Chengde Steelworks Branch Summer 1996?

This video: In the last video of this series, we lineside the Steelworks Branch with all trains banked, sometimes double banked. Normally, it was one SY on the front and one or two JS on the back. This line was one of those that shouldn't really have existed and neither should the steelworks on top of the hill that required all of its heavy raw materials to be dragged up the hill! We take a brief diversion midway through to see short passenger and freight trains hauled by QJ out to the north west of Chengde on a then new single-track line that I can't place on my Quail map.

General notes to this series: This rare summer trip to see mainline Chinese steam was not improved by hot, very humid weather after a period of extreme rainfall with extensive flooding. We started at Beipiao which had a number of coal mines and associated railways but apart from one SY, I don't remember finding anything interesting there and anyway, there were still JS and QJ working the branch from Beipiao to Beipiaonan Junction and in all directions from there. We moved on to Yebaishou where lines radiate in 3 directions to Chifeng, Chengde and Shenyang and then on to Chengde for the steelworks branch. I made the trip with Ted Talbot and a new guiding service introduced to us by Japanese enthusiasts called (I think) Liaoning Business Travel. It was run by Mr Fu and he assigned us guide George who eventually moved to Singapore. Mr Fu's friend Mrs Sun (former Jiling CITS, I believe) was also with us at times along with Mr Fu. The trip include Beipiao, Yebaishou and Chengde so there is more to come.