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Recent Galleries

Jixi Didao - Farewell Part 1 :

Jixi Didao - Farewell Part 1

Doug Brooks

Updated: Aug 03, 2011 4:20am PST

Jixi Chengzihe - Farewell Part 1 :

Jixi Chengzihe - Farewell Part 1

Doug Brooks

Updated: Aug 03, 2011 4:03am PST

Jixi Chengzihe Farewell Part 4 :

Jixi Chengzihe Farewell Part 4

Doug Brooks

Updated: Jul 24, 2011 9:03am PST

Huanan Forestry Railway : Huanan Forestry Railway These photos were taken on the Farrail Tours trip to the Huanan Forestry Railway from 24 August 2010 to 28 August 2010. They are ordered geographically from Huanan – Xiahua – Tuoyaozi – Lixin and beyond. The railway once had a network of lines stretching over 200 Km, using 11 class C2 0-8-0 locomotives built between 1960 and 1980. However, it has not transported any logs since 2003, but it still operates a 46 Km line to the Forestry Commissions own coal mine, with the 3 remaining working locos. The coal from the mine is used to heat their massive HQ building in Harbin and other regional offices. If all 3 locomotives are available, trains of 8 empty coal wagons leave Huanan chimney first every 4 hours or so. After crossing a flat open plain for 20 Km eastward, it will cross at Xiahua a loaded train returning from the mine at Hongguang. From here the line turns south east towards Tuoyaozi (5 Km) after which it rises steeply through an increasingly wooded area, where a horseshoe curve is used to reach the summit before dropping south to Lixin (11 Km). At Lixin, the loco from Huanan then shunts its empties before turning round over a triangle and waits for the next loaded train from Hongguang. After taking water, it will bank the next full train, pushing it over the summit. It will then run light back to Tuoyaozi, then run round its wagons before taking them tender first downhill south to Hongguang for a further 10 km. Coal from the mine is loaded from road trucks, which are then taken back to Lixin chimney first. Although the mine is said to have a production life for a further 15 years, the railway is on borrowed time as the remaining C2’s are not in good working condition. There are frequent breaks and reductions in service whilst emergency repairs are carried out to the locomotives, track and mine. The mine also has difficulty in retaining its staff due to low wages. The operation cannot be very economic. One loaded train of 8 small wagons, which are mainly home made conversions of old logging wagons, does not even fill one normal sized wagon and the time and effort it takes to get the coal to Huanan cannot be as efficient of taking it direct by road to Harbin from the mine.

Huanan Forestry Railway

Doug Brooks

Huanan Forestry Railway These photos were taken on the Farrail Tour ...

Updated: Jul 21, 2011 3:02am PST

Incidents and Accidents :

Incidents and Accidents

Jeremy de Souza

Updated: Jun 16, 2011 2:13pm PST

Swanage Railway Diesel Festival : During the weekend of 6,7 & 8 May 2011, the Swanage Railway in Dorset held its legendary Diesel & Beer Festival. The organisers have an excellent reputation for bringing in popular heritage motive power, and this year was no exception, with Classes 33, 37, 73, 52, 55 and 56 out to delight the crowds.

Swanage Railway Diesel Festival

Jeremy de Souza

During the weekend of 6,7 & 8 May 2011, the Swanage Railway in Dorset ...

Updated: Jun 05, 2011 8:27am PST

Eurostar : Working for five years for the Eurostar PR team, I was lucky enough to cover many of the unusual and test workings, not just for the 'Intercapitals' fleet but for the support locos and units. Nowadays of course Eurostar no longer operates from Waterloo international, but from St Pancras.

Eurostar

Jeremy de Souza

Working for five years for the Eurostar PR team, I was lucky enough to ...

Updated: May 22, 2011 12:01pm PST

Cheshire trains :

Cheshire trains

mark5812

Updated: May 22, 2011 7:16am PST

B Class 70 :

B Class 70

mark5812

Updated: May 22, 2011 1:58am PST

Last years of the Deltics : Some photos taken during the last few years of operation of the Class 55s. Mainly on railtours, but a few scheduled workings

Last years of the Deltics

Jeremy de Souza

Some photos taken during the last few years of operation of the Class ...

Updated: Apr 23, 2011 4:28am PST

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