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International Working Steam Locomotives 2007

If you have any bookings/money with Globe Steam, please follow the 'Bad Eggs' link below. Rob Dickinson

If you are broad minded then why not check out "International Working Stationary Steam Engines"?

 

News Index 
    Africa 
    Americas 
    Asia 
 
    Europe 
Real Working Steam
        China (27th Apr 07)
        Cuba (30th May 07
        Indonesia (18th May 07
        Myanmar (23rd May 07
        Zimbabwe (25th Apr 07)
Railway Museums (24th May 07)
Travellers Tales (25th May 07)
Guest Steam Video Clip
        (6th June 2007)
Modern Developments
 
        (29th Apr 07)
Steam Tours 2007 
Stationary Steam Engines 
        (29th Apr 07
Book Reviews (25th May 07)
DVD Reviews (1st May 07)
Picture CD-ROMs (8th Apr 04)
Steam DVDs/Videos (1st Oct 06)
2007 Calendars
Railwayana (10th Feb 05)
Links
 
Journals 
Scheduled Steam (17th Mar 06)
10 Glorious Years (24th Aug 06) 
Illustrated Features: 
    Ambarawa Railway Museum 
    Burma Mines Railway 
    Cambodian Steam 
    Hejaz Railway 
    Eritrea Steam 
    Fegua (Guatemala)
    Huanan Coal Railway (Part 1)
    Huanan Coal Railway (Part 2)
    Java Sugar Centenarians 
    Java Stationary Steam Engines
    Nanpiao Mining Railway 
    New Zealand
    North Korea 
    Romanian Forestry Steam 
    Shanhetun Forestry Railway
    Shaoxing Iron Ore Railway
    Shibanxi Coal Railway (Part 1)
    Shibanxi Coal Railway (Part 2)
    Shibanxi Coal Railway (Part 3)
    Steam in Sabah
 
    Steamy Burma Days 
    Tipong Colliery Railway 
    Weihe Forestry Railway 2002 
    Weihe Forestry Railway 2003 
    Xingyang Brickworks Railway
    Yinghao Coal Railway
Lifestyle Statements
    Climb Every Mountain
    House in the Country
    Great Wall Guesthouse
   
Luxury Irrawaddy River Cruise
    Another Luxury Irrawaddy Cruise
    Far from the Madding Crowd
    A Day in the Life
Updates 
About these pages 

Latest Major Stories

Sweet Spot released - the ultimate Java sugar DVD  (6th June 2007)

Guest Steam Video Clip (latest upload 6th June 2007)

Copyright notice (3rd June 2007)

Real steam in Cuba 2007? (updated 30th May 2007)

(Railway) Travellers' Tales (25th May 2007)

Railway Museums Worldwide (updated 24th May 2007)

Myanmar steams on (updated 23rd May 2007)

Working Steam in India (23rd May 2007)

Prospects for Java 2007 sugar steam (updated 18th May 2007)

News from Zimbabwe (updated 25th April 2007)

Paraguayan renaissance (updated 25th April 2007)

Great Wall Guest House (updated 9th April 2007)

Bad Eggs - the smell sticks.... (Globe Steam update 5th April 2007)

Real steam in Pakistan 2006 (updated 12th March 2007)

Not quite all over at Darjeeling? (updated 12th March 2007)

International Steam Books Relaunched (28th February 2007)

Temples of Steam 2007 - Myanmar's rice mills (26th February 2007)

Paraguayan renaissance (updated 25th January 2007)

Privatisation sidelines Kenyan steam (updated 15th January 2007)

Stationary Steam in India (4th January 2007)

Indian Broad Gauge Garratt steams again (updated 9th December 2006)

Steam on 3 Gauges to celebrate DHR 125 (updated 8th November 2006) 

Advanced Steam Locomotive Development - Porta papers (31st October 2006)

I've got a lovely bunch of coconuts (1st October 2006)

Developments in the Far South of the Americas (updated 25th August 2006)

C1218 rides out at Ambarawa (24th August 2006)

Shibanxi in Transition (17th June 2006)

A new steam locomotive for the FCAF (updated 12th May 2006)

Logging Off Chinese Forestry Railway DVD reviewed (27th April 2006)

Real steam in North Korea (updated 18th March 2006)

Gula Java - the sugar mills of Java - CD-ROM (released 20th June  2004)

Please consult the main news index for minor additions.

 

Country Index

Asia
    Afghanistan (2nd Sep 05)
    Bangladesh (24th Apr 05)
    Cambodia (29th Oct 05)
    China (28th May 07)
    Cook Islands (7th Jun 03)
    Fiji (21st Oct 97)
    India (23rd May 07)
    Indonesia (18th May 07)
    Iran (29th May 07)
    Iraq (2nd Sep 05)
    Japan (16th Jan 02)
    Jordan (28th May 07)
    Kazakhstan (8th Oct 05)
    Laos (2nd Jan 04)
    Malaysia (25th May 06)
    Myanmar (11th Mar 07)
    Nepal (4th Dec 06)
    New Caledonia (29th Nov 98)
    North Korea (18th Mar 06)
    Pakistan (22nd Apr 07)
    Philippines (14th Apr 07)
    Russia (23rd May 07)
    Saudi Arabia (20th May 07)
    Sri Lanka (2nd Oct 06)
    Syria (28th May 07)
    Taiwan (23rd May 07)
    Thailand (12th Mar 07)
    Uzbekistan (8th Oct 05)
    Vietnam (21st May 05)

Africa
    Angola (24th Apr 05)
    Botswana (22nd May 03)
    Burkina Faso (29th May 07)
    Cameroon (9th Mar 06)
    Eritrea (27th Apr 05)
    Ethiopia (25th Jul 05)

    Ghana (25th May 07)
    Ivory Coast (25th Nov 01)
    Kenya (15th Jan 07)
    Liberia (27th Apr 07)
    Mali  (2nd Jan 03) 
    Mauritius (24th Jan 07)
    Mocambique (1st Nov 05)
    Morocco (11th Mar 03)
    Nigeria (12th Feb 05)
    Sierra Leone (23rd May 05)
    South Africa (30th Aug 06)
    Sudan (3rd Mar 04)
    Tanzania (15th Jan 07)
    Togo (21st May 07)
    Zimbabwe (25th Apr 07)

The Americas
    Argentina (25th Aug 06)
    Bolivia (24th Oct 04)
    Brazil (9th Dec 06)
    Chile (4th Mar 07)
    Colombia (3rd Mar 07)
    Costa Rica (7th Nov 05)
    Cuba (30th May 2007
    Ecuador (3rd Oct 03)
    El Salvador (27th Mar 02)
    Guatemala (3rd Mar 07)
    Panama (16th May 07)
    Paraguay (25th Apr 07)
    Peru (10th Apr 06)
    Surinam (21st Mar 05)
    Uruguay (13th Dec 06)

Europe
    Albania (24th May 07)
    Bosnia (6th Jun 07)
    Cyprus (9th Dec 06)
    Czech Republic (9th May 06)
    Finland (29th May 07)
    Georgia (8th Oct 05)
    Germany (27th May 06)
    Kosovo (2nd Apr 07)
    Macedonia (24
th May 07)
    Moldova (
24th May 07)
    Montenegro (24
th May 07)
    Poland (10th Jun 01)
    Romania (30
th May 07)
    Serbia (29th May 07)
    Slovakia (23rd Aug 01)
    Slovenia (16th Sep 05)
    Turkey (19th Sep 05)
    Ukraine (7th Nov 05)
    Plandampf (1st Apr 05)
    Fireless Locos (8th Nov 06)

Australasia (12th Feb 06) - An introduction and links to sites

Australia
Steam in Australia 2006 (
7th Oct 06)

New Zealand
Operational steam in New Zealand (20th Feb 2006)
Introduction to New Zealand mainline steam (14th May 2002)


 

Travelling independently for steam? Keep in touch with exchange rates using the form below, I think all the most popular non-group tour steam destinations are covered (based on the reports I get - complain if I have left an important one out, but don't ask for Myanmar as the free market rate bears no relation to the official market rate). The value will be displayed in a new window, you can easily close it and enter a new currency.

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Real Steam is in full retreat all over the world. I believe the following is the short list of countries where there is traditional revenue earning steam and, in most cases, the amount is very small, usually industrial and may be even seasonal:

Asia: China (industrial/provincial railways), India, Indonesia (seasonal industrial), Myanmar, North Korea (marginal), Pakistan, Russia

Africa: Botswana (industrial), South Africa (industrial), Tanzania (marginal),  Zimbabwe

Americas: Brazil (industrial), Guatemala (potentially), Paraguay (definitely!)

Europe: Bosnia (industrial), Czech Republic (industrial fireless), Germany (some of the Saxon narrow gauge services are pretty real, industrial fireless),  Kosovo (industrial), PolandRomania (industrial), Serbia (industrial), Slovenia (industrial fireless)


The International Steam Pages were established in late 1996 to publicise steam action in those parts of the World which are not covered elsewhere on the Internet. If you want news about preserved railways in Western Europe, North America or Japan, then this is NOT the place to look, please use your favourite search engine. But if, like me, you seek out steam in far away places, then you will feel at home here. If you are just back from a visit then I'll be happy to include your report on this page, just email webmaster@internationalsteam.co.uk. I can accept relevant pictures - JPEG or GIF, 100Kb max, or send a BMP and I will compress to size. Unless you say otherwise you'll get your name mentioned (in these days of uncontrollable spam I tend not to post email addresses) - if you want to contact a reporter, please get in touch with me. The number of visitors to the site never ceases to amaze me, this 'front page' had about 70,000 'hits' in 2005 and no doubt many regular visitors and those who use search engines bypass it. While I contribute a few major reports each year, the bulk of the news comes from a core of reporters to whom we are all very grateful. Below is a rare gathering of happy international gricers who had come separately to Bago, Myanmar in January 2006; Ray Gardiner, Heinrich Hubbert, Rob Dickinson, Chen Yuehong, Kyi Kyi Mint, Manfred Schoeler, Han Win Aung (guide).

Every July/August finds me in Java for the sugar steam. Maybe some of you too will have ventured there in 2005 or 2006 now the world is realising that the risk to travellers is minimal. This was Olean in 2005, the best action mill on the island by some way.

I spent most of that period in 2004 trying (unsuccessfully for the most part, I fear) to educate two groups of first time visitors into the ways of eastern civilisation. I have to say that my 2005 group were more open minded, Java had had wetter weather than usual and this affected cane quality/quantity. I was even more fortunate in 2006, first escorting my first stationary steam engine tour for the International Stationary Steam Engine Society and then a large group for the Locomotive Club of Great Britain. For me the highlight of the tour (and one of the few occasions I took out my still camera as I was too busy keeping the customers satisfied) was seeing C1218 in action on only its second public train and the first for overseas enthusiasts:

 

Instead of blowing my own trumpet as usual let me pay tribute to all those who have seen 2409 return to action in Kenya, particularly Graham Roberts who has now left for pastures new. Thanks everyone for the chance to see something like this, 2409 on a revenue freight at Ruiru on the Thika branch in July 2006. Amazing! More information is available.

 

Where did you go for your steam fix in 2006? 2006 saw me travelling a bit in China and visiting Myanmar, Indonesia, Thailand and India. Money is a bit tight these days so 2007 looks likely to be thin compared to recent years...

Like all 'steam travellers' I have found it harder and harder to find 'real steam'. And where I do find it, all too often it has been tarnished by what might politely be called 'insensitive behaviour' by selfish enthusiasts and tour operators who think only of their own immediate photographic results. So increasingly, I head for the less obvious destinations especially those where there is no alternative to a little bit of patience and where I can blend into the background as far as possible. And perhaps overtaking my interest in steam locomotives, I have discovered the joys of stationary steam engines, in Indonesia, India, Myanmar and Thailand. I have used the epithet Temples of Steam to describe my voyages of exploration in Myanmar (Burma). I was back again in early 2006. Click here if you want to know what was making the steam.

 

And continuing this theme, we have now been to West Bengal to record the Indian side to the stationary steam story.

Weihe 2003 changed my life.... These days I am based in Beijing with Yuehong and we have had several trips in China together mainly to the narrow gauge systems. Regrettably the crass commercialisation of many of the steam operations has caused me to stop reporting most of my own trips, but rest assured we are still out there from time to time enjoying real Chinese steam which is the best in the world. As one operator said quite bluntly "As usual, we don't wait for occasionally passing steam trains and have arranged some special trains." I am glad he now seems to have gone out of business... And now it seems there is not a single accessible working narrow gauge steam railway in China which hasn't had some selfish bastards chartering trains. Quite how such sad people derive any satisfaction from the photographic results beats me. And our Autumn 2005 trip to Huanan was marred by a flotilla of motorbike bound tour gricers following one of the trains. Fortunately when it really mattered, we had the line to ourselves. These days, more than ever you need to take time to get your shots of 'real steam' and we spent half of June 2006 staying up the line at Shibanxi - these are frames from our video:

The weather was quite kind to us:

Having now climbed all the major peaks on Java I compiled a brief guide to its largest volcanoes (24th August 2003). I even got persuaded to go up one of them (Merbabu) a second time in 2005.... Merapi (background) probably has a different shape by now.

Less obviously as strenuous but equally wearing was a luxury cruise down the Irrawaddy River.

Most of us are now 'well past our prime', maybe even into the sunset of our lives. I have been preparing for full time retirement by building a small house in the country. If you have read all the steam news, click here for our house in the country (updated 23rd April 2007). 

And now, by Spring 2007 we even have a small guest house in the village, click here for more information (updated 22nd April 2007).


I have a mailing list to inform when there is a major update to the page. If you would like to be added then just Email webmaster@internationalsteam.co.uk.


I am pleased that many major railway tour operators support these steam pages by advertising here, they pay for running these pages and my own steam trips.  If you contact them, please mention where you saw the ad.  Thanks!  And if you want to advertise your tours here, get in touch, my rates are excellent value. There are a few operators whose business I do not want to promote in any way. Want to know more? Click here.

Please do not embarrass me by asking to recommend a particular tour to say China. Instead, contact the organisers and ask them to provide email addresses of people who can comment on past trips. (This is what I do ....)

Wings and Rails 2007 Tours

Enthusiast Holidays 2007 Tours

Warwickshire Railway Society Tours 2006/7
to Europe and beyond

Locomotive Club of Great Britain 2007 Tours
(updated
28th January 2007)

East Europe Rail Tours 2007 Tours

New Zealand Tours with The Main Line Steam Trust

Mike Ma - Personally Tailored Steam Tours in China
(updated 22nd December 2005)

Liu Xuejun (Jun) - Small Group Steam Tours in China

Ashok Sharma - Special Tours of India


Similarly several steam video/DVD producers now support these steam pages by advertising here. Again, if you contact them, please mention where you saw the ad.  Thanks!  And if you want to advertise your videos here, get in touch, my rates are excellent value.

Please do not embarrass me by asking to recommend a particular video of say China or Cuba. Instead, contact the advertiser and ask them to provide email addresses of satisfied customers. A limited number of video/DVD reviews are available (latest addition 27th April 2006).

Sweet Spot
The Ultimate
 Sugar Steam DVD

Logging Off
The Ultimate Chinese
Forestry Railway DVD
Read  Keith Chester's Review

Nick Lera logo

Nick Lera
International Steam DVDs/Videos

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World of Steam Videos
John Raby
Digital Railway Videos

Images of Rail Windows Picture CD-ROMs (Click here for reviews)

Tiger Steam

Steam in the Orient

For full details and how to order, click here!

Zafra

The definitive account of sugar steam in Cuba :

For full details and how to order, click here!

Sweet Dreams

20 years of steam in Java's Sugar Mills :

For full details and how to order, click here!

Incredible Indonesia

The glory days of the 'Iron Dinosaurs' :

For full details and how to order, click here!

Safari Steam

African steam when it was real :

For full details and how to order, click here!


Another Picture CD-ROM

Gula Java

The historic sugar mills of Java :

For full details and how to order, click here!


The (traditional) journals - let me know of any other sources.

Continental Railway Journal contains news on current international steam as well as general railway operation around the world with an accent on items of historical interest. Subscription details from Bryan. Benn. You can email him bryan.benn@tesco.net.

Locomotives International - essential reading for the international steam enthusiast! Check out their home pages for more information.

FERNEXPRESS (formerly Dampf & Reise) has German language articles on railways and travel around the World. Contact Christoph Oboth Christoph.Oboth@ruhr-uni-bochum.de for details. Alternatively, check out their home page.

Lok Report (Email redaktion@lok-report.de) has German language reports and its own home page.

There are other sources of international railway information in my links section.


Rob Dickinson

Site visits since 1/6/97

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Email: webmaster@internationalsteam.co.uk