Cold weather makes good steam as this JS Class locomotive demonstrates leaving the coal mine's "Blue Loader". The shift is almost over for this crew as they make one last trip to the washery after... (more)

From the eastern edge of the mine, on the evening of January 17, 2018, we were able to experience and photograph spectacular sparks of the heavy-duty steam locomotive with its coal train.

Photographing these "Sparkly Trains" as they are often referred to can be a challenge. They are often photographed in the dark and spark output can vary greatly drastically changing the lighting c... (more)

On the evening of January 3rd 2018, a loaded Coal Train blasts out of the loading yard past 82 Station at the bottom of the grade out of Sandaoling Open Cut Coal Mine, Nth West China.

During engine preparation after shift change at East Yard, the Driver builds a fire under the Rodding to the Cylinder Drain Cocks in an attempt to unfreeze it. At a time of the year when the tempe... (more)

At the bottom of the opencast pit mine at Sandaoling, JS 6224 storms out of the flood loader with the second coal train of the day. This 13 car train will battle four miles of 2.5% grade before re... (more)

Steam on 3 levels at the huge opencast pit at Sandaoling. 3 JS 2-8-2 locos are seen in 2005.

JS 8197 stands cold at Dongbolizhan, its boiler certificate having expired a few days previously. As shift change comes to an end a local man scavenges for lumps of coal to keep his family warm. L... (more)

Trains from the deep mines at Lijing and Erjing can run up to several times each day. JS8366 is rolling down the grade from Erjing to Nanzhan with a loaded coal train on 17th Feburary 2017, the Ti... (more)

It is still possible to find real steam at work in 2017. Just. JS 8081 powers away from the new unloading point at Jianmeixian on the Sandaoling Mining Railway in Xinjiang province in North West... (more)

Sunrise at Sandaoling! In the pink light of a rising sun, JS8225 storms past JS8190 with the first coal train of the morning.

SY1441 departs ZhuangMeiZhan with a long train of loaded coal cars. This train is bound for Pingzhuang Nan Station where the steam powered mining railway interchanges with the dieselized China Rai... (more)