China Report February - March 2015
Pingzhuang/Yuanbaoshan
11 March
Fuxin
12 - 14 March
Shibanxi
15 - 22 March
Baiyin
28 February - 2 March
Sandaoling
4 - 8 March
These boxes are hot links. Click on them to go to the reports.
For loco lists, maps and other trip reports for Chinese steam lines, click on this box to go to the website SY-Country.
Since I prepared the photo montage above, Pingzhuang and Yuanbaoshan have had regular working steam but there has been no revival at Rongshan so far. We plan a quick visit to Pingzhuang and Yuanbaoshan during the main tour but I expect that the post tour will spend all the time at Shibanxi. However, if there is a post-Chinese New Year revival at Rongshan, we will be in a position to go and see what is happening.
John Raby
1 February 2015
Click to go to my Flickr site
Conclusion
Introduction
This page
Click if you are interested in a November 2015 or a March 2016 Tour. I plan to offer both tours
China Spring Tour
27 February - 23 March

16 nights, 17 days Standard Gauge Main Tour plus
8 nights, 9 days Sichuan Narrow Gauge Extension

Main tour 27 February – 15 March: Visit the three best remaining standard gauge steam lines in China - Baiyin, Sandaoling and Fuxin (and if still using steam, a visit Pingzhuang on our way to Fuxin)

27 February
Tour starts Beijing airport, transfer to Beijing West station - overnight to Lanzhou arrive 28 Feb
Train confirmed: Z 75 Beijing Xi 16:03 - Lanzhou 10: 44
28 Feb - 3 March
2 full days plus 1 half day at Baiyin for the twice daily SY steam passenger train, overnight train to Hami arrive early morning (overnight train gives us more useful time at steam locations compared to a daytime ride on the new high speed train)
3 March
New High Speed train from Lanzhou to Hami, meet our local guide Mrs Guli, transfer to Sandaoling
Train confirmed: G2703 Lanzhou Xi 10:49 - Hami 19:18
4 – 8 March
5 full days at Sandaoling for steam coal trains (JS) from the open cast and deep mines, late evening train to Beijing
Train confirmed: T178 Hami 23:08 - Beijing 09:36.
9 March
On train to Beijing
10 March
Arrive Beijing and transfer by private bus to Pingzhuang
11 March
Pingzhuang (SY) and Yuanbaoshan (JS) prior to late afternoon drive to Fuxin
12 - 14 March
Fuxin SY - 2.5 days 
14 March
Private bus to Jinzhou Nan late morning, semi-high speed train to Beijing, taxi transfer to airport hotel.
15 March
Fly home (or fly Chengdu for the extension to Shibanxi)

Optional Extension: Visit the only remaining narrow gauge steam line in China - Shibanxi

15 March
Fly Beijing - Chengdu and transfer to Sanjin
16-22 March
7 days at Shibanxi (narrow gauge C2) during the spring flower season - late afternoon transfer on 22 March to Chengdu airport hotel
23 March
Fly home from Chengdu (BA and KLM fly on Mondays)
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Tour Photos:
Now that I am back home, I have uploaded albums for each steam location visited to my Flickr photo account. Click on the Flickr Photos box on each of the location pages to see the relevant album.
Report Started - Baiyin 28 February