tarboat's photos with the keyword: yuzhou

As the light fades SY1687 brings a Pingdingshan bound passenger service off the Yuzhou line at the exchange yards at Fangzhuangzhan.

I visited the terminus of the Yuzhou Mining Railway twice and on both occasions it was murky and wet. The conditions at the loading point were filthy but it was worth it to see some of the last surviving QJ class locomotives at work. Amidst the filth QJ 6690 waits to depart with another load of coal to Pingdingshan some 50km away.

The Pingdingshan area of Henan can be murky and gloomy at the best of times, but this particular January day was especially bad. At just after 11am QJ 6650 is seen departing the station area at Yuzhou close to the end of the long branch from Pingdingshan operated by the Yuzhou Mining Administration. The line was run using a fleet of deflectorless QJs and the only problem for the photographer was finding a train actually moving as traffic was a little sparse and unpredictable.

Steam operations on the long line from Yuzhou to Pingdingshan are due to end very soon and the QJ class locomotives will be relegated to standby and then scrap. Here QJ 6786 waits at the loading point whilst a train is prepared.