US built steam locomotives in China

Jim Livesey · **Joined:** Sun Aug 22, 2004 5:50 pm **Posts:** 96

Some interest has been expressed in these pages in the KD6 (USATC) and KD7 (UNRRA) locos which worked in China.

Can I recommend the site:

www.railography.co.uk/tractive-efforts/index.htm

which contains photos, construction details and some sightings of these and over 5000 other Chinese locomotives.

Regards,

Jim Livesey

Tim Botti · **Posted:** Wed Jan 26, 2005 2:38 pm

Fascinating!

Has anyone come across any pictures of locomotive construction from Datong or Tangshen?

Thanks for the link Jim!

survivingworldsteam · **Posted:** Wed Jan 26, 2005 3:45 pm

Tim Botti wrote:

Fascinating!Has anyone come across any pictures of locomotive construction from Datong or Tangshen?

I haven't seen any pictures on the web in some time; but British photographer Colin Garrett took many pictures of QJ and JF locomotives being built at Datong; and I also think he took pictures at Tangshen as well. (Michael Powell's China Railways website had some, as well as pictures at a factory that built and overhauled narrow guage steam locomotives; but his website has been gone for years.)

Just about any of Colin's books has pictures from the factories in China; "World of Steam Railways" had the most of any of them. It is a great book in general; and was one of the motivations behind my "Surviving World Steam Project".

-James Hefner
Hebrews 10:20a

Surviving World Steam Project

Jim Livesey · **Joined:** Sun Aug 22, 2004 5:50 pm **Posts:** 96

I visited both Tangshan and Datong works in 1988 and took phots at both locations. Tangshan was a small shop building and it was difficult to take phots inside. Datong had a much larger erecting shop, I was able to photograph some JS class locos being built there.

In January 1996 I visited Changchun works. At that time QJ and JS class locos were being overhauled there (including some for the start up of the JiTong Railway). The mess of loose parts, scrap and machinery on the erecting shop floor had to be seen to be believed.

Datong ceased steam construction in 1988, DF4s were already being built there. Tangshan continued limited construction of SYs until the mid 1990s. Changchun was still reported to be doing overhauls last year.

Regards,

Jim L.

bobyar2001 · **Posted:** Fri Jan 28, 2005 9:49 am

That Colin Garratt book is excellent and cheap also. I bought mine at Mystic Seaport for less than $15 on a sale table. I note on the website (also excellent) that there were only two KD6s left in China and one was returned to England and restored as a USATC locomotive. If anyone is able to write that story up, I think we'd all like to read about it.

http://www.railography.co.uk/tractive-e ... es/kd6.htm

survivingworldsteam · **Posted:** Fri Jan 28, 2005 10:55 am

Here is a picture of KD6 487 making it's first test run after being rebuilt at Tiefa:

http://www.brocross.com/china/jan%202005/tiefa.htm

One of my big contributors to the project saw it sitting in the dump just last October! It is truely amazing how quickly they restored it. Another good sidebar story to be told one day.

I have a picture I found on the web of KD6 463 being unloaded on it's return to England. I believe it was also from Michael Powell's old China Railways website. It is now at the Llangollen Railway.

-James Hefner
Hebrews 10:20a

Surviving World Steam Project