I find train museums when I travel to foreign countries fascinating. Trains represent one of the world’s first global products. Yet in a lot of ways, the trains are very different. So when I was in Beijing this past June, 2012, I made a point of seeing this museum.
China Railway Museum (Dongjiao) is located in the sub-burbs of Beijing, just outside of the 5th ring road. This is not to be confused with the China Railway Museum (Zhengyangmen) that is located downtown near Tienanmen square. (sometime these are referred to as “Beijing Railway Museum”) Their website for this museum (and the other two at Zhengyangmen and Badaling) is http://www.china-rail.org/
China Railway Museum (Dongjiao)
Getting to the museum is a bit of a challenge. We took a taxi from Wangjing subway station on line 15. Almost none of the taxi drivers have heard of this museum, although the nearby China National Film Museum is better known. So it may help to bring a map with you. Google map of the museum is quite accurate, and here is a map from the back of my museum ticket stub:
Map to the China Railway Museum (Dongjiao) in Beijing
The front of the ticket is pretty cool looking:
Ticket for the China Railway Museum (Dongjiao) in Beijing
The museum is a large hanger of a building, 16,500 sq. meters, consisting of 100 items on static display of old rolling stock and locomotives from China’s past. Unfortunately, the signage is minimal. Some is in English, but most in Chinese. There is an audio program, but only in Mandarin. Staff at the museum was minimal, only a ticket taker and some cleaners. When we were there, the museum was mostly empty, with the only other paying customers, a grandfather and his grandchild.
To the right after entering the museum, is the steam locomotives, and on the left are electric & Diesel locomotives and coaches.
China Railway Museum steam engine collection
China Railway Museum Diesel and electric locomotives
Here are a few of the prototypes they have on display.
Steam Engines:
Class:MG-35 type:2-6-0 length:17.08m max speed:75km/h tractive effort:12,100kg origin:UK
tender MG-35
#601 Class: Shengli SL Style: 4-6-2 Length 22.62m Max Speed: 110km/h Tractive effort: 16,880kg Origin: China 1956
#601 builder’s plate Sifang Locomotive Works
#1001 Class: Renmin RM Style: 2-6-4 Length: 23.25 Max Speed: 119km/h Tractive effort: 18,050kg Origin: China 1958
#3022 Class: Jiefang 6 (JF6) Style: 2-8-2 Length: 21.17m Max Speed: 80km/h Tractive effort: 20,050kg Origin: Japan 1933
#4101 Class: Jiefang Style: 2-8-2 Length: 22.63 Max Speed: 80km/h Tractive effort: 24,030kg Origin: China 1958
#4101 builder’s plate
#890 Class: SL12 Style: 4-6-2 Length:22.05m Max speed: 90km/h Tractive effort: 16,500kg Origin: Japan 1942
#2121 Class: Jiefang (JF) Style: 2-8-2 Length:21.91m Max Speed: 80km/h Tractive effort: 24,030kg Origin: China 1952
#2121 builder’s plate Jiefang
#3673 Class: Jiefang 9 (JF9) Style: 2-8-2 Length: 22.12m Max Speed: 85km/h Tractive effort: 21,400kg Origin: Japan 1940
#3673 catching an oil leak
#3673 cab with patriotic slogan “learn from Mao Zedong hao, a model train”
#3673 red star on cylinder cover plate
#304 Mao Zedong Class: Jiefang 1 Style: 2-8-2 Length: 23.75m Max Speed: 80km/h Tractive effort: 24,030kg Origin: Japan 1941
#304 Mao Zedong cab – this locomotive was re-named in October 1946 by the Northeast Bureau of the CPC. It was in service till 1977.
#304 Mao Zedong front
#51 Class: PL3 Style: 2-6-2T Length 10.77m Max Speed: 60km/h Tractive effort: 16,800kg Origin: Japan 1935
#1191 Class: Jeifang 1 (JF1) Style: 2-8-2 Length: 21.91m Max speed: 80km/h Tractive effort: 24,030kg Origin: Japan 1942
#1191 Class Jeifang 1 (JF1) front view, was renamed Shu De (a famous Chinese general) in October 1946 and remained in service till 1977.
#2101 Class: Jeifang 1 (JF1) Style: 2-8-2 Length: 21.91m Max speed: 70km/h Tractive effort 24,030kg Origin: China 1950
#2101 Class: Jeifang 1 (JF1) front view, built by Sifang works, this locomotive was named “National Day” in September 1950 to mark the first anniversary of the PRC.
#2101 Class: Jeifang 1 (JF1) builder’s plate
#2101 Class: Jeifang 1 (JF1) air cylinder
#1019 Class: Gongjian (GJ) Style: 0-6-0T Length: 9.74m Max speed: 35km/h Tractive effort: 14,735kg Origin: China 1959 Taiyuan Locomotive Works
#1019 builder’s plate
#101 Class: Qianjin (QJ) Style: 2-10-2 Length: 26.02m Max speed: 80km/h Tractive effort: 33,290kg Origin: China 1964 Datong Locomotive and Rolling Stock Works
#101 builder’s plate
#5001 Class: Jianshe (JS) Style: 2-8-2 Length: 23.39 Max Speed: 85km/h Tractive effort 25,476kg Origin: China 1957 Datong Locomotive and Rolling Stock Works
#5001 builder’s plate
#1979 Class: Friendship (FD) Style: 2-10-2 Length: 29.07m Max speed 85km/h Tractive effort: 34,010kg Origin: Soviet Union 1931
#0001 Class: Qianjin (QJ) Style: 2-8-2 Length: 26.1m Max speed 80km/h Tractive effort 33,290kg Origin: China 1956 Dalian Locomotive & Rolling Stock Works
#0004 Class: Qianjin (QJ) Style: 2-8-2 Length: 29.29m Max speed 80km/h Tractive effort 33,290kg Origin: China 1958 Dalian Locomotive & Rolling Stock Works
#0006 Class: KF1 Style 4-8-4 Length: 28.41 Max Speed: 100km/h Tractive effort: 19,300kg Origin: UK 1936 Vulcan Foundary England
#146 Class: PL9 Style: 2-6-2 Length: 19.42m Max Speed 80km/h Tractive effort: 14,900kg Origin: Belgium 1922
#146 tender rear view
#3773 Class: Jeifang 11 (JF11) Style: 2-8-2 Length: 20.70m Max Speed: 80km/h Tractive effort: 18,160 Origin: USA 1937
#3787 Class: JF11 Style: 2-8-2 Length: 20.7m Max Speed: 80km/h Tractive effort: 18,160kg Origin: USA 1937
#534 Class: KD7 Style: 2-8-0 Length: 20.37m Max speed: 90km/h Tractive effort: 32,200kg Origin: USA 1947
#534 Class: KD7 mail catcher
#534 builder’s plate
#373 Class: KD5 Style: 2-8-0 Length: 16.56m Max speed: 50km/h Tractive effort: 16,370kg Origin: Japan 1921
#152 Class: SL3 Length: 21.5m Max speed: 100km/h Tractive effort: 15,670kg Origin: Japan 1939
#152 Class: SL3 cab
#0 Class: zero Style: 0-4-0T Length: 4.75m Max speed: 20km/h Origin: UK 1881
Narrow Gauge Locomotives:
#23 Class: SN Style: 0-10-0 Length: 14.85m Max speed: 45km/h Tractive effort: 6,691kg Origin: USA 1929 built for service in Yunnan Prov. for 0.6m narrow gauge line.
#23 Class: SN view from conductor’s side
#738 Class: Jiefang 51 (JF51) Style: 2-8-2 Length: 11.55m Max speed: 55km/h Tractive effort: 11,571kg Origin: France 1926 built for the Yunnan-Vietnam 1.0m gauge
#738 tender lamp
#579 Class: KD55 Style: 2-8-0 Length: 16.56m Max speed: 50km/h Tractive effort: 16,370 Origin: Japan 1921 for Yunnan-Vietnam line, 1.0m gauge
#759 Class: ST Style: 2-6-4 Length: 19m Origin: UK 1948
Diesel Locomotives:
#0001 Class: DF7J Style: Co-Co Length: 18.98m Max speed: 100km/h Tractive effort 47,859kg Origin: China 2003
#0001 Class DF8 Style: Co-Co Max speed: 100km/h Power: 3310 kW Origin: China 1997
#0001 Class: DF8 little fan vents
#3001 Class DF7d Power:1,840kW Tractive effort: 428kN Weight: 428t Origin: China 1995
#3001 Class DF7d front with Tiananmen
#3001 Class: DF7d builder’s plate
#3001 Class DF7d truck steering
#0001 Class DF7d green
#0001 Class DF7d green vents
#0007 Class Dongfeng 5 (DF5) Style: Co-Co Length: 18.8m Max speed: 80km/h Tractive effort: 39,240kg Origin: China 1977 Dalian Locomotive & Rolling Stock Works and Tangshan Locomotive & Rolling Stock Works
#0007 Class Dongfeng 5 (DF5) long hood
#0007 Class Dongfeng 5 (DF5) builder’s plate
#4001 Class Dongfang DF4d Style: Co-Co Max speed: 100km/h Power: 2,940kW Weight: 138t Origin: China 1985
#4001 Class Dongfang DF4d builder’s plate
#4001 Class Dongfang DF4d wheel sander
#0001 Class Dongfang DF4dj AC drive Style: Co-Co Max speed: 100km/h Power: 2,940kW Weight: 138t Origin: China 2000
#0001 Class Dongfang DF4dj AC drive builder’s plate
#0001 Class: DF4 Style: Co-Co Length: 21.1m Max speed: 100km/h Tractive effort: 42,100kg Origin: China 1973 Dalian Locomotive & Rolling Stock Works
#0001 Class: DF4 control cab
#4290 Class: DFH1 Style: Bo-Bo Length: 17.3m Max speed: 120km/h Tractive effort: 25,538kg Origin: china 1971 Diesel-Hydraulic locomotive.
#4290 Class: DFH1 builder’s plate
#0008 Class: DFH2 Style: Bo-Bo Length: 13.08 Max speed: 62km/h Tractive effort: 19,400kg Origin: China 1974
#0008 Class: DFH2 builder’s plate
#0009 Class: DFH3 Style: Bo-Bo Length: 18.55m Max speed: 120km/h Tractive effort: 27,653kg Origin: China 1976 Diesel-hydraulic locomotive.
#0009 Class: DFH3 builder’s plate
#0001 Class: DFH5 Style: Bo-Bo Length: 14.9m Max speed: 80km/h Tractive effort: 27,800kg Origin: China 1976 Diesel-hydraulic locomotive
#3003 Class: BJ Style: Bo-Bo Length: 16.33m Max speed: 120km/h Tractive effort: 22,700kg Origin: China 1970
#3003 Class: BJ builder’s plate
#0009 Class: NY6 Style: Co-Co Max speed: 108km/h Power: 3160kV Origin: Germany 1972 these locomotive were used to hall VIP’s such as the premiere.
#0009 Class: NY6 builder’s plate
#0009 Class: NY6 Style: Co-Co Length: 23.46m Max speed: 108km/h Tractive effort: 46,429kg Origin: Germany 1972 built by Henschel
Electric Locomotives:
#1008 Class: Shaoshan 1 (SS1) Style: Co-Co Length: 20.64 Max speed: 90km/h Tractive effort: 48,700kg Origin: China 1968 Zhouzhou Electric Locomotive Works and Xiangian Electric Locomotive Works.
#1008 Class: Shaoshan 1 (SS1) cab
#1008 Class: Shaoshan 1 (SS1) builder’s plate
#0001 Class: SS5 Style: Bo-Bo Max speed: 140km/h Power: 3,200 kW Origin: China 1990
Passenger Coaches:
Heavyweight coach #90415
#001 Class: BTS Coach – wood framed narrow gauge, 40 seats
#97347 Class: Gongwuche GW business car
#50359 Class: Ruanwoche RW Length: 26.6m Weight: 75.1t Sleeper Car – 10 berths
#97334 Class: SY coach
#97334 Class: SY coach interior stained glass
#97334 Class: SY coach interior private room
#97336 Class GW Length: 24.54m Origin: China 1936 built by Daren Works of the Manchuria Railways, later used as Zhou Enlai’s official coach.
Rolling Stock:
Bay window caboose #9000908
Tanker car #8045514
Hopper car with cabin #5502704
Hopper car with cabin #5502704 end view
Heavyweight coach #90415 electrical generator
Scale test car #8066501
#5621572 Class: D17 Schnabel car