| This delightful little narrow gauge line was located about 25km west of Zhengzhou in Henan Province. Its sole purpose was to bring clay from a loading point to the west of the town to the brickworks - a journey of some 5km or so. The line was worked by one of two C2 class 0-8-0 locomotives which took one set of 26 wagons from the loading point to the brickworks and back whilst the second set of wagons was being loaded. There were usually five or six round trips but daily operations very much depended on the weather. All line work could be suspended for several days during or following wet weather and for this reason alone making a trip to the line was always something of a gamble. The easiest way to reach the line was by taxi from Zhengzhou and simply ask the driver to take you to Xingyang railway station which was very close to the line - although it was also possible (and certainly cheaper) to reach Xingyang by bus from the western bus station. Presumably it was also possible to catch a train from Zhengzhou but I don' know of anyone who ever used this method. For those wishing to stay overnight there was a perfectly adequate hotel - the Binguan Zhuan Yong - opposite the railway station charging around 100 yuan per night. Despite comments elsewhere I found the heating and hot water to be in full working order and enjoyed my stay. The railway was less than ten minutes walk away from the hotel which was a further recommendation. My own visit was made on 25-26th December 2005. On a gloriously sunny Christmas Day I took an early morning taxi from Zhengzhou and having dumped my bags at the hotel made my way to the brickworks. On arrival it appeared totally deserted. I quickly located the railway but there appeared to be no action and the engine shed was securely locked. I was just resigning myself to a boring day in Xingyang when an elderly Chinese gentleman appeared and began a most realistic impression of a steam locomotive at work! Encouraged by my nods and smiles he pointed vigorously down the track and repeated his charade. With expressions of thanks and gratitude I set off along the tracks and within a short period of time I could hear the sound of an approaching train. The day was taking on an altogether rosier hue ............... |
| There were two or three off-loading points on the system. On this occasion C2 class No.207 has brought its train of 26 wagons to the furthest off-loading point and awaits the manual tipping of the wagons. What a fantastic Christmas present not only to find the line in operation but for the weather to be so fine. |
| A close-up of No.207 which clearly illustrates the tiny driving wheels that are a characteristic of this class of engine. I have been fortunate enough to see this class of engine at work hauling wagons containing timber at Weihe, coal at Huanan and limestone at Dahuishang as well as clay at Xingyang. |
| Once the wagons were empty the whole train reversed a short way back along the line before setting forward again and running into the main brickworks area where the locomotive took water. Much of the line was in cuttings which limited photography and so good locations such as this were difficult to find. |
| C2 class No.207 standing on the servicing point in the brickworks. All the workers I met were extremely friendly including the footplate crew who were happy for me to ride the engine back down the line and to drop me off at my chosen photographic location ready for the next working. This had the twin advantages of saving me a walk and also of the crew knowing where I would be for the 'mastershot' |
| And this was certainly the 'master location'. At this point the line crossed a large 5-arch viaduct with considerable photographic potential! On this particular day the lake was frozen and so it was not possible to obtain a good reflection shot. However Rob Dickinson's shots taken at this spot shows the real possibilities of this location |
| No.207 shunts its rake of wagons at the servicing point in Xingyang Brickworks. There were three offloading points for the clay - two to the west of the servicing point and one further to the easy |
| At the most westerly unloading point there was no run around loop. To avoid having to take the empty wagons into the main brickworks area before returning to the loading point, the forces of gravity were employed. The locomotive was uncoupled and set back on a slight gradient. It then moved forward onto the siding and the points were quickly switched to allow the wagons to roll along the main line. |
| With the engine safely out of the way, the crew watch as the wagons roll past in the background before attaching the locomotive to the rear of the train and setting off back to the loading point. |
| No.207 brings the fourth working of the day over the viaduct. In mid-winter the daylight hours were relatively short and with the shadows lengthening and photographic positions becoming more difficult I decided to try to get a ride over the line on the locomotive. The crew were totally obliging and I finished a memorable Christmas Day on the footplate ......... quite a present. |
| All good things must come to an end and so it proved on the following morning. The weather had changed and the overnight fog was being slowly replaced by gathering snow clouds. The previous day's golden ball of sunshine had been replaced by a watery disc and it was fairly clear that the day was rapidly going downhill. I managed one shot of the morning train climbing up the bank away from the viaduct (cursed myself for not having done the shot the previous day), exchanged greetings with a pair of Japanese gricers who had arrived overnight and then retraced my steps back to Zhengzhou and onwards to Huludao. I subsequently discovered that the line had closed on the following day and remained thus until after the New Year. I considered myself more than a touch fortunate! And all good things really did come to a final halt in September 2011 with news that brickworks, which was a state-owned enterprise, had been sold to a housing and land investment company. The working sites used for the brickworks and railway will be replaced by housing and flat construction. The two locos have been put into the workshop and locked away. The workers there have already been sent home and had long holidays. I consider myself fortunate to have seen the line at work when so many visited only to find it closed on a temporary basis. It will always live on in my memory and through these and other pictures in my possession. |
| XINGYANG BRICKWORKS HENAN PROVINCE |
