Happy Birthday! Class 47 - 50 Today!

Back in February 2005 47847 is seen at Chester working the 13:35 Holyhead- Manchester Piccadilly for Arriva Trains Wales. The heritage large logo blue livery was applied by Virgin Trains in the operators latter days of class 47 use (it retains the livery to this day- though has not worked on the mainline for a number of years). Incidentally this train was loco hauled for just two more days, the working reverting to a class 158 the following week.

Today yet another class of British locomotive hit the impressive 50 milestone. The first of the class 47's, once the most numerous mainline diesel locomotive ever to operate in Britain with a total of 512 machines, D1500 made it's first trip on the mainline on 6th September 1962 from Brush (Loughbrough) to Crewe.
Today, despite the changes of the last fifty years some members of the class still find daily work on the national network- there is even still the opportunity to travel behind the class on a regular booked passenger train each summer Saturday.
Away from the mainline the locomotives have proved popular in preservation, while a number live on as the re-engined class 57's.
Lets hope that we can continue to enjoy the Brush/Sulzer type 4's for many years to come!

Another ex-Virgin heritage repaint- 47840 'North Star' is seen on 27th August 2005 about to work 5A40 from Paddington with the empty stock from the Night Riviera Sleeper.
While the use of a 47 on this working was slightly unusual at this time- this picture is even more noteworthy as the overnight train had been the last in the UK to convey a 'Motorail' service to London, this being withdrawn at the end of the 2005 summer season. 47840 is now preserved at the West Somerset Railway.

In 2012 a number of class 47's are still going strong- DRS is now one of the largest users of the class. On 21st June recently overhauled 47805 leads the empty stock of a Northern Belle charter through Egham on it's way to pick up racegoers from Royal Ascot.

Picture of the week- 4th September 2012- Olympic View

With the London 2012 Paralymic games currently in full swing it seemed an appropriate time to upload a couple of pictures from one of my days at the London 2012 Olympics in Stratford. As is well documented the fantastic Olympic park occupies the site of the former Stratford Depot amongst other things- it is therefore perhaps fitting that the park maintains a link with the railways- the North London Line physically passes beneath it! In a break from the sporting action I managed a couple of shots on 8th August, a beautiful Thursday afternoon at the Olympic park. Above 'Powerhaul' 70001 is seen heading it's usual 4M93 Felixtowe - Lawley St, while a Handball match later, GBRf's 66732 is seen working 4M02 Felixtowe - Hams Hall with the Olympic stadium, the Orbit and 'Aquatics centre providing the backdrop (below).

As for the Olympics away from the trains... well what a fantastic event and brilliant day out. London 2012 will take some beating!

Shanghai to London Part 8

Irkutsk- Tyumen (Ural Mountains)

The day before our departure from Irkutsk  a 3PIP and TEM18D are seen at
Irkutsk station in beautiful sunshine. There had been some overnight snowfall
(apparently unusual for the time of year) presenting a wonderful Siberian railway image.

Train No.1 the 'Rossiya' part way
through it's 7 day journey from
Vladivostock to Moscow 

We arrive at Irkutsk station with plenty of time to spare for our train to Moscow. As we wait I am pleased to see a freight train approaching- there is an avoiding line around Irkutsk so the amount of freight which can be seen from the station is limited. The train turns out to be hauled by a triple electric, it’s cargo is a long line of tank wagons. This distraction aside it is time to board our train, No.1, The ‘Rossiya’. On an adjacent platform is another slower train to Moscow which will depart in front of us.

A triple VL80 formation heads a long freight through Irkutsk

The ‘Roissya’ is one of the most prestigious trains on the Russian network (Higher quality trains have lower numbers) and as such is classed as a ‘firemany’ train. As soon as we step on board it is obvious that this train is of a slightly higher quality than those we have ridden previously. For starters the coaches are newer and feature electric operated doors between them. Inside our compartment there are individual reading lights and sockets for a music system. We even have a power socket and a television- all the channels are in Russian of course! The beds are better too- quite the most comfortable we have seen yet with a mattress which folds down on top of the seats.

We are once again travelling ‘Kupe’ in a 4 bed compartment and it is not long before we meet our cabin mates who will accompany us to Moscow. Andre, from Russia is already on board the train and Oleg, a Ukrainian joins at the next stop. We finally seem to have escaped the tourists and have gained some more local company.

EP1 140 will haul the Rossiya away from Irkutsk.
Note the many parcel vans at the front of the train.

Some stereotypes are true- and we quickly discover that the Russians drinking Vodka is one of these. It only takes one look at my friend Simon’s beer for the ‘superior’ drink to be produced. It would be rude to refuse the Vodka, which is drunk straight, so we oblige and the tone for the evening is set. While the shots are not small the Russians are quick to make sure that the Vodka is not sent down to an empty stomach- after each round some food is offered around the table, be it bread, meat, cheese or frankly anything else from our food bags.

The Vodka drinking has begun and Simon has relinquished
his Manchester United football shirt!

The drinking is interrupted by dinner, which is most welcome. Given the length of this journey (3 days and 3 nights) we have paid for meals on the train, although exactly what this entitles us to is unclear. Plastic food containers arrive at the door and we enjoy our basic rice and soup which is pleasant enough. After dinner the drinking continues, although we are joined by the Australians who shared our cabin on the previous train (this time they are staying in a private 2 bed cabin).

Several bottles of Vodka later and we are still struggling with the language barrier, but Simon has successfully managed to swap his Manchester United football shirt with Olag who has sacrificed his much larger corporate polo shirt in exchange!

Endless Birch woodland- a view I would get used to!

We are woken earlier than I would choose the following morning- though the exact time is difficult to know due to the constantly changing time zones. The trains runs to Moscow time, which was 5 hours ahead when we boarded in Irkutsk, but now nobody [who speaks English at least] seems to know what the local time is. The Russians put our reluctance to get out of bed down to the Vodka- the fact that I have not had an awful lot of sleep overnight due to being on a train seems lost on them. Either way the morning is greeted with- yes, you guessed it- more Vodka. Having done my morning shot it is time to brush my teeth!

Our Russian friends have truly come prepared. In addition to the numerous bottles of Vodka they carry the also put out a decent spread for breakfast including bread, cheese, hard boiled eggs and pickled gherkins- for those who are that way inclined.

EPIP- 044 takes charge of the train at Krasnoyask.

There is plenty going on around the station. A single
unit VL60 is seen shunting from the  stabling point.

The morning passes slowly and the landscape has become less interesting. The endless Birch woodland is occasionally broken up by small villages and a steady flow of freight trains in the opposite direction. For something to do I start to count the number of wagons on the passing trains, regularly getting into the high sixties. These are long trains and the use of double, sometimes even triple, locos certainly seems justified. Around lunchtime we come to our first major stop (though there were some overnight) at Krasnoyask. The opportunity to stretch our legs is welcome and I am also able to get some photos during our 25 minute stop. Traction on our train changed overnight and now a blue EPIP loco is in charge of the train. The station is a hive of activity with several locos pottering around as well as another plinthed steam locomotive. There is also just time to head into the station to acquire some food- this process is complicated by the fact that all the vending kiosks require the customer to ask for the product which the attendant will then deliver through a small window. Very simple when you speak Russian, very difficult when you don’t!

The sun has finally stopped following us by Marinsk
where a new  locomotive in the form of EP2K-092
takes over the train.

Back on the train lunch is delivered to our compartment- once again in plastic trays- I have also decided that it is about time to reduce my Vodka intake, so I begin to dismiss every other round- this appears to be acceptable. With lunch over the weather begins to deteriate and with nothing better to do all agree it is time for an afternoon nap. We awake before our second stop of the day at Marinsk. In the dull weather our locomotive is changed once again, this time to a large red EP2K electric.

Later on as evening begins it is time to get social again, which does, of course, produce another bottle of Vodka from the seemingly endless supply. Unlike the previous night we actually have a reason to celebrate (and to drink) today- it is Simon’s Birthday and nobody is about to allow the evening to pass without it being memorable! Our drinking friends decide it will be a good idea to make a list of the Vodka we have drunk, so this is began in the back of my notebook- as the evening wears on the list would worryingly expand! We are not served an evening meal on the train, but between our party we have a wide assortment of snacks, including a Swiss Roll which will have to make do as a Birthday cake. The snacks area important as they will be our ‘Zakuska’, the food which we shall eat between our Vodka shots. This is very important as it will hopefully keep us sitting upright and also today it will be our dinner. Olag explains the all important chain of events- ‘Vodka, Zakuska, Vodka, Zakuska...’ and so on. We are soon joined by our Australian friends- Gavin and Catherine and the party really gets going. Before we know it the laptops have come out, the music is playing and everyone joins in a colourful debate on the quality of Russian pop music. We eventually settle into some Bon Jovi- ‘It’s my life’ Oleg tells us while gesturing to the Vodka bottle.

Sunset on the Trans Siberian.

We get something of a lie-in the following morning and deserved it is too- it must have been well gone midnight when we eventually went to bed and the Vodka list reveals that the past 36 hours have seen a total of 11 bottles consumed, largely between the four of us in our compartment. It is no surprise that Simon is nursing a sore head- though I appear to have survived in a somewhat better condition. Maybe the Vodka likes me- or maybe I just drank less!?

A TEM18DM shunts at Tyumen station while Skoda built
electric CHS2 awaits departure with a parcels train.

The morning passes without much event and we managed to survive until lunch before half a glass of Vodka manifests itself next to our plastic encased meal. The train pauses at Ishin in the morning and later on at Tyumen- at which point we officially exit Siberia and enter the Urals. This set of hill is not described favourably in the guide books- apparently they are not very high, not very interesting and a general disappointment! Certainly the landscape changes very little for the time being.

Shanghai to London- Part 7

Nauschk (Russia)- Irkutsk

Half of loco 2TE10M-K-3001 will haul us forward from the Russian Border.
It is seen here arriving from Ulan Ude- while we have been away from the
station it has turned and attached to our portion of train 263.

While we have been out buying Russian snacks our train has been augmented with a further five coaches, including a dining car. The all wear the Russian railways colours of grey and red leaving our own Mongolian coach looking slightly out of place at the back of the train. Traction has changed again also- we now have one half of a 2TE10 at the helm. A nice noisy, powerful and smokey machine, if a little hard on the eyes. Once on the move our first impressions of the Siberian landscape exceed expectations. Passing the window we see mountains and frozen rivers, the scenery reaching its climax as we follow the shoreline of the fantastic Goose lake in the last of the days sunlight.

Incredible views from the rear vestibule as we pass the
semi-frozen Goose lake. Sadly the mighty lake Baikal
will fall under the hours of darkness on this trip.

Our first Russian Dining car- not my favourite of the trip!

With the view from the window over for the day attention next turns to the evening meal- despite having spent so much of the afternoon munching through the food we brought at the border. A Russian dining car is now in the consist of the train, but after a quick exploratory trip it turns out that the meal prices are almost as off-putting as the loud Russian pop music blaring from the attendants portable CD Player. Instead we decided to go back to our coach of westerners and enjoy some good old instant noodles- on this occasion enhanced by some slightly odd looking tinned sausage. Noodles are somewhat of a mainstay on these trains as there is a constant supply of boiling water available. The water boiler, or samovar is, incredibly, coal fired! It is one of the duties of the carriage attendant, or Provodnik to shovel coal into the back of the boiler to maintain the heat.

TEM18D 198 shunts various coaches onto our train at
Ulan Ude. The length of the train has increased significantly!

With dinner out of the way and our train still trundling along its single track line the next few hours fly by until we reach Ulan-Ude at around 10:30pm. This is an important stop on the route as it is the junction with the Trans-Siberian ‘proper’ from Vladivostok as well as being a sizeable town. Our coach empties out significantly here as several groups leave the train to explore the southern side of Lake Baikal, famed for being the world’s largest freshwater lake by volume. It is all change for the train once again as well with a further set of coaches being added behind ours, leaving our lone Mongolian car sandwiched in the middle of what is now quite a lengthy formation. In joining the main line we have also gained the benefits of overhead line electrification, which is installed throughout on the route from Vladivostok to Moscow, thus our locomotive is duly changed once again. This time our diesel finally gives away to electric traction in the form of an EP1 locomotive.

Freight loco VL85 240 awaits it's next move at Ulan Ude.
These locos became ubiquitous as we continued along the
electrified Trans-Siberian route.

EP1 136- our first Electric locomotive since China!

Most Trans-Siberian stations host a plinthed steam loco.
Sy205-91 stands guard at Ulan Ude.

During our station stop there is time for me to grab some night shots around the station, which at a glance appears to be both busy and large. Among the serviceable locos is a ‘plinthed’ steam engine on our platform. All too soon it is time to re-board the train (for I feel I could spend hours happily snapping away on this station). On board midnight is fast approaching and as we leave Ulan-Ude behind thoughts must turn towards bed- a thought made much easier now that I have acquired a spare set of ear plugs from one of my fellow travellers.

Next morning we wake at around 6:30am to an assortment of our alarms. Soon after the Provodnista knocks on the door to check that we area awake ready for our arrival in Irkutsk- a reassuring sign. Everybody is tired and it is some effort to drag ourselves out of our bunks. It turns out we are running a little late so there is time to have a quick wash- Oh how I long for a proper shower when we reach Irkutsk! There is also a moment to drag some food from the depths of my bag to serve as an impromptu breakfast.

Another beautiful day awaits- EP1 136 arrives at an
immaculate Irkutsk Station with our train from Mongolia.

Soviet trams in Irkutsk.

Arrival in Irkutsk is around 30 minutes late. The station is a large and impressive structure on the opposite side of the river to the main city. Like all the stations I have so far seen in Russia it appears to be impeccably maintained. For the first time on our trip we encounter trams running outside of the station. Much as I had expected they have a very familiar Soviet look, very much like the examples I have seen on previous trips to Poland- despite it being some 5000km away! Our hostel is very close to the railway station so it will not be necessary to board a tram today as the walk is less than 10 minutes.

Shanghai to London- Part 6

Ulaanbaatar (Mongolia) - Nauschk (Russia)

The preceding train departs from Ulaanbaatar

It is dark by the time we arrive at Ulaanbaatar station for train 263 to Irkutsk. There is a train in the platform upon our arrival- it is about to depart so a quick check with the platform staff is made to ensure that w are not in the process of missing our train. ‘Next train’ is the response when I flash my ticket. Sure enough not long after the first train has departed a TEM2 loco appears hauling in the stock for train 263, which runs daily to Irkutsk starting in Ulaanbaatar. Traction for this train, which is much shorter than our last is a single locomotive: M62M-018.

We take our bunks in coach number one and quickly discover that all the other westerners seem to be here also. We are sharing our 4 berth ‘Kupe’ compartment with an Australian couple who area also travelling to England over land- all be it by a different route to us after Moscow. The ‘Intrepid’ tour group whom we met on train K3 are also onboard, along with several other familiar faces. It certainly feels good to be back on the train after two nights staying with Nomads in the Mongolian countryside and having exhausted the entertainment that Ulaanbaatar has to offer.

The train departs as scheduled at 21:10. After settling into our compartment and receiving our sheets for the night we move down to join the ‘party’ in the cabin of the ‘Intrepid’ group. We have a selection of food and a hip flask of Vodka which my friend has brought along- keen to experience the real Russian train experience. The next couple of hours fly by and it is only when we feel we are keeping the rest of the coach up that we retreat to bed. We are all aware that we will have an early wake-up call in the morning by Mongolian border control.

TEM2 6541 will haul our single coach across the border

M62YM-015 keeps me entertained as it shunts around the
yard. Note the high Mongolian exhaust stack which
distinguishes these locos from their sisters in neighbouring
countries.

It is around 8am when the knock comes on the door with the obligatory customs forms. This is a pleasant surprise as it had been feared that we would be woken around 5:30am, the time when the train arrived at the border town of Sukbator. In the meantime we have discovered the reason that all the westerners bound for Russia are in coach 1- The rest of the train, along with our locomotive is nowhere to be seen. The single car is now hooked up to a TEM2 locomotive while there is some entertainment in the adjacent yard from another M62 which is shunting. There is also time for a quick toilet break to freshen up (The toilets flush to the track and are therefore shut for long periods when the train is stationary) before the Mongolian customs process begins. Our belief that this would be simpler than the border with China (after all there is no gauge change here) is quickly dispelled. The Mongolian officials spend a long time checking we are who we say we are and even carry out a quick search of our compartment which involves removing a large pile of dirty laundry from one or the passengers bags. While fairly severe these precautions may not be undue as the Mongolian lady in the far compartment seems to have a rather unusual array of possessions which keep appearing hidden in various places. Just a selection of these items include a used car tyre (wrapped), numerous bottles of whisky and what appears to be a lifetime supply of jeans. She is later seen wandering the corridor with a collection of frying pans...

Stunning scenery on the Mongolia- Russia border

 Some while later we eventually leave the border station and begin our journey through ‘no mans land’ to repeat the process on entering Russia. The landscape here is stunning once again, it would strongly resemble the African Savannah if it were not for the semi-frozen rivers running next to the railway.

My first steps on Russian soil- Nauschka station, Siberia

Security here is tough and our single coach train passes numerous lighting gantries, outposts and cameras before arriving at the Russian border at Nauschka. Officials are quick to board the train here and hand our arrival cards. There is much commotion when one of our Australian friends fills out his form incorrectly. Our assumption that he can simply acquire a replacement form seems beyond the realm of reason to the immigration officer and he is left to fill out a rather spoiled form until a more pleasant official relents and produces a clean form for him. The train is searched once again, this time also with dogs, yet the mysterious used tyre still seems to raise no eyebrows!

A monster of a locomotive, Russian 2TE10M-K-3066
is shunting around the yard at Nauschka

With customs finally complete we are free to enter Russia- however the train is not booked to leave the border for a further three hours. This allows us passengers time to sit down to lunch at the local cafe, buy some supplies for the journey ahead and generally pace up and down the platform wearing shorts. Yes- Shorts. It seems this particular April day in Siberia is warmer than had been expected, indeed my first Siberian purchase is an ice cream!

Our lonely coach has made it across and is now shunted by TE18 218

Picture of the week- 17th August 2012

Parts of northern France are still a hive of interesting railway activity. One such line is that from Paris to Boulogne where 1970's built diesel locos haul intercity trains on the non-electrified section north of Amiens.
On Sundays four different locos work on the line (there are only two booked diagrams on weekdays), and with the area so close to the south of England where I live it is entirely practical to take the car over for a day or two to sample the action.
In this picture BB67430 is seen in the evening sunlight following its departure from Rue on the 19:07 Boulogne Ville to Paris Nord. After Amiens the train will continue to Paris with electric traction.

Shanghai to London- Part 5

Erlian (China)- Ulaanbaatar (Mongolia)

Dual gauge tracks at Erlain

The Chinese DF4 locomotive leaves us
at the Mongolian border

On arrival at Erlian an officially dressed lady promptly boards the train checking and retaining both our Chinese departure cards and our passports (the latter is a bit of a surprise for those of us new to the procedure). This is just one of several procedures which will take place at the border for we are also crossing from the 1435mm standard gauge track in China to the 1520mm Russian broad gauge. Following the collection of passports we are free to leave the train, or if passengers prefer they may stay on board while it is shunted into the gauge change shed for the bogies to be exchanged.

Note the security cameras on the DF7G shunting loco!

 I elect to come off the train to photograph the proceedings. The Chinese loco has already been detached from the train, but is positioned perfectly floodlit for a picture. Meanwhile a shunting locomotive removes some coaches from the train. After a short while the entire formation is shunted off for the bogie change and the remaining passengers are ushered into the station building to await its return. This is not entirely what I was expecting. Fortunately I find some English speaking company in the waiting room, an Australian lady who is travelling to see relatives in Ulaanbaatar. After squandering our last Chinese Yuan we discuss important topics such as the Olympics (coming to London and previously held in Sydney from where my company originated) and when we might see our passports again! A long hour and a half later and the train- now on Russian broad gauge returns for re-boarding.

2M62- 0979 prepares to haul our train into Mongolia

I have to wait a little longer to discover our traction into Mongolia and when it does turn up I am not disappointed- a 2M62 locomotive- exactly what I had hoped for. Ever since beginning the planning of this trip these were the locos that I had most wanted to see- twin diesel units- powerful and very Soviet!

With the new loco attached I returned to the compartment on the train. Despite an influx of travelers at the border my friend Simon and I are still the sole occupants of our 4-berth compartment- We are even given our passports back! Finally after a stop of almost 3 hours we are on the move again, leaving China and entering Mongolia. That is of course until we reach Zamin Uud around 10 minutes later. It transpires that the border checks are not completed together and much of the process must now be undertaken again to enter Mongolia. We finally get away from the border a meager five hours after having arrived (Longer than I have ever had to wait at an Airport by far!). Our compartment has already been set up in its sleeping format and at 2am Chinese time it is finally time to attempt some sleep.

We pass one of the most interesting trains I have ever seen-
Lead by 2ZAGAL- 001 the second part of this double loco
is actually general electric Dash 7- 001. The 2ZAGAL locos
are most odd in being rebuilt M62's with new GE power units

I do not know what time the sun arose, but it was certainly bright by 9 am at which point I have given up trying to sleep and peered through the blind. We have now left the Gobi Desert behind and are crossing the vast Mongolian Steppe. While brown and dead-looking now a fellow passenger informs us that the Steppe is transformed to rich green grazing land in the summer- and he should know- he has written a book on it!

The lavish Mongolian dining car

Smokey M62's cross the vast Steppe. An overnight loco
swap leaves 2M62M-061 at the head of our train.

Having decided to get up the search then begins for breakfast. Rumors begin to spread that the new Mongolian dining car which was added the previous night at the border is the place to be- and we arrive to discover that it is indeed impressive. The coach has a wooden paneled interior with carved details and a variety of Mongolian embellishments.- it is like stepping back into the history books of rail travel. Fortunately the food is also good. A very nice omelette with jam and bread- Though nothing fancy it is a pleasant change from the Chinese breakfasts I had been enjoying recently.

With breakfast over it begins to dawn on us that Ulaanbaatar is now just 3 hours away. With the landscape becoming steeper and the train following the lands contours I decide to take some time to watch and photograph our monstrous locomotive at work- finding myself some strategic opening windows in the process.

Approaching Ulaanbaatar

Another Russian loco- TEM2- 0883 shuts at Ulaanbaatar

The K3 train will continue to Moscow
 with a smart M62MM-041

As the final approach draws nearer it is time to bid farewell to our new friends on the train. Some we would see again on other legs of the Trans-Mongolian, others we would meet in Ulaanbaatar while some were also staying on the train right through to Moscow. As the haphazard city of Ulaanbaatar begins to draw past the window we gather our things and prepare to disembark. I manage a few photographs in the station (which seems to be no trouble at all here- even when I leave the platform) including yet another traction swap on train K3. It would go forward with another 2M62 locomotive while our loco heads off to the depot, presumably to re-fuel.

Picture of the week- 24th July 2012

Another trip down memory lane for this picture of the week. I have spent some time working on one of my oldest 'favourite' images in an attempt to bring it up to standard for another website- having failed in that attempt I still like it enough to feel it deserves a place here!
In the early morning sunlight 37408 'Loch Rannoch' leads the 07:58 Knaresbrough - Leeds commuter service across Knaresbrough viaduct. At this time Arriva Trains Wales were hiring class 37's from EWS to work both this return commuter working and also a daily trip over the Settle and Carlisle Railway. The train is formed of four Mk2 coaches and two locomotives in top and tail formation- on this occasion the rear locomotive is 37411 'The Scottish Railway Preservation Society'. 37408 was scrapped on 25th January 2008 following a derailment in 2005.

Shanghai to London- Part 4

Beijing to Erlian (China)-

Our train, K3, is the weekly through train from Beijing
to Moscow via Ulaanbaatar. The destination board in
Chinese, Mongolian and Russian is seen on the side
of the Chinese coach.

A DF4 loco backs onto an adjacent train

Carriage attendants greet passengers as they join the train

It is a reasonably early start to get to Beijing station an hour before our train at 08:05. A short hop on the efficient but always busy subway system provides the transport. The main station at Beijing follows the format that is now familiar- having proceeded through the security check our train, K3 to Moscow, is located on the departure board and we make our way as indicated to waiting room 2.

A DF11 double unit diesel locomotive arrives from Harbin

We are allowed down to the platform 30 minutes in advance of departure which gives ample time for me to locate my birth, deposit my heavy bag and grab some pictures. Our train is, to my surprise, headed by an electric loco. Each of the green Chinese coaches is prepared for its passengers with the coach attendants standing attentively at the doors. Elsewhere on the station there is plenty of activity- a rather nice looking diesel loco is backing onto coaches in the adjacent platform and a high speed Shinkansen style train also arrives into the terminus. Finally a loud double-unit diesel pulls in with an arrival from Harbin before the doors close on our coaches and one of the world’s great railway journeys can really begin.

A freight train heads towards Beijing on the other side of 

the valley

The train quickly gains speed as we pass Beijing South Station where we previously arrived by high speed train a few days earlier. Almost as quickly I am asked by the carriage attendant to shut the window through which I have been looking. Once we have cleared the city limits the landscape quickly and dramatically changes. The train climbs up into the mountains and the double track splits into two single lines which plunge into tunnels and soar over viaducts staying as close to the valley sides as possible. In places the available space is so little that each of the two lines takes up position on opposite sides of the valley. The landscape here is far more dramatic than I was expecting and the first few hours of the trip fly by as I am glued to the view from my compartment window- helped by the sunshine of course!

Snaking through the mountains north of Beijing with our
electric loco

Our carriage attendant appears brandishing lunch and dinner vouchers- another surprise as I am quite sure the train was booked ‘without services’. Not being ones to grumble we consign ourselves to the fact that we may have slightly overstocked on ‘just add hot water’ noodles. I am sure that they will come in handy later on. Eleven o’clock arrives and it is time for our sitting in the dining car for lunch. My friend Simon introduces me to some of the people he has met while I have been too busy admiring the view. We sit down at a table with a Dutch couple and soon discover we are not the only ones to be surprised at the provision of complimentary food.

The Chinese dining car

The train food is a pleasant surprise- a typical dish of Chinese celery with chicken and pepper to follow. The dining car also sells some very reasonably priced drinks including beer and wine. As the train is not very busy today we are allowed to remain in the dining car a little longer than our allocated 30 minute sitting. There are many westerners on the train and we use this time to swap stories about our travels with our fellow passengers. The train has a very relaxed and friendly atmosphere.

We say goodbye to our SS3 locomotive at Da Tong

By the time we have retreated back to our cabin it is not long until our second stop of the journey at Da Tong. This is the first time we are allowed to disembark from the train, some six hours after having left Beijing. It is also at Da Tong that that our first loco swap takes place- the SS3 electric locomotive giving way to diesel power in the form of a very attractive DF4 loco (which has a very loud horn!). I take some photographs of the operation which seems to bemuse the platform staff. One man watches very closely over me as I take a picture, but having inspected it he seems to decide that it is OK. Having tried several doors which have already been locked I find my way back onto the train and await our departure.

The new order. Our DF4 diesel locomotive couples to the train
for the journey onward to the Chinese-  Mongolian border.

The next two hours are whiled away quite pleasantly. The landscape has now become less severe, our train seeming to traverse a desert plateau bordered by distant hills on either side. We join some friends we made earlier in the dining car in their compartment at the front of the train. Two American ladies and two younger travellers from Australia are berthed here as part of an ‘Intrepid’ tour group with an itinerary which turns out to be very similar to ours.  We swap stories of our trips so far, our plans and aspirations while indulging in a selection of Chinese snacks which the American lady has purchased for the trip- all of them look a tad suspicious, but all seem to taste better once they have been dunked in peanut butter! Content with our indulgences it is soon time to start thinking about more food- back in the dining car for dinner. Less of a Chinese affair than lunch, the meat and potato is still accompanied by rice. We also bring our own Chinese wine (of varying quality) to the table. With discussion and wine flowing it is with regret that we are told we must return from the dining car.

On leaving Da Tong we pass a DF7 loco on a freight train

I join my friend who has found a group of Dutch travellers, and some beer, further up the train. Like many on the train their ultimate destination after completing the Trans-Mongolian route is St Petersburg- a destination which will evade us on this trip.

Our final sunset in China viewed from the train compartment

As we watch a beautiful sunset over the desert the train continues towards our final stop in China- the border town of Erlian.