Late on the afternoon of 5 September 2005 QJ 6878, the oldest of the surviving JiTong QJs, took a well earned rest at Daban depot before working an evening freight east to Chabuga. This was the moment when it became obvious that the end really was near. All around, work to convert the depot to handle diesels was in full swing. As a lineside observer it had been easy to be lulled into a false sense of security by the daily procession of steam hauled trains. After visiting the depot, it was clear that steam's days were numbered and total dieselisation wasn't far away.