had begun to fall and was settling nicely by the time we went out to photograph the afternoon passenger turn to Dongguantun. There used to be an extensive passenger operation run by the Tiefa mining railway to all corners of its network- all worked by steam. Today just two daylight trips continue on the line via Faku- fortunately it is one of the more scenic parts of the system.

We traveled back from Dongguantun on the steam train for a cost of 20yuan (approximately 20p). By this time light was poor and due to the lack of run-round facilities the loco would haul the train tender first anyway.
On arrival back at at Daiobingshan DF4 7754 is seen in the now snowy station with a freight. DF4 and DF5 locos now handle all traffic on the line except the few passenger turns which are worked by steam.

The following morning we go out to chase the morning passenger train once again. Today SY 1772 has been turned, so we are able to stay in bed very slightly loner before focusing on it's return journey back to Daiobingshan.

On both mornings the weather dawned promising, but failed to materialise. The fresh snow and excellent steam effects in the cold do at least add something to this shot of 1772 heading the passenger back to Daiobingshan.
This locomotive is something of a well deserved celebrity- it holds the dubious title of being the last steam locomotive built for non-tourist purposes anywhere in the world. It was rolled out of the workshops in Tangshan as late as October 1999!

A visit was made to the depot to watch SY 1772 being coaled between its duties. I got distracted by the big green DF4's which were shunting in the area.
Unfortunately I had retired back to the minibus by the time one came through with a loaded train!
Here DF4 7755 is seen outside the depot at Daqing.

Inside the depot is the remainder of the serviceable steam fleet on the railway- the KD6 which we saw the previous day and SY 1770. All three locos had been in operation a week earlier when the railway held a steam festival attracting many Chinese photographers to the line.

It is not just steam locomotives which inhabit the depot at Daqing. A much larger part of the workshop now services the diesels that work along the line. DF4 locos 7720 and 7772 are seen receiving some extensive maintenance.

Steam on freight trains on the Daiobingshan system is very rare in 2014- however the railway decided to run the afternoon passenger service with a diesel due to delays which seemed to be occurring with the steam (I have no idea why!). This enabled the possibility of using SY 1772 to move a set of wagons which had arrived from China Rail down to the loading point at Wangqian. It was touch and go whether the steam would work, or when the wagons would arrive- but we got the call just in time to grab a shot before the light began to fade too far.

On arrival at Wangqian the SY was put to use shunting the wagons into their various positions under the loader. The wagons themselves are moved through the loader by pulley once on the right line.
We stayed here until the loco left- but which time the light was all but a memory. We would not be getting an early start to our long minibus journey to Fuxin- and we still didn't know if the motorways would be open following the snowfall...

Daiobingshan was a great introduction to steam in China and also provides one of the best chances in the world to travel on a scheduled steam service. How long steam will continue here nobody knows. The railway does take revenue from film contracts which should see some steam retained- however the longevity of the passenger operation must be questionable. I have even seen suggestions that the final passenger train could be withdrawn as soon as road transport is available to replace it.

DB- 17 Jan 2014 An afternoon in Frankfurt

294 840 catches a glimpse of light as it shunts at Mainz Bischofsheim

S8 services are worked by the attractive class 420 EMU's.
420 849 pauses at Mainz Bischofsheim.

Flew from London City departing with Lufthansa at 10:05 to Frankfurt and boarded an S8 train to Mainz Bischofsheim.
We stopped here only long enough to 'check out' the location for later. This is not a location I had visited before, but in line with observations sound barriers have been erected along the south side of the yard and along most of the line through the station. Only the central section of railway to the south of the station has escaped the sound barriers (so far).

143 919 at Mainz Hbf

We then boarded an RE service to Mainz Hbf formed with 143009 tnt 143661. Of course as soon as we got on the train a privately operated class 151 came through with a freight- typical, though the picture would have been into the sun anyway.

At Mainz Hbf there was no sign of the 218 which should have arrived off 12049 from Worms at 14:08- though it is entirely possible that it could have arrived while we were upstairs buying bratwerst!

218 408 pushes it's short set of DOSTO's away from
Mainz Gonsenheim with the 14:17 Mainz - Alzey

More importantly the loco and stock for 13816 the 14:17 Mainz-Alzey was sat in the platform as expected with 218408 pushing. This was taken the short hop to Mainz Gonsenheim (both for ease of getting back and to stay within the area of the Hessen Ticket).

Back at Mainz Hbf both 218411 and 218424 were observed shunting. Another RE was then boarded back through to Mainz Birshofsheim powered by 143181. Unlike most of the other RE's here this train was handled by a single loco, 143181. I can only presume DB have a shortage of DOSTO driving traiors?

Plenty of Traxx action- 185 267, Mainz Birshofsheim

Mainz Birshofsheim proved to be productive with no less than 6 freights (plus shunting movements) in around an hour. Unfortunately all were traxx locos with the exception of 155 125 which appeared at the end of our session.

It was back on an S8 train to Frankfurt Niederrad from where 111 108 was taken for the shot hop in to Hauptbahnhof.

The plan from here was simple- to cover the 17:15 Frankfurt- Nidda/Stockheim.

They're not pretty, but they're not Traxx!
155 125 at Mainz Birshofsheim

418417 was on the blocks for the Nidda portion with 418429 on the country end of the train for Stockheim.
We boarded the front portion for Stockheim, with the plan to drop back when the train split at Bad Vibel. We were a couple of minutes late out of Frankfurt with 218429, and a few late into Bad Vibel. On leaving the trian we found to our surpise that the other portion was not attached! It followed in around 10 minutes later and we then scored 418417 onwards to Friedburg.

Time now running out we picked up 146122 back to Frankurt before taking 143289 tnt 143919 back to Flughaven. Then it was just a case of waiting for our 22:05 overnight flight to Shenyang.

Various locomotive classes at Frankfurt Hbf

143 280 is our ride back to Flughaven- Next stop China!

In just a few hours we had had a sucessful taster of the Frankfurt area and managed to travel behind 4 classes of loco, including three 218's. A very worthy stop off between our flights- and very cost effective with a Hessen Ticket.

218 429 prepares to leave Frankfurt Hbf with the 17:15 to Stockheim.
The Nidda portion of the train is further down the  platform.

It's all been a bit quiet...

As the reader may have noticed... everything has gone a little quiet on the blog in 2014 so far. You could almost be mistaken for thinking that I had made a New Years resolution not to updated it- but that is not the case.
The reason for the quiet (or at least one of them) is that I have been busy making my first visits of 2014- to the land of freezing steam otherwise known as China.
Over the coming weeks and (lets be honest) months I have reports from four of the remaining steam sites in China; Diaobingshan, Fuxin, Pingzuhang and Sandaoling to publish.
In the meantime here is a taster- SY 1395 sitting atop of the Fuxin spoil heap as the sun sets on a successful day!