in the southwestern province of Sichuan. This scenic 30-inch gauge railway was built to serve local coal mines and uses the standard Chinese narrow gauge 0-8-0 tender locomotives for motive power. This line transitioned from a local railway into a tourist railway, complete with brightly painted air-conditioned coaches. Shibanxi’s transformation mirrors Denver & Rio Grande Western’s Silverton Branch in the 1950s and 1960s and has given the narrow gauge steam locomotive a future in an increasingly modern China. In addition to the railways mentioned
above, there are several factories and industrial parks that have maintained steam for switching. The steelworks at Fushun, Liaoning, the chemical factory at Xifeng, Guiyang, the small coal mine at Jiutai, Jilin, and the heavy machinery factory at Tianjin all employ one or two SY 2-8-2 locomotives for switching.
These operations are unpredictable and may not work daily, making them less interesting than the aforementioned coal mining lines. In addition, the industrial settings mean that these locations have security regulations, making them inaccessible to railfans.
See the Last Great Steam Show
More than ten years after the last mainline steam train ran in China, the country still draws railfans with its real steam action. The coal mine railways at Sandaoling, Fuxin, and Pingzhuang all offer excellent steam action and photographic opportunities for every railway photographer. These are revenue freight steam railways with American- style 2-8-2 locomotives, offering a railfan time-machine back to an era where steam ruled the rails. When a heavy coal train behind doubleheaded American- style 2-8-2s thunders past, you have to
Ben Kletzer is originally from Santa
Cruz, Calif., and spent his childhood riding and photographing the narrow gauge steam locomotives at the nearby Roaring Camp Railroads. He took his first steam photography trip to China in August 2008 at age 18. After three years living in China, Ben has recently returned home to California to begin graduate school.
struggle to remember this is the internet age, not the steam age. The sun is setting on the age of steam
and these operations will not last much longer. If seeing the last real revenue steam appeals to you, then the time is now. Book those flights and spend your vacation with steam in China!
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