At the beginning of March, 2011, I set off for Tokyo to have a look at East Japan Rail's Yamanote line, which runs in a circle around Tokyo, the ride being about an hour. The drivers compartment on the electric multiple units has large windows and I wanted to tape the ride, something I'd meant to do the last time I was in Japan but didn't get around to. Fortunately I had splendid weather, if very cold and managed the entire ride in one take. I had a look at several locations along the route and caught lots of trains, including the high speed Shinkansen, though not going very fast.
Southwest Airlines over Southern California, my ride to LAX.
From Tokyo I flew to Chengdu, China, via Beijing, to join a small party led by John Raby, who was my room mate on the trip to Eritrea. Fortunately I left Tokyo a few days before the big disaster, although the day I travelled left a great deal to be desired. The bus from my hotel in Shinagawa could only get me to Narita Airport for 8am, for a 9am flight. The hotel told me the wrong terminal, so by the time I got to the correct terminal, Air China was making announcements for last call for flight 422. Check in was a long way down the terminal, and I was hot and bothered by the time I got there. Then I had to go through immigration, and security, who decided to check me out, and of course my flight left from the very end of the terminal building. My flight was boarding by the time I got there, so I sat on the plane thoroughly hot and sweaty. We had to go through immigration in Beijing, and I managed to leave my Kindle on the plane, which was cleaned and my Kindle was missing when I got back to my seat. Air China went out of their way to find it, and knew where it was as we were taxiing. I was met at the gate at Chengdu, and taken to lost and found, where all details were taken, and I was told to call the next day. Since I had to meet the group at the airport the following day, I stopped by, and Beijing had sent my Kindle in a suitcase, so we were re-united! Thank You! Air China! The city of Chengdu, it seemed, had emptied their asylums and made all the inmates taxi drivers. The criminally insane had been sent to the airport. After the group met, we had a 2-3 hour bus ride to Shibanxi, one end of a short (19.5 km) narrow gauge steam railway.
Our hotel was in Sanjin, next door was a construction site, which worked until 1 or 2 am. The first morning was quite misty, with the big cranes lighting up the fog.
We walked the entire line, some of it twice, the only access to a lot of the line is by train and it's difficult to photograph the trains if you are riding them. Everybody seemed friendly, this is not an area where many Europeans are seen, so we were stared at a good deal, and in the towns we had lots of photos of us taken and many requests to have photos taken with us.
The railway is owned by a coal mine, there were a number of mines in the area, but most are closed now. The section of railway from Sanjin to Shibanxi is electrified, and sees shuttle trains between the mine and washery and a power station. The little villages in the area housed miners, and the primary means of transportation is still the train, with 4 round trip passenger trains a day, although many of the younger people have motorcycles, which they ride along the tracks. The area is starting to develop as a tourist area for the city of Chengdu, and the railway runs a number of tourist trains, especially at weekends. There is another open mine, with better quality coal, and up to 4 round trips are made most days.
My ride home, Shanghai to San Francisco. The roughest ride I've ever had!
We overtake Delta, somewhere over the Pacific, towards dawn.
Altogether, a great group, and an excellent trip on a totally charming little railway. Thanks, John!
