It was easy to be captivated by the magnificent machines and forget the army of people toiling away in difficult conditions to make sure the railway ran smoothly. Keeping the ice at bay in the depths of the Manchurian winter was a particularly back-breaking and unpleasant task, yet it was vital if the railway was to function efficiently.
As QJ 295 and QJ 2449 awaited the call to duty at Harbin depot on 27 December 1984, two women toiled away to keep the inspection pits free of ice. These workers and thousands more like them were the unsung heroes who kept the trains moving in temperatures of 25 or 30 below every winter.