Jitong railway
Encyclopedia
Jitong railway is a 945 kilometres (587.2 mi) railway in Inner Mongolia
, China
opened in 1995. Its start point is at Jining
and ends at Tongliao
. The Jitong railway is a joint venture between China Railways
and the government of Inner Mongolia.
Since Inner Mongolia was one of the poorer provinces of China in the early 1990s, the line was built with an eye towards reducing startup costs, with the intention of upgrading at a future date as funds became available. The tracks were built to a high engineering standard, featuring heavy rail, concrete crossties, and extensive use of tunnels and viaducts to reduce grades. In contrast, lower-cost anachronistic technologies were intentionally selected for cases where it was possible to upgrade incrementally: semaphore signaling, manned crossing gates, and steam engines.
was one of the last countries to retire steam locomotives on mainline services. As dieselization and electrification progressed in the early 1990s, China Railways found itself with a large stock of surplus steam locomotives, some built as recently as the late 1980s. The government of Inner Mongolia was thus able to acquire steam engines at a low cost for use on the Jitong railway. The line's proximity to coal mines also allowed fuel to be procured locally, resulting in reduced operating costs.
The Jitong railway was the last mainline railway in the world to use steam locomotives. Many of these locomotives were the large 2-10-2 QJ
type engines and often trains had 2 locomotives on their head end. On December 8, 2005, the worlds last regular mainline steam train finished its journey, marking the end of steam era. The steam locomotives were replaced by the DF4 diesel locomotives.
Two QJ steam locomotives, 6988 and 7081, were delivered to USA for use on the Iowa Interstate Railroad
. They have run many excursions including one with ex Milwaukee Road 261
, a 4-8-4
Northern. This was the first triple headed main line steam train in many years in the USA.
Inner Mongolia
Inner Mongolia is an autonomous region of the People's Republic of China, located in the northern region of the country. Inner Mongolia shares an international border with the countries of Mongolia and the Russian Federation...
, China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
opened in 1995. Its start point is at Jining
Jining, Inner Mongolia
Jining District is an urban district that serves as the administrative seat of Ulaan Chab, a prefecture-level city in the mid-western part of Inner Mongolia, China. It has an area of approximately 114.2 km² and is in the southern foothills of the Yinshan mountains...
and ends at Tongliao
Tongliao
Tongliao is a prefecture-level city in eastern Inner Mongolia, People's Republic of China. It borders Jilin province to the east, Liaoning to the south, Chifeng to the southwest, the Xilin Gol League to the west, and the Hinggan League to the north. The city was the administrative centre of the...
. The Jitong railway is a joint venture between China Railways
China Railways
China Railways is the national railway operator of the People's Republic of China, under the Chinese Ministry of Railways.China Railways operates rail commuter and freight transport via several smaller companies....
and the government of Inner Mongolia.
Since Inner Mongolia was one of the poorer provinces of China in the early 1990s, the line was built with an eye towards reducing startup costs, with the intention of upgrading at a future date as funds became available. The tracks were built to a high engineering standard, featuring heavy rail, concrete crossties, and extensive use of tunnels and viaducts to reduce grades. In contrast, lower-cost anachronistic technologies were intentionally selected for cases where it was possible to upgrade incrementally: semaphore signaling, manned crossing gates, and steam engines.
World's last mainline steam train service
Due to low labor costs and plentiful coal, ChinaChina
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
was one of the last countries to retire steam locomotives on mainline services. As dieselization and electrification progressed in the early 1990s, China Railways found itself with a large stock of surplus steam locomotives, some built as recently as the late 1980s. The government of Inner Mongolia was thus able to acquire steam engines at a low cost for use on the Jitong railway. The line's proximity to coal mines also allowed fuel to be procured locally, resulting in reduced operating costs.
The Jitong railway was the last mainline railway in the world to use steam locomotives. Many of these locomotives were the large 2-10-2 QJ
China Railways QJ
The QJ was a type of heavy freight steam locomotive used by China Railways. The majority were made by Datong locomotive factory...
type engines and often trains had 2 locomotives on their head end. On December 8, 2005, the worlds last regular mainline steam train finished its journey, marking the end of steam era. The steam locomotives were replaced by the DF4 diesel locomotives.
Iowa Interstate Railroad
The Iowa Interstate Railroad is a Class II railroad operating in the central United States. The railroad is owned by Railroad Development Corporation of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.-History:...
. They have run many excursions including one with ex Milwaukee Road 261
Milwaukee Road 261
The Milwaukee Road 261 is a 4-8-4, steam-powered locomotive owned and maintained by a Minnesota-based nonprofit organization known as the Friends of the 261, which runs seasonal train excursions...
, a 4-8-4
4-8-4
Under the Whyte notation classification of steam locomotives, 4-8-4 represents the wheel arrangement of four leading wheels on two axles , eight powered and coupled driving wheels on four axles, and four trailing wheels on two axles .Other equivalent classifications are:UIC classification: 2D2...
Northern. This was the first triple headed main line steam train in many years in the USA.