Shibanxi
November 2014
November 2014
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5 November
The first steam train heard at Sanjin was a 17:30 tourist train empty stock to Shibanxi with loco No. 17! Is this a newly refurbished loco? Will investigate for a later post.
6 November
Sanjin - Bagou
Everything has been effected by the phone call Zebedee received at 09:30 to say that Rongshan will close on (or around) 10 November. In order to get there before that date, our visit to Shibanxi has been much reduced and we leave tomorrow morning.
So far, locos in use 7, 8 and 17. We will visit the depot tomorrow and I will add to this loco list with the state of the other locos.
The train times have changed:
Times from Sanjin - Monday to Friday
Passenger train - dep. 07:00, 12:00, 16:30
Tourist train - dep 10:30, 14:00
Trains from Sanjin - Saturday and Sunday
Passenger train - dep 07:00, 16:30
Tourist train - dep 09:30, 11:00, 13:00, 15:00
Tourist trains run as long as they have at least one booking.
7 November
Bagou - Shibanxi - Guangyuan
No. 17 worked the first passenger train. No. 7 was at Sanjin with an electric loco and an overhead wire inspection carriage and they were working on the wires at the Sanjin main level crossing. The power was probably off at the time. A second electric was parked at the Shibanxi coal unloader with no sign of the third. A visit to Shibanxi works and depot completed the steam picture:
7, 17 working
8 separated from tender, in steam, jacked up, emergency repair, had been working the tourist train 6 Nov.
10 spare with 14's tender
16 jacked up, wheels out
14 dumped at back of shed left next to new(?) wagon repair area back of shed right, coaled but rods off
Frames of 9?
Scrap boiler (green) off 9? On flat wagon in yard
Another loco also 9 at Mifeng
Question: since enthusiasts started visiting around 2000, have any other numbers been used on steam locos? The 'new' locos are numbered 8, 16, 17. The old fleet was 7, 9, 10, 14 - were any of the missing numbers 1-6 (first generation tank loco fleet?) or 11, 12, 13, 15 ever seen and noted?
On 7 November, we left Shibanxi early to head for Guangyuan and Rongshan as we had been informed that the line was closing last trains there would run by 10 November.
The first steam train heard at Sanjin was a 17:30 tourist train empty stock to Shibanxi with loco No. 17! Is this a newly refurbished loco? Will investigate for a later post.
6 November
Sanjin - Bagou
Everything has been effected by the phone call Zebedee received at 09:30 to say that Rongshan will close on (or around) 10 November. In order to get there before that date, our visit to Shibanxi has been much reduced and we leave tomorrow morning.
So far, locos in use 7, 8 and 17. We will visit the depot tomorrow and I will add to this loco list with the state of the other locos.
The train times have changed:
Times from Sanjin - Monday to Friday
Passenger train - dep. 07:00, 12:00, 16:30
Tourist train - dep 10:30, 14:00
Trains from Sanjin - Saturday and Sunday
Passenger train - dep 07:00, 16:30
Tourist train - dep 09:30, 11:00, 13:00, 15:00
Tourist trains run as long as they have at least one booking.
7 November
Bagou - Shibanxi - Guangyuan
No. 17 worked the first passenger train. No. 7 was at Sanjin with an electric loco and an overhead wire inspection carriage and they were working on the wires at the Sanjin main level crossing. The power was probably off at the time. A second electric was parked at the Shibanxi coal unloader with no sign of the third. A visit to Shibanxi works and depot completed the steam picture:
7, 17 working
8 separated from tender, in steam, jacked up, emergency repair, had been working the tourist train 6 Nov.
10 spare with 14's tender
16 jacked up, wheels out
14 dumped at back of shed left next to new(?) wagon repair area back of shed right, coaled but rods off
Frames of 9?
Scrap boiler (green) off 9? On flat wagon in yard
Another loco also 9 at Mifeng
Question: since enthusiasts started visiting around 2000, have any other numbers been used on steam locos? The 'new' locos are numbered 8, 16, 17. The old fleet was 7, 9, 10, 14 - were any of the missing numbers 1-6 (first generation tank loco fleet?) or 11, 12, 13, 15 ever seen and noted?
On 7 November, we left Shibanxi early to head for Guangyuan and Rongshan as we had been informed that the line was closing last trains there would run by 10 November.