The narrow gauge railroad at Shibanxi, China was built to serve several coal mines.

It also serves the villages on the line with a passenger service too. There are no roads in the area.

Typical traffic was block coal trains and the passenger service.

In the past couple of years, when most of the other narrow gauge railroads closed down the Shibanxi line is trying to reinvent itself as a tourist line.

New coaches have been built and two loco's purchased from another defunct line.

A mining museum is being built at the top end of the line and as a result there has been in recent weeks a series of unusual freight workings.

A real window on the western world a 100 years ago...

See this image

http://www.chinasteam.com/trains/pics08/china08013.jpg

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