This long tour is divided into two parts.  Participants may choose either section, or both as one complete tour.  Days 1-12 are mainly narrow gauge steam.  Days 12-23/24 are a mix of industrial standard gauge steam, metre gauge Kunming Railway section and interesting narrow gauge railway on a peninsula.  Enjoy the great landscapes, autumn colours and working lines, but with enough chill in the air to show off the steam exhausts of these hard-working narrow gauge and standard gauge locos.

The tour leader is the well-known and experienced, Mike Ma.

Day 1: Sept 12th- Morning arrivals in Beijing.  If time permits, we will visit Beijing Railway Museum.  15:50 - Train K339 from Beijing to Jiamusi - overnight soft sleeper.

Day 2: Arrival in Jiamusi (14:00), then charter bus, about 90 mins ride, to Huanan.  Visit the depot or line-siding waiting for the steam locos back to the shunting yard.  Overnight Huanan hotel.

Day 3:  We take a charter railcar to Lixin Station, which is close to the summit where the coal mine railway uses steam Bankers.   We travel along this narrow gauge line in the railcar, stopping to photograph passing steam trains, which should have the benefit of autumn colours in the forestry background.   Overnight at Lixin or Touyaozi - Lixin if possible, as this is a small station in the hills with not many houses around it.

Day 4:  A day linesiding the narrow gauge steam around the larger village of Tuoyaozi, which lies at the foot of the hills.

Day 5: A morning linesiding and following the steam trains back to Huanan, where we have a charter bus to take us to Jixi Railway to photograph the standard gauge steam on this mining industrial system, which has SY-type locos in operation.  Overnight in Jixi.

Day 6:  Another half day of photography of steam in Jixi, then a charter bus to Mudanjiang for flight CZ6720 for Beijing, where we transfer to train  K269 from Beijing to Luoyang on Overnight softsleepers.

Day 7:  Arrival in Luoyang (08:22), then charter bus to Yinghao.  Linesiding photography along this coal mine railway and visit to steam repair workshops. Overnight in Yinghao or Mianchi.

Day 8:Another day in Yinghao for more linesiding photography.Overnight as above.

Day 9:  Charter bus to Xingyang.  Photography and linesiding at Xinyang Brickworks.

Day 10:  Another day linesiding at Xingyang.  Overnight in Zhengzhou.

Day 11:  We  take train T58 from Zhengzhou to Beijing (arrive 14:12).  Beijing city tour.  Overnight in Beijing.

Day 12:  Anyone leaving the tour at this point will depart for airport,along with those  participating in second half of tour - flight from Beijing to Yingchuan.We hope to get 10.30 flight  as this will enable us to get in a extra half day at Dagu/Baiyin. Overnight in hotel.

Day 13:  Charter bus again to the Dagu Mining Railway. Linesiding and photography along this desert railway. QJ Class steam locos. If this line has been dieselised by the time we go, we will instead visit the Baiyin Industrial Railway which also offers a local passenger service of sorts.  After dinner in the evening we take train N901 Yingchuan to Haishiwan. Overnight softsleeper.

Day 14:  Arrival Haishiwan (08:26).  Charter bus to Yaojie Mining Railway which is in part a mountain railway through a deep gorge.  Linesiding and photography on this exciting, newly discovered (2004) line.  SY Class locos. Overnight at Liujiaxia.

Day 15:  Liujiaxia local railway visit. We photograph the shuttle steam loco (JS Class) as it picks its way right through the local market and along the gorge.  Late afternoon bus back to Lanzhou, where we take night train K120 to Xian.

Day 16:  Xian arrival (06:14), where we visit the once buried terracotta warriors site(admittance fee payable) before taking train K5 to Chengdu.  Overnight softsleepers.

Day 17:   Chengdu arrival (06:01).  Charter bus to Shibanxi ng railway, set on a peninsula.  Steam train ride and exploration trip along this lovely ng line.  Overnight in Shibanxi or Qianwei.

Day 18:  Another day experiencing the country life along this passenger and freight steam railway.  Overnight in Shibanxi or Qianwei.

Day 19:   After a few early morning shots of the line we take a charter bus to Chengdu, where we transfer to train K145 to Panzihua.  Overnight soft sleeper. 

Day 20:  Panzihua arrival(05.48).Breakfast.ToPanzihua Steelworks where SY steams are on molten metal and slag trains.This is a large complex set in a valley with good photo opportunities so we remain on site here most of the day.This works is usually very difficult to get a permit for,so we are lucky to get in before steam ends at finish of 2006.Late afternoon we get bus or train to Kunming.Overnight Hotel.

Day 21:   Breakfast at Hotel.Departure to Kunming Bei metre gauge station.Here we take a Diesel charter train along this scenic line to Wanjiaying,with appropriate photo activities.We visit the depot at Wanjiaying before returning to Kunming to visit the Railway Museum which has interesting exhibits.Travel on the rest of the metre gauge line is not permitted due to the poor condition of the track.

NB:Anyone wanting a day of tourism instead of metre gauge can make a visit to the famous "Stone Forest" as well as the sights of Kunming.(at own expense)

Hotel overnight.

Day 22:  Breakfast at Hotel.Transfer to Airport for flight to Beijing.On arrival Beijing if time we will visit the large Railway Museum.Hotel overnight.

Day 23:4th October- Transfer to airport for flight home - OR optional day trip by train to visit the industrial Futuyu steam railway to the south-west of Beijing if operating.  A short, magnificent line, a lot of viaducts, with standard gauge steam.  Evening return by train to Beijing. Overnight at Sino-Swiss Hotel or similar close to airport. 

Day 24:5th October-  Transfer to airport for flights home.