Dahuichang Limestone Railway

These days (November 2004) I am based in Beijing with my partner Yuehong. One of the great joys of being here is having real narrow gauge steam almost on our doorstep. I say 'almost' because we live in Dashanzi near the airport expressway, not far from the railway museum, and Dahuichang is on the opposite side of the city, it takes about 2½ hours by a combination of bus and metro to get there, we can't afford to run a car or take a taxi. But when the air is clear and the sun shines, it is a delightful half day trip.

I have been sent this map by Andreas Illert and if anyone hasn't been here before then it may be useful:

The original access recommendation was to take bus 385 from outside Guchenglu metro station. These days it is better to take bus 937-3 (there are 6 different routes 937, not all bear branch numbers, take care!!!) from outside Nanlishilu metro station (south-west corner, exit D1) or from outside Beijing Xi station (between the footbridges on the north side of the main road). The fare is Y3 and because it uses the expressway in part it is almost as quick as a taxi, assuming that your taxi driver had any idea where to go... Get on/off the bus at Dahuichang between the two bus stops on the map, the bus vanishes north up a small road to its own terminus..

The line is double track, empties leave smokebox first from the north side of the transfer shed near the east end of the line and proceed along the right hand track. At the top, another set of empties will be waiting and the loco leaves the new empties for the next loco and pushes these into the tunnel for loading. Afterwards it returns tender first on the other track. Just short of the transfer shed it stops, uncouples and runs ahead of its train which runs forward under gravity. There should now be enough empties for the cycle to start again. The small skips are emptied one by one by being rotated in an open drum and the limestone drops out.

There are four locos on the line, normally two are in use each day from 14.00 (some visitors have been lucky and found them in use in the morning), when things are going well there will be a smokebox first departure every 30 minutes or so which must make it the busiest steam operated railway in the world by some way.. The crews usually take a break around 16.30/17.00. All these pictures were taken in 2004.

Inside the loco shed, 1 and 2 are spare:

The unloading drum in the transfer shed:.

Leaving the transfer shed with a fresh train load ready in the foreground.

Passing the loco shed:

Along the straight:

Over the level crossing:

Through the woods above the level crossing:

Propelling the empties in for loading: