2-8-2 steamlocomotive JS # 8225 is pulling a 700 ton coal train out of the open cast pit of Sandaoling.

Full steam on the about 1.0 % grade with a 700 ton coal train out of the open cast mine of Sandaoling. Pulling is 2-8-2 JS # 8167, in the background is JS 8173 visible, waiting to go to the loadin... (more)

2-8-2 JS # 6224 during the shift change at Dongbolizhan.

Sunrise at Dongbolizhan during shift change in the morning at 8.50 AM, with four 2-8-2 JS steamlocomotives in the yard.

Steam loc engineer scenery

View over the open cast coal mine of Sandaoling, with the about 20 miles away Tian Shan mountain range. The smoke of a briquette factory clouds the blue sky. A loaded steamtrain with JS # 8173 is ... (more)

Sunset view to a steamtrain in the Sandaoling coal mine.

Although the 2-8-2 JS # 8173 accelerates the heavy coal train out of Station 82 with open throttle, the safety valve blows off. To the left, the JS # 8225 waits to push its train back to the blue ... (more)

The 2-8-2 steamlocomotive JS (Jian She) # 8167 is leaving the coal laoding area in the pit, with a huge excavator on the right.

JS # 8167 shunting in Dongbolizhan shortly before sunrise.

2-8-2 JS # 8167 is tackling the 1.0 % grade of the Sandaoling open cast mine railroad with a 700 ton train with coal.

This JS # 8358 is based in Nanzhan and has a much better appearance than the locomotives in the coal mine of Sandaoling. The locomotives of Nanzhan are used for the few trains to the Erjing coal m... (more)

Only minutes before sunset, a 2-8-2 "JS" steamlocomotive is pulling a coal train through the open cast mine of Sandaoling.

2-8-2 steamlocomotive JS # 8173 is leaving the loading area (blue loader in the far distance) with a 13 hoppers train of about 700 ton out from the pit to the washery.

JS # 6224 belongs to the second built series of the "Jian She" ("construction") locomotives (# 6201 to 6558, built from 1981 to 1986 at Datong). They have a 53.94 in (1,37 mete... (more)