Vintage Harbin Main Line Pictures

December 1984

My first trip to China was back in late 1984 when Bryan Acford and myself joined a TEFS trip to Beijing, Harbin, Changchun, Jilin, Fushun and Shenyang over Christmas and New Year. Visiting China appeared to be more difficult in those days and using a commercial tour operator seemed to be the only viable option. Some might say that it was in the operators' interest to make it look difficult to protect their market but I couldn't possibly comment.

The trip was a very strange experience. Everything stopped for lunch. This was no quick break at the local noodle shop or hastily scoffed bread and soup, lunch meant returning to the hotel, which was usually in the city centre, well away from the steam action. Lunch occupied two of the four hours of decent photographic light every day. With such a severe restriction, we couldn't travel very far. As a result, we spent most of our time going round sheds or waiting at the ends of various yards. Photography in scenic locations? We didn't even see any scenic locations!

Another big difference was the lack of information about train times and motive power. Virtually every centre we visited used pacifics on passenger trains but nobody had bothered to work out the timetable. As a result we saw many pacific hauled trains, usually out of the bus window as we set off for lunch, but managed to photograph very few.

It seems amazing now but I came back from the trip with the impression that it wasn't worth going to China again! It was just too difficult to get the sort of pictures I wanted. In short, it was nice to see so many engines but with a limited amount of holiday and limited finances it was possible to do far better elsewhere.

Looking through the photos after 18 years, there were a few gems. I hope you enjoy them.

Duncan

Even in 1984, most JF were already relegated to secondary duties, such as this one shunting the yard south of Harbin station early one afternoon. Steam locos were everywhere as can be seen from the many plumes of steam rising in the background but photography wasn't particularly easy. The urban smog didn't clear until after 10:00 and by 14:00 the sun was already losing it's power. Taking two hours out for lunch didn't leave long for photography.

The express passenger trains all appeared to be diesel hauled. However, freight traffic was heavy and everything was still steam worked. Single QJs handled most workings but trains towards Changchun were usually piloted by a second QJ up the bank as far as Wanggang. This departure was unusual in having a JS pilot. Note the Dowty retarders in use in the hump yard on the left.

The smog in the city was very localised and we found clear bright sunshine at Wanggang, only 13 km to the south but at considerably higher altitude. These two QJs were working hard on a southbound coal train approaching Wanggang station. The pilot loco was removed there and returned to Harbin. Since the photo was taken, this area has been transformed. It is now electrified and is the location of the flying junction with the Harbin relief line.

The same JS seen leaving Harbin in a previous photo appeared again at Wanggang assisting a QJ on a mixed freight towards Changchun. This is my favorite photo of all those we took at Wanggang but I had use Photoshop to remove several members of the group who insisted on standing in the picture in their brightly coloured anoraks photographing the rivets in the buffer beam from close up. After spending a short time here we had to get back on our bus and return to Harbin for lunch. As we drove away an RM pacific stormed up the bank on a stopping passenger. How many lunches would that photo have been worth?

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