| TRAINS & TRAVEL P.O. BOX 312 PORTOLA, CALIFORNIA 96122 Chris@traintrips.biz Rail Tours Manager. For questions regarding tour itineraries and details. |
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1-800 359-4870 USA 1-800 752-1836 CANADA 1-800 266-8751 FAX (530) 836-1944 |
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Visit the greatest steam show on earth at Sandaoling with more than 20 steam locomotives (mostly JS and a few SY) in active service - every day! There is no more steam at one location anywhere else! We will also stay at Baiyin (near Lanzhou) for the SY passenger train services up the steeply graded branch line.
The last and biggest stronghold of regular steam operations in the world can be found in China´s far west: a large fleet of JS locomotives hauls heavy coal and waste trains at the Sandaoling coal mine in the remote Xinjang province. We will enjoy the long climbs of fully loaded coal trains out of the large open cast pit, chase heavy loaded trains from the loading points of the underground mines to the central yard, visit the repairshop and depots. In Baiyin we will find a mixed bag: new diesel locomotives have taken over most of the freight operations but the sensational passenger service into the kaarst mountains are still steam hauled. It is an event not to be missed when you sit on the top of a hill, waiting for the next passenger train to arrive. Already 15 minutes ahead of the train´s appearance you can hear the sharp barking exhaust of the SY locomotive fighting the gradient further down the line. The sound of the hard working steam locomotive hangs in the air all the time, and then the train storms around the last curve and you got a perfect shot!
DAY 1 Wednesday February 22: Arrive Shangha China and meet up with the rest of the tour group for the flight on Lanzhou by air, arrival there around 18:40. Transfer to Bayin by charter bus (~1,5 hours).
DAY 2 THURSDAY FEBRUARY 23: -
DAY 3 Friday February 24: Baiyin still uses up to 5 SY steam locomotives (2-8-2) for local passenger trains on the steeply graded line into the kaarst mountains. We will stay here for two full days to allow ample time for enjoying the hard working SYs in a perfect setting. We will also visit the steam shed, the repair shop and will watch out for the freight train that might still be steam hauled.
DAY 4 Saturday February 25: We will spend another morning with the passenger trains on the line to Shenbutong. We return to Lanzhou by bus in the afternoon and board our expresstrain to Hami (or "Kumul" as it is called now).
DAY 5 SUNDAY FEBRUARY 26: -
DAY 6 THURSDAY MARCH 1: After arrival at Hami in the early morning hours of Sunday, me motor to Sandaoling (~1 hour) and will spend here five days along the Sandaoling steam network. The attractive line from the depths of the open cast pit climbs with some steep grades to the washery: hard working for the steam locomotives. Since early 2010, most trains are now pulled by a single JS here. Every 30-90 minutes a fully loaded train departs from the pit, offering numerous photo opportunities! SY hauled permanent way trains with a working steam crane add more shots for you. The Sandaoling mine operates some deep mines, too, this coal is transferred to the main yard by SY or JS hauled trains. Two or even three steam locomotives on one train are not uncommon, although these lines are mostly flat (with some exceptions of course...). Another highlight are the spoil trains at Xibolishan (the western end of the mining area): you will find uphill departures of the JS pulled trains nearly every 5-20 minutes, sometimes even parallel departures! Especially late afternoon trains can be perfectly photographed against the setting sun. We will be in contact with the control office and will be noticed of special movements on the network, allowing us to swiftly transfer to that action. With more than 200 daily train movements the Sandaoling steam network offers first class opportunities for railfans and steam locomotive enthusiasts!
You may have read reports about the imminent dieselization of that line. Diesel locomotives arrived there in summer 2011 and crews got training on the new diesels straight away. But the new locomotives have not been put in service until now (September 2011). IF we should get the chance to see JS hauled freight trains on that fantastic line through the desert, we will offer an optional visit to the Shankou line. There is only one train service a day, and timings are set by the arrival of empty cars at the China National Railway´s exchange yard at Shankou. Although we will stay in close contact with the train operator at Yamansu, we can not guarantee at what time the train will operate, or whether it will run at all. There is no parallel road and we will use 4x4 cars to get to the best locations!
DAY 7 FRIDAY MARCH 2: We stay a 6th day at Sandaoling offering us the last chance to enjoy the frequent steam movements before we head back to Hami in the evening. We take the night train to Urumqi.
DAY 8 SATURDAY MARCH 3: The steel mill at Urumqi offers a lot for visitors: the rail traffic of the mill is handled by mostly elderly industrial diesel locomotives, the mill´s management invites guests in a friendly and open manner - something that is very uncommon in China nowadays. Sometimes the permission to enter an industrial site is not worth the paper it is printed on, in other cases we have been allowed in but were pushed to the shiny and pretty areas of the site very quickly... Anyway: the mill´s current leaders have been very welcoming on our last visits and we hope that this will not change until we have been there again today.
DAY 9 SUNDAY MARCH 4: In the morning we start our way back: via Beijing with flights home.
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PRICES ALL PRICES ARE PER PERSON Double room occupancy...........................$2798 Single room supplement..........................$ 298 Deposit to hold your space confirmed............$ 500 Final payment is due November 22, 2011 |
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TOUR PRICE: All tour prices are corrected to November 1, 2012 and are subject to change without notice, at any time. All prices based on double room
occupancy. We reserve the right to change tour prices if necessary.
PRICES DO NOT INCLUDE: Personal items, meals not listed in the itinerary, laundry, phone calls, excess baggage charges, rental cars, side tours, insurance, passport fees including visas, vaccinations, gratuities, medical costs, tips to train or motor coach staff, extra tour costs due to unanticipated changes in the itinerary for reasons beyond our control, including weather, travel conditions, or cancellations, government intervention, sickness, political disputes, and failure of transportation or other causes beyond our control.
TRAVEL AND HEALTH DOCUMENTS: A valid passport is required for our international tours. In some cases a visa is also needed. Consult your
health professional for the recommended immunizations and documents. Trains and Travel International , here on referred to as TTI, assumes no other responsibility if a client is refused entry into a country. Cost and cancellation fees will be paid by the client in the event they do not have valid documents.
CHANGE OF ITINERARY: We reserve the right to substitute, alter or modify the tour if any unexpected and unforeseen conditions beyond our control
preventing the completion of such. Conditions can include weather, train schedules, equipment, motive power, revision of train consist, train delays, labor strikes, political disputes, derailments, closure of a rail line, break down of railroad or motive power equipment, railroads not honoring contracts and bus equipment problems. We will always endeavor, in each case, to provide substitutes, if any changes take place. TTI is not responsible for canceled trains,
delays, hotel rooms, route changes or missed connections, for any reason whatsoever. We will not give refunds if such conditions or cancellations take place.
TRAVEL INSURANCE: TRAVEL INSURANCE: Travel insurance is mandatory and is required, but you can opt out. The Decision to Opt-Out or Decline is Mandatory. Insurance will cover and give tour members many benefits and protection. Benefits include baggage loss, accident, life, trip cancellation, sickness, bankruptcy, strike, weather conditions, employer termination or layoff effecting you or a person sharing the room with you, terrorist incident in your departure city or city of destination, jury duty, you are subpoenaed, hijacked, or quarantined, your residence or traveling companion residence is rendered uninhabitable, emergency military duty, traffic accident, single supplement upgrade when your traveling companion cancels their trip, trip interruption, trip delay, missed connections, itinerary change,emergency medical benefits, medical evacuation, pre-existing medical conditions if enrollment is within 21days of your invoice date, assault of you or your traveling companion before departure, burglary of you or your companion before departure 24 hour hotline emergency assistance, emergency cash transfer and more. We will supply you with a travel insurance brochure with rates and application when we mail you the invoice after your bookings. Travel insurance protects your vacation investments. US law allows us to offer this insurance to all persons worldwide. We will accept a "refusal of travel insurance wavier" if you do not wish to purchase any travel insurance.
RESPONSIBILITY AND LIMITATION OF LIABILITY: Accepting your payment represents an agreement that you understand all the conditions, to
be a member of our tours. TTI gives notice that they are acting agents for the owners, contractors and suppliers, providing the transportation and all related travel services and assume no responsibility for injury, sickness, damage, loss, additional expenses accidental delay or irregularities which may be caused through willful or negligent acts or omissions on the part of the companies providing or engage in transportation, accommodations or services related to the accomplishment of the tour. Nor do we assume responsibility for natural disasters, social or political upheaval, acts of terrorism or acts of nature. TTI reserves
the right to substitute hotels, tour leaders, equipment, motive power, trains, onboard accommodations, routes and to alter the itinerary when deemed necessary without notice. The right is also reserved to cancel any trip or train prior to departure for any reason . TTI is not responsible for expenses incurred by tour members in preparing for the tour, including non-refundable airline tickets, visa fees, planning, phone calls, or any other expenses. TTI reserves the right to decline to accept, or ask to leave a tour, any person whose actions impede the daily operations of a tour, welfare or enjoyment of other tour members. TTI cannot give any refunds for any unused services. The terms contained herein shall serve as a waiver of liability to TTI. Assumption of risk on behalf of the client, their heirs, executor, administrators, successors, and assigns for any and all known persons injuries
RESERVATIONS: A deposit is due in our office within 14 days after you make your bookings. Full payment is due 90 days before departure. You will
receive an invoice, reservation form and current tour bulletins with your confirmation and travel insurance forms. No notice for final payment will be sent
to you. It is your responsible to make the final payment on-time.
CANCELLATIONS: TTI does not accept cancellations on the phone. Cancellations must be received by postal mail, email or fax before any refunds will be considered. Allow enough time if sending your written notice by US mail postal system. When a written cancellation is received in the Trains and Travel
office this will be the effective date of the cancellation. Please take note that it can take up to 60 days to to process some refunds. Cancellation refund rules:
100 days prior to the start of any tour you will receive a full refund less a $100 per person administration fee. 99 to 61 days before the departure of any tour
there will be a 80% cancellation penalty based on the full cost of the tour. Cancellations received 60 or less days before the start of any tour will not receive
any refund. GW Travel Ltd has their own cancellation rules and these will apply. If booking on GW Travel Ltd ask for cancellation rules.
PRE-DEPARTURE TOUR BULLETINS: Tour bulletins will be sent to clients that have booked on tours operated by TTI. Bulletins include travel info related to the tour. Final documents will be sent out about two to three weeks before a tour begins. We offer tours operated by other companies and they may
or may not send out tour bulletins and updates and most send out final documents only one to two weeks prior to the start of their tours.
PAYMENTS: Payments can be made with personal check drawn on a U.S. Dollar account, money order for U.S. Dollars, bank wire transfer, or credit card.
We accept Visa, Master Card or Discover. Final payment for all tours is due 90 days prior to departure. If final payment has not been received 7 days after the due date, a late fee of $50 per week will apply.
SINGLE SUPPLEMENT: All prices are based on double room occupancy. We will try and match you with a roommate if one is available. If not, you may
be charged the single room supplement listed for the tour you are booked on. Single rooms may not be available in some remote locations and on some trains.
TOUR REFUNDS: If for any reason tour members amend or delete any arrangements during travel, and leave the tour on their own, we cannot give any refunds on unused portions of the tour. If buses and trains are cancelled by the carrier or there is a labor strike or they go out of business, we cannot be held
responsible and we cannot give refunds. Travel insurance will protect you for any of these reasons. If TTI needs to cancel any tour everyone will receive a
full refund. Please take note that in some cases refunds can take up to 60 days to process.
PARTIAL TOURS: We will allow passengers to join or leave a tour at certain points. It will all depend on the tour and the conditions. Give us a call and
we will try and work up a custom option for you.
MILEAGE COLLECTORS: Mileage collectors please take note that TTI does not cater just to mileage collectors. We cater to all folks that enjoy trains and
Rail journeys. We give strong warning that itinerary and route changes do happen and this is totally beyond our control when it does. If the only reason that
you would want to book a tour is to collect the rare mileage, you need to understand that possible route changes do happen.
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