| BEITAI STEELWORKS Beitai Steelworks are located alongside the CNR line from Liaoyang to Benxi and the existence of steam locomotives at this industrial site was first noted by Louis Cerny as recently as 1992. The site consists of two separate plants. To the east is the blast furnace area and about five kilometres further west is the steel making plant. A fleet of seventeen SY class locomotives.are employed in and around the two plants, shunting raw materials into the blast furnace area, taking trains of molten iron to the steelworks and bringing back trains of raw materials. Exchange sidings with the CNR exist at both sites. Beitai can be reached by rail but the service is infrequent and the best means of reaching the plant is by taxi from Benxi. It is possible to view locomotives at work from publically accessible locations near to the blast furnaces although most shots are limited to light engine movements to and from the engine depot or tender first working as trains of raw materials are brought to the site. At the end of December 2002 a few western photographers were able to gain access to the iron making plant and discovered that the dumping of red-hot slag took place as well as enjoying a continuous procession of trains exiting from the blast furnaces. However as Rob Dickinson discovered even so called 'official' visits with a guide were not without difficulty and subsequently the management of the plant have decreed that it is not open to visitors. These pictures, and those on Rob's site therefore serve to exist as a record of what are now 'forbidden fruits' until such times as the management has a change of heart. Update - the current position at Beitai is that a number of SY's remain in operation. Access to the site was granted to participants in a 2009 trip organised by a well-known railway magazine. |
| Photographs of the slag dumping line at Beitai. Trains of molten slag emerge from the works and the slag is then tipped into a large depression alongside the line. Once the slag has cooled and solidified it is moved by bulldozers to a stone crushing plant which renders it into small pieces which can be used by the construction industry. The first day of my visit was January 1st 2003 and while the steelworks was working normally many of the ancillary workers were enjoying a public holiday. Hence an absence of bulldozers, dust, noise and steam from the water used to cool the slag. All of these photographs were taken with a standard 50mm lens which meant being in close proximity to the 'lava' pouring from the cauldron wagons. No-one seemed concerned by my presence and several workers came and stood next to me to watch me taking my photographs. Perhaps the local Health and Safety officer was also taking a day off!! |
| During my January 2003 visit the ordinary workers were delighted to have me on site and gave me unlimited access to the various parts of the site. On both days it was possible to ride on the locomotives and to watch the the shunting operations taking place. These used a combination of radio and a 'traffic light' system within the cab of the locomotive. The overal movements are controlled from three large cabins with illuminated panel boards and computer controlled points operation. Routes can be set and then the crews given instructions to proceed. Lunch was generously provided by the crew of one of the engines - my abiding memory is of eating steamed dumplings and a vegetable 'stew' whilst tons of molten metal cascaded down into a cauldron wagon of our train some 30 feet from where we were sitting. Only later did I discover the tasty meat in the dumplings was donkey!! |
| With the mist clearing, the outline of the hills which surround the site became clearly visible. What at first sight appeared to be a double headed train eventually manifested itself into two trains of loaded cauldron wagons running side by side out of the blast furnace area and towards the steel making plant, hauled by SY1087 and SY0864 The fresh snow added a wonderful dimension to the scene - by the following day it had already turned a light shade of grey as the steady rain of pollution fell onto its surface. The two ladies who operated the level crossing at this location were fascinated by the unexpected appearance of a foreigner on the site and between fits of giggles served up an endless supply of hot tea and a running commentary on the various train movements! |
| SY No.0864 waits on the slag dumping road at Beitai as wagons full of molten rock are off-loaded. |
| The heat coming from the molten slag was enough to keep this photographer very wary indeed!! It should be pointed out that all of these shots were taken with a Nikon 50mm lens and not with the aid of a telephoto lens! |
| SY0825 stands at the head of a slag dumping train at Beitai iron works on 1st January 2003. Conditions on both days of my visit were very misty and in Benxi it was totally impossible to take shots at the steelworks due to freezing fog. |
| SY2019 at the head of a train of cauldron wagons passes one of the three control towers that run the site and where my guide carefully stationed herself to avoid the cold. However this did give me a free run at Beitai to go wherever I wanted. |
| Decorated SY 1131 running light engine from the blast furnaces towards the main yard area on 1 January 2003. The fresh snow looks very attractive but rapidly turned black due to the high level of pollution around the site. |
| SY0114 shunting a long train of pig iron billets prior to transfer to the steel works some 5km away |
| SY0322 with decorated front end stands in the pig iron loading bay in the early afternoon of January 2nd 2003 |
| Tea providers and endless information!! (above) SY0825 brings yet another train of molten iron from the blast furnaces past SY0114 shunting on the pig iron billet road (left) |
| Throughout both days of my visit to Beitai there was an almost endless succession of trains coming from the blast furnace area and shunting in the main yard. Most trains headed for the steel works with a few taking molten slag to the tipping area. The two days were unforgetable and this rates as one of the best industrial sites it has been my good fortune to visit. Weather conditions were reasonably good although heavy pollution meant that the strength of the sun rapidly diminished in the early afternoon making photography more or less impossible after about 2.30pm. Hopefully at some time in the future it may once again be possible to gain access to this site (however see above!). Given the richness of what once lay within I cannot really recommend anyone to visit Beitai merely to take photographs of (mainly) tender first workings in the exchange yards. |
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