A special run out of the Sandaoling open Pit coal mine with what is called the "Sparkly Train". The crew runs the steam locomotive hard on the edge of wheel slip and creates an amazing show of bur... (more)

Stray dogs roam all over the railroad out in the blistering cold. At the crossing guard shack they are offered some leftovers just as one of the morning trains heads out of the yard and down to th... (more)

The last night shift crew arrives back into the yard after their twelve hour shift. The train won't sit long in the yard until the next crew heads down to the mine for coal. The locomotive on the ... (more)

A short distance from the open cast pit at Sandaoling there are a couple of more traditional deep mines almost adjacent to each other and both served by this one line from Nanzhan. A JS is bringin... (more)

Inside the Workshops at Sandaoling Coal Railway a worker stands alone. What he's thinking we'll never know.

You can join our next photo tour to Sandaoling if you want to see the last original steam locomotives! The short group tour going to be in January 2019! Contact us: monrailpic@gmail.com

JS 8190 storms past JS 8167 as the latter waits to enter the loading area for another load of coal.

JS 8190 thunders through the big curve and up the last section of steep 2.5+% grade out of the opencast pit at Sandaoling.

JS 8190 steams out of the blue flood loader at the bottom of the opencast pit coal mine at Sandaoling.

JS 8225 storms uphill past the jumbled boulders halfway that mark the halfway point from Baerzhan to Kengkouzhan.

JS 8080 switches a long train of coal cars at Nanzhan (South Station) railway yard. Despite looking like a locomotive destined for the scrapyard, JS 8080 is actually in great operational shape, wi... (more)

JS 8225 storms uphill along the double track mine railway at Sandaoling.

JS 8167 hammers uphill through the sweeping curve, nicknamed Red Cliffs.

JS 8190 thunders past JS 8167 as it leads a loaded coal train out of the opencast pit coal mine.