Vintage Changchun Pictures
December 1984
All photographs © Copyright Duncan Cotterill 2002. All rights reserved.
In 1984, Changchun had an allocation of 10 RM and 3 SL pacifics. The depot also hosted Jilin's SLs as well as servicing a large fleet of QJs, the JFs used on trips and shunting and an increasing number of DFH3 diesels. One of the depot's own SLs, SL630 is turned while the ice breaking gang take a break from chipping. Behind them a DFH3 awaits its next duty. The roundhouse dates from the years of the Japanese occupation before WWII.
The pride of Changchun depot! RM1091 was in immaculate condition as it was prepared for it's next working. Next time I encountered it, in 1989, the decorations had gone. By March 1990, the loco was scruffy but still gave us a cracking run up the main line from Siping. RM operation from Changchun ceased shortly afterwards and the loco was relegated to stationary boiler duty. A sad end for such a magnificent machine. This is how I will remember it, gleaming in the winter sunlight.
Among Changchun's large fleet of QJs were some of the earliest members of the class, including QJ105 seen here complete with red star. These locos were already 20 years old in 1984 but many would remain in traffic until late 1990 when an influx of DF4s displaced steam from freights on the north-south main line.
Changchun was one of the first depots to adopt the oblong chimney (a Chinese version of the Giesl ejector) and a number of locos were retrofitted with the device. These machines had a different appearance to the standard locos with the front part of the cowling cut away and the chimney and feedwater heater clearly visible. This can be seen on QJ1039 wheeling a southbound freight from Taolaizhao past East Junction.