Baiyin Mineral Railway 16 Pictures - Last Updated 17/05/08   The Baiyin Non-Ferrous Metals Company operates a number of mines and smelters in the Baiyin area of Gansu Province in northwestern China. The company produces copper, aluminium and other metals and the complex is served by a network of railways that extends out of the industrial area into the mountains to the north. The whole operation is steam worked with a small fleet of SYs providing the motive power for ore, chemical and passenger trains.

Baotou Steelworks 6 Pictures - Last Updated 17/05/08   Baotou Steelworks was one of the first industrial locations I visited in China. In the 20 years since that 1988 visit, the locomotive fleet has changed significantly with SYs and diesels replacing the ET7s, JFs, JSs, XK13s and YJs. These pictures were taken in March 2008 as steam operations drew to a close. Other pictures from previous trips will be added as time permits.

Dahuichang Limestone Railway 6 Pictures - Last Updated 18/12/06   The last place you would expect to find a steam worked narrow gauge line is Beijing, China's bustling modern capital. However, only a few km from the glass and steel towers of the city, diminutive C2 class 0-8-0s shuttled back and forth between the quarry and the limestone plant at Dahuichang. The line closed in 2005.

Dayan Mining Railway 4 Pictures - Last Updated 18/12/06   Dayan lies in the far north-east of Inner Mongolia and is the location of a number of coal mines and a power station, all linked by a railway system. The line was totally steam worked until 2006 when the first diesels arrived.

Fushun Opencast Coal Mine 6 Pictures - Last Updated 29/06/08   The opencast mine at Fushun was developed in the early years of the 20th Century and is seved by an extensive electrified rail system. These pictures were taken in December 1984 and show various classes of locomotive including a KD6 2-8-0 and three different types of electric loco.

Fuxin Mining Railway 8 Pictures - Last Updated 10/12/06   Fuxin, in Liaoning Province, has been a major coal mining centre for many years. The industry is now in steep decline and a number of the area's mines have recently closed, robbing the railway of much of its traffic. Fortunately the most severe cutbacks have affected the electric systems serving the opencast mines, leaving the steam lines operating albeit with reduced traffic.

Gongwusu Mining Railway 6 Pictures - Last Updated 15/05/08   Gongwusu is located in western Inner Mongolia, near the border with Ninxia and well off the beaten track. Hardly surprising that it wasn't discovered until 2007 and has seen few western visitors. It's not very busy and gets by with one working engine most of the time. However, there are a few pleasant locations for those who are patient enough to wait for soome action.

Hegang Mining Railway 7 Pictures - Last Updated 01/01/08   Hegang is another town that's been a major mining centre for many years and is now in decline. Like Fuxin, much of the system is electrified but a significant proportion of traffic is hauled by SY class 2-8-2s. These pictures were taken on a short visit to the depot at Hegang in 2005 and a longer stay in March 2007, just before steam gave way to diesels.

Huanan Forestry Railway 14 Pictures - Last Updated 10/12/06   Unusually for a forestry railway, this line in north-eastern Heilongjiang handles very little timber. The reason for its continued existence is coal mined near Hongguang, a remote spot in the hills without decent road access. This is a fabulous narrow gauge line running through a variety of landscapes and including a hill section where loaded trains are banked.

Jixi - Chengzihe Mining Railway 1 27 Pictures - Last Updated 10/12/06   Jixi sits on one of China's major coalfields and there are no less than five steam worked railway systems in the area. Chengzihe is almost certainly the busiest of the Jixi mine railways with plenty of steam action and some of the best industrial backdrops in China. One of the photographic highlights is the morning shift change at Dongchang when the line's SYs gather in the yard around 8 o'clock.

Jixi - Chengzihe Mining Railway 2 15 Pictures - Last Updated 01/01/08   Chengzihe is so good that the pictures won't all fit on the same page. This gallery features shots taken on the Chengzihe system from March 2007 onwards.

Jixi - Didao Mining Railway 18 Pictures - Last Updated 01/01/08   The Didao system is a compact operation located north-west of Jixi city and is centred on the washery at Didao Hebei. Much of the action is tender first but it is possible to find chimney first workings and impressive industrial backdrops.

Jixi - Donghai Mining Railway 6 Pictures - Last Updated 01/01/08   Donghai is the smallest of the JIxi systems serving a single mine, Donghaikuang, east of Jixi. It does have a long connecting line to CNR but chimney first trains are downhill.

Jixi - Hengshan Mining Railway 12 Pictures - Last Updated 01/01/08   Hengshan is the second busiest of the Jixi systems and features a steeply graded "main line" between Xinhengshan and Zhongxin as well as a long rural line to Zhangxin.

Jixi - Lishu Mining Railway 12 Pictures - Last Updated 01/01/08   Of the five steam worked systems in the Jixi area, Lishu is probably the most scenic and almost certainly the least productive. Lishu's mines are located in beautiful hilly country well away from the city so when the SYs do venture out, there are some excellent photo opportunities.

Meihekou Mining Railway 8 Pictures - Last Updated 16/12/06   Meihekou's mining railway is a small operation linking five mines with CNR at Heishantou. It's not the busiest or the most scenic line in China but it is quite photogenic with relatively uncluttered locations and nicely kept engines.

Nanpiao Mining Railway 20 Pictures - Last Updated 01/01/08   Nanpiao's mines are running down and the whole system has an air of decline about it. However, the line is steeply graded and runs through attractive country so it's possible to get good pictures, particularly if there's some snow on the ground.

Pingdingshan Mining Railway 24 Pictures - Last Updated 16/12/06   The Pingdingshan Coal Company runs one of the most extensive industrial railways in China. The system serves over a dozen mines in the Pingdingshan and Baofeng areas of Henan Province in central China and used around 20 steam locomotives of three different classes before dieselisation started.

Sandaoling Opencast Coal Mine 13 Pictures - Last Updated 16/12/06   Sandaoling is located near the city of Hami in the remote north-west of China. It's one of two opencast mine railways to be completely steam worked and operates a large fleet of JS class locomotives and a few SYs as well.

Shibanxi Narrow Gauge Railway 23 Pictures - Last Updated 20/01/07   This isolated narrow gauge operation is an absolute delight. The scenery is superb, the gradients are steep, the rolling stock is in a class of its own and the locals are friendly. All it needs is some sunshine to bring it to life. The catch is that this part of Sichuan experiences more cloudy, wet weather than Manchester. Fortunately the clouds do break occasionally.

Tiefa Mining Railway 8 Pictures - Last Updated 13/11/06   This busy operation links several large coal mines in the Tiefa area, north west of Shenyang and was 100% steam worked until 2004. Most of the passengers are still worked by SYs but freight is now diesel hauled. The line area is largely flat and infested with concrete poles, making conventional photography difficult. However, at sunrise and sunset, it came into its own.

Tongchuan Mining Railway 6 Pictures - Last Updated 26/12/06   The Tongchuan line was unique for keeping JF class 2-8-2s in service until the end of 2004, long after the rest of the class had been withdrawn. It was a very scenic line that climbed to mines high into the hills making the old locos work for their living. Unfortunately the weather around Tongchuan was notoriously bad with poor visibility being normal for most of the winter.

Weihe Forestry Railway 10 Pictures - Last Updated 12/11/06   A vast network of 2'6" gauge lines was built to exploit the forestry resources of Manchuria but in recent years most have closed as logging operations have been scaled down. The Weihe Forestry Railway was the last to use steam traction and finally closed in March 2003. These photos were taken a couple of weeks earlier when the railway was still very busy.

Yaojie Industrial Railways 8 Pictures - Last Updated 13/06/08   The mining town of Yaojie is blessed with two industrial railways, one heading south through a spectacular gorge to connect with CNR in Haishiwan and the other serving an aluminium smelter and a ferro-alloy works up the Datong River valley north of town. At the time of our November 2005 visit both lines were steam worked but the first diesel arrived on the southern line a few weeks later.

Yuanbaoshan Mining Railway 6 Pictures - Last Updated 26/12/06   The Yuanbaoshan Mining Railway serves a number of coal mines and a major power station south of Chifeng in eastern Inner Mongolia. The line's main claim to fame was its fleet of smoke-deflector fitted JS class 2-8-2s. These attractive engines were kept very clean and made excellent photographic subjects.

Zhalainuoer Opencast Coal Mine 33 Pictures - Last Updated 01/01/08   This large opencast mine in the far north east of Inner Mongolia is entirely steam worked by a large fleet of SY class 2-8-2s. Imagine Clapham Junction transplanted into the Grand Canyon and you get the idea. This is almost certainly the most spectacular steam location left in the world today.

Miscellaneous Industrial Railways 8 Pictures - Last Updated 26/12/06   A collection of pictures from various industrial railways across China including Peitun, Yanzhou, Yongcheng, Zaozhuang, Jiawang, Huludao and Pingzhuang.