Although it was a popular destination in winter, few enthusiasts saw the JiTong line in summer. Arguably this was when the line was at its most attractive with green hills and a patchwork of different shades in the fields.
A heavy coal train had brought QJ 7112 and QJ 6356 down to a crawl as they climbed the last km to the summit at Shangdian on 29 August 2003.