Discussion, photos, and speculation about the Chinese QJ en route to RJ Corman on TrainOrders at:

http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/r ... ,nodelay=1

Now that's a great tag line!

That whole deal seems to have stirred up some controversy in a few places. case in point.

http://jreb.org/ns/index.php?topic=4836.0

I don't know if the one guy was just being an instigator, or really believed the ignorant, xenophobic doo doo he was spouting (and yes we do have big problems with not making stuff ourselves, but that is mostly self-inflicted).

A QJ is probably the steam equivalent of a SD40 - similar TE, weight on drivers, etc. They really aren't big for a Texas type, certainly no B&O "Big Six". I'll admit they aren't the same to look at as an American steam locomotive. However, there are U. S. connections. The design is lifted from a Soviet design that was lifted almost wholesale from a U. S. design, with modifications - the skyline casing that contains the dry pipe, for instance. The fluted smoke lifters on most of them come directly from Milwaukee Road influence, since the Soviets stole that RR's passenger car design for themselves, and used the same general design for much of their equipment. The Chinese just copied them for most of their equipment. Even their cabooses have the fluting!

Really, When I was there 20 years ago, Chinese railroading was very much like U. S. railroading in the 1950's, knuckle couplers, air brakes, similar draft gear, big, muscular looking locomotives, lower quadrant semaphore signals, etc. Aside from the British influence of left-hand running and using concrete ties just about everywhere, walking into the Chanchung engine facility in 1987 had to be close to what those here who were around then must have experienced walking into Willard, or N. Platte or San Bernadino in the early '50's, right down to the transition to diesel going on.

Everything everyone else said about the economic reasons for getting a Chinese engine are also true - recent build/major rebuild, more service life left, availability of spare parts, etc. There is a story to tell with an engine like that, one with U. S. connections, that is part of the overall thread of railroad history.

How provincial! You think they haven't heard of Henry P. and the Iowa Interstate aready buying and running 2 of these? I seem to recall an all-steam powered triple header... ;-)))

I, for one, would like to see one of the QJ's refitted to be similar in appearance to an extinct American species. I think it would do a great deal more for the steam revival community, and nourish the nostalgic quest of an ever thinning number of people who recall the age of steam.

I too would like to see an Americanized QJ. Heck, for that matter (mentally putting on Nomex suit & asbestos helmet) I'd like to see an Americanized CP G5. One of those could look like a USRA pacific that got left in the dryer too long. (or maybe a PS-3 1/2 ...................)

Hey, guys, lighten up a bit. Let's remember these Chinese locomotives make all the right noises!!

And much more attractive then the Swedish meatballs or those Belgian things........did anybody build a uglier locomotive than the Belgians?

dave

George, there's no criticism implied. Chinese steam is fine by me, but I do think this is an opportunity to take a very nice steam locomotive and make her feel a bit more like she's a resident, not a guest. I'd like to see at least one Americanized.

IMHO, the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Cabs with more corners than Dracula's castle, twin steam domes of disparate sizes, and smokebox doors that look like butterfly firebox doors! Rube Goldberg on rails.

I'll leave the issue of China to the political boards. But I fell off my chair when they started talking about all these locomotives at Steamtown with restoration plans in the filing cabinet waiting for someone, anyone to stop by with a check made out to Uncle Sam and then fix 'er up and run!

I guess they don't travel north of the Mason-Dixon line on that website.

Granted, I've only seen photos and videos of it, but it looks to me like the Susquehanna has done a reasonably decent job of Americanizing their SY, #142. Of course, the design is based on a Japanese loco that was lifted from an ALCO design, so not too much of a stretch. One big thing that helps Americanize these locos is replacing the air-activated, high-pitched Chinese screech whistle with a hand-operated U. S. one, preferably a muti-note chime one. The other thing is to change the controls to right-hand drive. I don't know if the #142 had that done or not.

I think a large decision may have been because these are new engines. Not ones sitting in a park for fifty years. And steam, in the end is steam. I'd drive to see 'em.

The Chinese SY's imported to the U.S. were built new with right-hand drive and certain other changes to conform with U.S. practice under the direction of David Conrad.