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.

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)

After new fuel was loaded, the JS # 8167 is shunting with her empty train to the other track to the blue loader.

Although there is a coal bunker with loading facility at Dongbolizhan railway station, the steamlocomotives of the Sandaoling open cast mine railroad are usually supplied with coal at the bottom o... (more)