Rare Look At China’s Narrow Gauge Steamers!

These narrow gauge steamers are hard workers and great looking!

Winter can be harsh in the Heilongjiang province of China, making rail travel a necessity for coal transport! The Lixin to Huanan rail line located in Heilonjiang (seen here) is the worlds last known narrow gauge railway to use banked trains in revenue earning service, and is up to the task of hauling freight in the cold!

With morning temperatures of -36 degrees Celsius, (a sobering -32.8 degrees Farenheit) you don’t want to know what the night is like!

These trains are up bright and early, running their engines to make certain they are sufficiently warmed up for the trop, as they otherwise would not be able to function in a normal manner! The result of all this of course, is the opportunity to see something quite magical.

The steam bellows high here as this coal freight train makes its way through a real winter wonderland!

Have you had the ability to see any of China’s narrow gauge railways in the flesh? If so we’d love to hear about it!