This video primarily shows passenger trains hauled by SY class 2-8-2 steam locomotive on the Diaobingshan (formerly Tiefa) mining railway.

This mining railway is located 70km north of Shenyang in Liaoning Province, NE China. At one time this system operated a large number of steam locomotives but as in most of China, this has decreased. All freight is now diesel hauled but a steam passenger service for still operates on certain lines.

The railway's main purpose is to carry coal from the mines in the area to the nearby power stations and to Tieling where it is transfered onto China Rail. The steam-hauled passenger service has three periods of activity around Daobingshan station each day, as shown in the video.

Apologies for some wind noise during lineside shots!

Update December 2011

Diaobingshan (Tiefa)
Very bad news: 20 passenger trains have been cancelled. That are all trains to Wangqian and Daming. No more passenger trains on those lines... During our visit nevertheless two SY were in steam, SY 1770 and 1771. But SY 1770 failed twice and was made cold on the evening of Dec. 15 for repairs. They still need steam for shunting some sidings in Diaobingshan where they cannot use the diesel and for freight trains to the quarry in Wangqian. These trains run at night 2 to 3 times per week.
Usually the following passengers are steam, but a diesel can appear on the schedule any time, especially if only one SY is in steam and they need the SY to shunt the above mentioned sidings which can take hours:
301 Diaobingshan DBS 7:16 -- Daqing DQ 7:44
308 DQ 8:35 -- DBS 9:04 (loco stabled in DBS for 5 hours, sometimes shunting)
309 DBS 14:26 -- DQ 14:52
304 DQ 16:53 -- DBS 17:22
303 DBS 17:31 -- DQ 18:06
306 DQ 18:40 -- DBS 19:06
Over night the loco is stabled in DBS and used on shunting and Wangqian freights.
No locos are overhauled anymore, and regular steam there lives on borrowed time. KD6 487 is still serviceable, but boiler certificates should expire in May 2012 (or so).

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