Steam in China today, a story in the Economist

Trevor Heath · **Posted:** Thu Dec 05, 2013 9:29 am

http://www.economist.com/blogs/analects ... ocomotives

christensenge · **Posted:** Thu Dec 05, 2013 12:10 pm

Thanks Trevor, great link!

Best Regards,
Glenn

Finderskeepers · **Posted:** Thu Dec 05, 2013 1:10 pm

Watch the video. The acceleration with the Jordan Spreader is impressive!

J3a-614 · **Posted:** Thu Dec 05, 2013 9:27 pm

Neat story, and particularly interesting considering the source! Who knew such fuddy-duddies as "economists" were so strong on steam?

Quote:

The Railway Magazine, a British journal, reported this month that steam action on such a scale in Britain or America, if it existed, “would result in hundreds, if not thousands, of enthusiasts on every promontory, but Sandaoling is one of the remotest places on the planet.”

That shouldn't be much of a surprise considering the results we see at Strasburg, Cass, Durango, Chama, and some others, and usually with an operation on a much smaller scale than what's there.

If this isn't an argument--and economic, commercial argument--for a steam program, I don't know what is.

Any ideas on how to make it happen in Great Britain or America?

sbhunterca · **Joined:** Sun Aug 22, 2004 7:58 am **Posts:** 728

And the only locomotive showing any amount of smoke is the one accelerating away with the spreader- so much for coal being such a "dirty" fuel. Even that engine is showing a nice grey stack, no billowing clouds of black smoke.

That's a beautiful look at everyday working steam.

Steve Hunter

Bob Hall · **Joined:** Thu Jul 12, 2007 3:37 am **Posts:** 150

Any steam enthusiast should visit Sandaoling and the sooner the better. It really is something special and, as the article infers, the last place on Earth for concentrated working steam.
If any readers are interested, fellow RYPNer, John Raby, runs several trips a year to China.
Cheers, Bob

Steve Singer · **Posted:** Fri Dec 06, 2013 1:33 pm

Good article Trevor. I had 5 amazing trips to China in the good old days between 1983 & 89. If you haven't been there, this is revenue steam's last stand.