QJ 6074 waited by the sand tower at Baotou Xi Depot on the morning of 6 January 1990. The first batch of 80 locos paired with 12-wheel, 50,000 litre/11,000 gallon tenders were built as early as 1968-69 and numbered from QJ 6001 to QJ 6080. Many were allocated to Hohhot Bureau depots where their additional water capacity came in handy in the semi-desert country of western Inner Mongolia. From 1981 onwards, 12-wheel tenders became standard for all new production.