A loaded coal train is leaving Chengde.

First train of the day on the Chengde Steelworks branch line.

Slag tipping

The driver of 2-8-2 steam locomotive, JS8167, climbs to the footplate of the locomotive to commence the morning shift. Dongbolizhan, SandaoLing, Xinjiang Province, China.

In low afternoon light, with the thundering roar of the engine, JS8190 makes haste as it heads a coal train out of the western section of Sandaoling open cast coal mine destined for the wash plant... (more)

A JS locomotive laden with coal for the wash plant slowly departs the open pit at Sandaoling. An impressive sight to hear and see these locos working so hard. Sandaoling, Xinjiang Province, China.... (more)

The snow-capped Tianshan Mountains loom in the background as JS Class locomotive 8358, top and tail with 8366, heads an empty coal train to the Er Jing colliery across the spartan landscape on the... (more)

The late afternoon sun illuminates the rich tones of the coal bearing strata in the now defunct eastern part of the open pit at Sandaoling, whilst a "fotter" captures the action in the r... (more)

Steam lives on! Well, at least for the time being in some isolated pockets of China. One such location is Sandaoling, in north-western China on the fringes of the Gobi Desert, where JS 2-8-2 tende... (more)

An everyday scene at Sandaoling open cast coal mine sees JS locomotives loading up with coal in the distance next to the loader on the right (smoke plume) and the excavator on the left. Meanwhile... (more)