Just a little something I thought you guys might enjoy seeing, from our daily newswire, just posted. Enjoy! Jim


TRAINS News Wire Breaking News, April 21, 2006

More Chinese steam coming to the U.S.

PITTSBURGH — Mainline steam in China is finished, but two Chinese locomotives will have a second life in U.S. in 2006, with three more possibly coming later. Railroad Development Corp. of Pittsburgh said Friday it has acquired a pair of Chinese class QJ 2-10-2 locomotives, including No. 7081, which had the distinction of hauling the world’s last regularly scheduled mainline steam passenger train. The other is No. 6988. RDC (www.rrdc.com) is a privately held railway management and investment company which owns or has financial interests in rail properties in the U.S. and six other countries in Latin America, Africa, and Europe, including the Iowa Interstate Railroad linking Chicago, Des Moines, and Omaha.

According to RDC Chairman Henry Posner III, the two locomotives were overhauled in China by the Jinzhou 701 Works to meet U.S. Federal Railroad Administration standards, under the supervision of steam consultant Dennis Daugherty and under contract with U.S. company Multipower International. They were being shipped through the Chinese port of Dalian, and upon arrival in the U.S. will be shipped to the Iowa Interstate on special eight-axle flatcars. Once in Iowa, the pair will be fired up and operated once, to demonstrate that they are FRA compliant and operate properly. Posner says the locomotives will probably be tested in regular freight service on the Iowa Interstate.

Why bring Chinese steam to the U.S.? “It’s a test of the market, without any preconceived notions,” Posner said. “I didn’t see anyone else putting their hands up to buy these engines in the last year.” Ideally, there would be a market to resell the engines to regional or tourist railroads. Absent that, other methods of generating revenue would be examined, such as serious photo charters or renting them out. If there is a market for the locomotives, RDC has an option to buy three more QJs.

The QJ (a derivation of the Soviet LV class) was the last Chinese steam design to go into production and was the most numerous steam class to run in China. The first prototypes were introduced in 1956. Eventually more than 4,700 QJs were built, the majority between 1964 and 1988. The Datong Locomotive Works built No. 7081 in 1986, while No. 6988 was built in 1985. Two Chinese-built steam locomotives, both 2-8-2s built in 1988, currently operate in the U.S., hauling tourists. A class JS runs on Iowa’s Boone & Scenic Valley, and a class SY, built for Connecticut’s Valley Railroad, was sold to the New York, Susquehanna & Western, which transferred the engine to the NYS&W Historical Society, which operates it on the Bel-Del line at Phillipsburg, N.J. A third 1988 Chinese 2-8-2, also class SY, is in storage in Pennsylvania, having worked on the now-embargoed Knox & Kane tourist line to Kinzua Viaduct. - Steve Glischinski

I seriously had to double check this article, as I thought it was a product of the beginning of this month!

It's good to see operable steam not going to waste.

It will be interesting to see how all this ends up. I would think an engine this size would be too big for most tourist rairoads.

One thing is certain-whenever these test runs take place, the Iowa Interstate will be one poular place for railfans!

That's what I thought it bares a startiling similarity to the article I had halfway writen for the first, except for the pusher service part, and the other 27, the 100 man back shop...etc. etc. etc.

Sometimes the crazy stuff you hear isn't so crazy after all!

Should be interesting...

Stay tuned!

Joshua

Not a very good photo, but apparently a QJ being scrapped:

http://community.webshots.com/photo/295 ... 0830MmHEzK

Dear Bob:
There will be plenty of opportunities to see more/better photos. There are at this time 60 QJs at Daban for scrapping. The JiTong Railway is doing the work themselves and plan to be at it for the better part of a year. Many of these are fairly low mileage locos after shoppings...
J.David

Years from now they'll be buying one of these back from us for preservation as they will have scrapped or exported all of theirs. "Alco PA syndrome," Chinese style.

The Chinese explosion of industrial development has created a powerful appetite for scrap metal, an appetite that will, unfortunately, threaten locomotives all over the world.

RTK

Just curious. Does anyone know how much the Chinese charged to overhaul these locomotives to current FRA standards? Will be interesting to see how much a Chinese overhaul costs as compared to similar work here in the states.

Frederick G. Bailey

Actually the engines are pretty light comparatively speaking. They look big, but the axel loading and minimum curve radius is much less than you would expect. I would suspect most tourist railroads could operate a QJ, should they desire to. That being said, purchasers would be limited just by the length of track--and trains--you would need to justify buying one of these things.





I would hope so. If things go according to plan, this is very big news indeed. I just hope the US railfan population that has been crying out for steam doesn't write the whole thing off because it is "foreign". Hopefully, people will go out and support the Iowa Interstate if any public events are offered.

As you said, it will be very interesting to see how this all plays out.
Kevin

This could be a real issue... thinking about this today I couldn't help but to wonder why? Why not lease 614 and 765 and dress 765 up as 2765 if they want to offer some neat double header action (insert your favorite two locos)? Hard to image it would be cheaper guessing the shipping costs can't be peanuts. Why should big Chinese steam be any more attractive then big US steam? If there is a market for big steam, why not US?

Nonetheless, if the chance arrises, I'll be there. Anyone know if the QJ's are roller bearing? The pix on the cover of RYPN suggests some of the decorations have been removed.

Bob

What would be pleasently surprising would be if a major coal hauler, like CSX or NS, decided to acquire a few to work in isolated circumstances, burning what they hauled. Nice dream.

Cost permitting, one obvious tourist road for one of these engines might be West Virginia Central. Mountain grades to give it a good workout and coal nearby, possibly on line. Imagine one hauling a train and tackling the curve at Spruce.

I am simply amazed that it was announced already. A year or so ago the plan was to say nothing in advance and have them simply show up on the docks of california shrouded in mystery. Thought it was a pretty neat plan personally.