I was wondering if anyone knows I stumbled on this video on youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D2V1KhAl ... re=related it was taken in 2009 in Pakistan documenting the gun markets over there but if you watch around 1:00. I know that China always was known in the railfan community as the last stronghold of steam but after seeing the locomotive running in this video I am wondering if there may be decent population of steam in active service in Pakistan too?

Sure the locomotive in the film is hauling passenger cars, so it could be a tourist rail but it is kind of hard to imagine a town that specializes in selling guns to local terrorists would be a huge tourist destination so could it be that there is still a place where the steam era is alive and well on this planet unknown to the majority of the steam community? Does anyone know?

A friend once spoke to a local from Pakistan about this steam. He said, "yes, steam engines still run there but they will kill you, don't go there".

Point of order: The YouTube video was uploaded in 2009, but the original video itself was filmed in late 2003 or early 2004:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Himalaya_w ... hael_Palin

As for what still exists, debatable--my UK friends, who somewhat fearlessly explored Cuba, Turkey, Roumania, Ecuador, Paraguay, etc. looking for steam back in "the day," categorically refused to go back into the Khyber Pass, with good reason.

Well a little more googling turned up this video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SXlF9HiUmJs

They don't go into much detail but it looks like half way through they broke an axle on one of the locomotives, as they say "the wheel fell off their journey quite literally" and show what seems to be the wheel leaning outwards.

It looks like today it is run as more of a tourist rail road but tell me does anyone else know of a tourist railroad where the train may stop to pick up the local militia and you can ride along with the taliban?

For future reference, one of the best sources for information on international steam operations is Rob Dickinson's "International Steam Locomotives" (formerly "International Working Steam Locomotives" page:

http://www.internationalsteam.co.uk/internat.htm

Here's his section on Pakistan:

http://www.internationalsteam.co.uk/asiawest.htm#Pakistan

I can't see that it would be anything other than a broken axle...... I wonder if shop services had branched out beyond the states with their axle journal pad welding service????? Joking, obviously but I do wonder if the cause is not the same in this instance.

Jason