Chengde

SY 2-8-2 No 1493 outbound from Chengde, north of Beijing, on 8 April 2000. A steady procession of heavy coal trains left the China Rail sidings at Chengde for a steel works up this branchline. Being China, every inch of space is used and  where the line ran through suburbia, the back door was roughly at the sleeper end. The average train weighed 2000 tons and the gradient out of town was severe enough to warrant a train engine and two bankers for about six miles. The returning bankers were lethal as they dropped off the train and drifted silently back down to the sidings. See image 32581

Location: Chengde

Original line: China Railways

Photographer: Peter Todd

Contact photographer: Peter Todd

Contact editor

Date: 08/04/2000

Image number: 32569


Other photographs of Chengde on RailScot