Steam & Excursion > 2 Chinese Steam Locomotives for Iowa Interstate RR -- v

(cross-posted from the Western Railroads discussion board, of June 13, 2006)


Word has it that two, rebuilt (from originally being built during the 1980s, which makes them relatively new) QJ-class 2-10-2 steam locomotives from China are coming into the U.S. via the Port of Houston (TX), and are to head north, soon, to Iowa Interstate RR. They were recently rebuilt in China to U.S.A.'s FRA standards, after having worked the Ji-Tong Rwy, running over Jing Peng Pass.

Has anyone seen these, or know anything on their whereabouts? (Are they still on the ship, or are then on land already?) HEADS UP for their move on an unknown routing, loaded aboard "special flatcars."

TRAINS News Wire Breaking News, April 21, 2006
More Chinese steam coming to the U.S.

PITTSBURGH ­ Mainline steam in China is finished, but two Chinese locomotives will have a second life in U.S. in 2006, with three more possibly coming later. Railroad Development Corp. of Pittsburgh said Friday it has acquired a pair of Chinese class QJ 2-10-2 locomotives, including No. 7081, which had the distinction of hauling the world’s last regularly scheduled mainline steam passenger train. The other is No. 6988. RDC (www.rrdc.com ) is a privately held railway management and investment company which owns or has financial interests in rail properties in the U.S. and six other countries in Latin America, Africa, and Europe, including the Iowa Interstate Railroad linking Chicago, Des Moines, and Omaha.

According to RDC Chairman Henry Posner III, the two locomotives were overhauled in China by the Jinzhou 701 Works to meet U.S. Federal Railroad Administration standards, under the supervision of steam consultant Dennis Daugherty and under contract with U.S. company Multipower International. They were being shipped through the Chinese port of Dalian, and upon arrival in the U.S. will be shipped to the Iowa Interstate on special eight-axle flatcars. Once in Iowa, the pair will be fired up and operated once, to demonstrate that they are FRA compliant and operate properly. Posner says the locomotives will probably be tested in regular freight service on the Iowa Interstate.

Why bring Chinese steam to the U.S.? “It’s a test of the market, without any preconceived notions,” Posner said. “I didn’t see anyone else putting their hands up to buy these engines in the last year.” Ideally, there would be a market to resell the engines to regional or tourist railroads. Absent that, other methods of generating revenue would be examined, such as serious photo charters or renting them out. If there is a market for the locomotives, RDC has an option to buy three more QJs.

The QJ (a derivation of the Soviet LV class) was the last Chinese steam design to go into production and was the most numerous steam class to run in China. The first prototypes were introduced in 1956. Eventually more than 4,700 QJs were built, the majority between 1964 and 1988. The Datong Locomotive Works built No. 7081 in 1986, while No. 6988 was built in 1985. Two Chinese-built steam locomotives, both 2-8-2s built in 1988, currently operate in the U.S., hauling tourists. A class JS runs on Iowa’s Boone & Scenic Valley, and a class SY, built for Connecticut’s Valley Railroad, was sold to the New York, Susquehanna & Western, which transferred the engine to the NYS&W Historical Society, which operates it on the Bel-Del line at Phillipsburg, N.J. A third 1988 Chinese 2-8-2, also class SY, is in storage in Pennsylvania, having worked on the now-embargoed Knox & Kane tourist line to Kinzua Viaduct. - Steve Glischinski

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There was a thread here a week or two ago - try the search.

Note in the announcement above that the locomotives are owned by "Railroad Development Corporation," not "Iowa Interstate." Iowa Interstate is not planning a "steam program."

Given the vagaries of ship travel, the time to load them onto flatcars, and move them, last I heard late July was the target date for arrival in Iowa. (In other words, mid-August.) In general, I'd say that many of the details are unknown simply because they haven't been decided yet. What route the flatcars take, where the locos will be unloaded once in Iowa, etc. - if any of these have been decided, I haven't seen it reported anywere.

Once they're back on rails in Iowa, I understand there is still a little bit of work to do (with a steam engine, there always is). Someone has mentioned a mid-September date for a test run, but I don't know if that's firm. I wouldn't expect any announcements about test runs because they probably won't be public events.

In fact, I'm not aware of any "public events" planned with the locomotives. There has been talk of 261 coming to the Quad Cities in September for excursions, and then rumors said that one or both of these locos would be the power instead. But last I heard the excursions fell through.

JAC

Locomotives and tenders are on flat cars in Houston now--I've seen pictures.

johnacraft Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> TRAINS News Wire Breaking News, April 21, 2006
> More Chinese steam coming to the U.S.
>
> According to RDC Chairman Henry Posner III, the
> two locomotives were overhauled in China by the
> Jinzhou 701 Works to meet U.S. Federal Railroad
> Administration standards, under the supervision of
> steam consultant Dennis Daugherty and under
> contract with U.S. company Multipower
> International.

Dennis Daugherty is the longtime mechanical/restoration shop supervisor at the California State Railroad Museum.

CShaveRR Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Locomotives and tenders are on flat cars in
> Houston now--I've seen pictures.

Can they be posted?

I just received permission from Ed to repost them on the IAISRailfans site. Since I'm sitting on a boring conference call, what better to work on?

They're up here:
http://www.iaisrailfans.org/gallery/ChineseQJs

Nathan
http://www.drgw.net

Those are great pictures from Houston. Can someone please advise on the route these flat cars/locos will take and when....

NDHolmes Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I just received permission from Ed to repost them
> on the IAISRailfans site. Since I'm sitting on a
> boring conference call, what better to work on?
>
> They're up here:
> http://www.iaisrailfans.org/gallery/ChineseQJs
>
> Nathan
> http://www.drgw.net

Ooooh, VERY cool!

> NDHolmes Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > I just received permission from Ed to repost
> them
> > on the IAISRailfans site. Since I'm sitting on
> a
> > boring conference call, what better to work on?
> >
> > They're up here:
> > http://www.iaisrailfans.org/gallery/ChineseQJs
> >
> > Nathan
> > http://www.drgw.net

Thanks Nathan. What do they burn? Coal or oil?

They are coal burners. Still looks like they are left hand drive too, throttle and brake stands are on the fireman's side of the cab.

It'd be really interesting to know who will crew these locomotives when they're finally broken in on US rails.

Kelly Lynch

Can someone post a link on the particulars of these loco's. Also, what is the intended use for these engines in their final disposition?....they look like they are high TE, heavy, slow hawlers.

RRDC intends to try to sell them, in order to determine if there's a market for modern, reliable steam on US tourist roads.

Well, I found some data on these 2-10-2's... There were Four thousand, seven hundred, and fourteen of these things built. A proven design I think! Here is some data, hopefully I did the conversions correctly. The light axle-loading will allow them to go damned near anywhere and that 63,000 lbs of tractive effort aint half bad. They look fairly North American too.

If you want to see some killer photos of these locomotives, check railpictures.net. Search OJ

Let's take a look at these bad boys...

Diameter of Driving Wheel 59"
Length of Locomotive 53'
Cylinder Dimensions 25" x 31"
Height of Locomotive 15.5'
Boiler Pressure (kPa) 1,500
Length of Tender 42.5'
Total Length 95.75'
Weight (ton) 217.80
Coal Capacity 15 Tons

No roller bearings. Were mostly hand-fired.
QJ's axle loading is about 45,000lbs.
63,000 lbs. tractive force.

Cool -
Brian E

Not having been one of those fortunate enough to have visited China, and sometimes I feel like I'm part of the minority!, I'd like to see these engines stay Chinese in their appearance. Americanizing or changing their appearance is akin to putting GT stickers and chrome on a 4 cylinder Mustang. Though all steam is good steam - noting NYS&W and the Knox and Kane. Boone Scenic, too.

Imagine someone purchasing both to run double headers - China only cheaper!

The axle loading might be light but, that 25 foot wheelbase is going to be a real killer.

What tourist railroads are going to be interested in these locomotives? I can only think of Grand Canyon railroad.

Isn't there some comb. of lateral-motion devices/blind drivers on these lokies? If the rickety Gainesville Midland could operate successfully for years with small Decapods there would seem to be plenty of potential locations that could use these Asian refugees.

Looked and saw that these cars have yet to be assigned an outbound train but look to be billed to Rock Island, IL...wondering if they will be put on a H-HOUGAL later this week...will keep watching.

nathansixchime Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> It'd be really interesting to know who will crew
> these locomotives when they're finally broken in
> on US rails.
>
> Kelly Lynch

Well I had a cab ride in one on the JiTong over Jeng Peng pass. One of the fireman offered me to let him do his shoveling if I paid him some money. Also, the engineer offered to let me do his job if I paid him. Darn, I turned down both offers. If I had taken them up, I could have applied and told them I had experience. Oh, well.