| TRAINS & TRAVEL P.O. BOX 10625 RENO, NEVADA 89510-0625 Chris@traintrips.biz Jane@traintrips.biz Deborah@traintrips.biz | 1-800 359-4870 USA 1-800 752-1836 CANADA 1-800 266-8751 FAX (775) 453-1004 | |
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While QJs no long storm up Jingpeng Pass, there remain a half dozen or so worthwhile steam venues in China. This tour is designed to visit the best of these, as well as to allow time in Beijing at the start of the tour. Tour price includes all hotels on shared rooms (single available for extra), all transportation and transfers, domestic flights, soft class sleepers with four berth private compartments for overnight rail , all meals starting with dinner on September 1 through breakfast on September 19, the services of bi-lingual Chinese National Guide Mr. Zhao (a 20-year veteran of steam tours); USA group leader Ronald McElrath; and certain entrance fees. You are responsible for flight arrangements to and from Beijing, visa (we will assist), and expenses of a personal nature, along with entrance fees which are not included, red cap assistance if you need it at stations, and other miscellaneous expenses. There is always more to buy in China than people expect; allow a minimum of $800 or so to bring in cash (ATMs are rarely available, and banks often do not exchange currency, so it is best to do this in Beijing at the start of this tour).
At this time of year you will not need winter clothing, but do bring some sweaters or light jackets for those chilly mornings up north. It is rare, but not unknown, for snow to fly near the Russian border in September. Plan to pack as light as possible; two smaller suitcases are preferable to a large one for stowage on trains and buses. A more detailed letter will be sent later to tour members, along with a guidebook and maps to explain the places to be visited, plus detailed hotel information. Overview: Steam is still employed on several local coal and industrial railways in China, the only country on earth where this is true in 2009! In Sandaoling, the Mine Railway there recently constructed a boiler shop to tend to it's fleet of JS and SY 2-8-2s which they intend to keep active for at least five more years. Previously, these engines had to travel long distances to the now closed China Rail steam overhaul shop in Lanzhou. In other places, some diesels have already arrived or have been ordered. Our itinerary may be modified as needed should steam no longer operate at one of our six planned locations, but as of May it appears steam is "GO" at all these places. DAY 1 TUESDDAY SEPTEMBER 1: Arrive into Beijing (or arrive early to see more of China's capital city). A welcome dinner will be held at 6 PM, so try to arrive by early afternoon if at all possible. We will stay at the Sino-Swiss Hotel, which offers free shuttle service from the international airport, only ten minutes away. Sino-Swiss offers a wonderful breakfast buffet, and has an indoor / outdoor pool among other amenities. Optional Chaoyang Acrobats Show in evening. DAY 2 WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 2: Morning visit to the Great Wall; Afternoon to sites to be announced including the Railway Museum and Forbidden City; Sunset dinner at Summer Palace with it's lakes and gardens. DAY 3 THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 3: Flight to Manzhouli, transfer to Jalainuur where we spend two nights. DAY 4 FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 4: Full day at open pit coal mine, with it's large fleet of 2-8-2s (SY type). Note the dual trackage where the Russian line connects. This pit is slated to close after 2009, and trucks will be used at the new mine which you will also see. DAY 5 SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 5: Most of this day for more Jalainuur steam, then we depart at 6:13pm on Train N92 with dinner in the diner. DAY 6 SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 6: Arrive Harbin at 7:48am. City tour, with it's wonderfully eclectic architecture, then train N7 at 1:44pm for the ride to Huanan, arriving at 7:57pm. DAY 7 MONDAY SEPTEMBER 7: Huanan Narrow Gauge coal trains, which operate up a twisting mountain line. This line has been featured in several magazine articles, and made a great visit in 2006. For about $20, you may wish to hire a motorcycle taxi to travel the line and get into position to photograph trains, as there are no roads once the tracks start up into the hills. At one point, a second 0-8-0 loco is used as a pusher to help loaded trains over the summit. There have been instances where the mine was temporarily closed for inspection, or a derailment curtailed operations. Should this occur, we will spend more time at nearby Ji'Xi. DAY 8 TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 8: Transfer to Ji'Xi for one night. Five rail lines make up this system; sometimes you may see two trains at once. There is one diesel here as of May, so there will be plenty of steam. One particular delight here is to get out at sunrise to observe the servicing procedure. Coal slurry is dumped from miniature hopper cars near the wahery, into which the loaded trains arrive. DAY 9 WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 9: Ji'Xi steam in the morning. At 7:15pm we depart by train for Shenyang on soft class (4 persons per compartment) sleepers. Option to buy extra berths for more space if desired. DAY 10 THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 10: Arrive 9:33am at Shenyang, then bus transfer to Fuxin, site of a busy coal railway. There are several mines in this system, including a recently closed open pit operated by electric trains. A few diesels handle some tasks, and may be assigned to the passenger train which links the far flung mines. Check out the novel "exploding" method for making popcorn! DAY 11 FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 11: More Fuxin steam before we return to our hotel in Shenyang for a relaxed evening. DAY 12 SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 12: Flight to Urumqi in NW China, with a change of flights at Beijing where lunch will be scheduled. DAY 13 SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 13: Leisure time in early morning before catching train K544 departing at 9:53am for Hami through some very interesting desert and mountain terrain. Arrive Hami at 4:31pm , with time to relax and perhaps enjoy one of those famous Hami melons. This region is ethnically quite different from typical Han Chinese cities, and offers a change of pace. DAY 14 MONDAY SEPTEMBER 14: SANDAOLING Coal Mine Railway, about 45 minutes by highway from Hami. Coal trains move 10 miles to the busy China Rail mainline. The mainline is diesel operated, but soon to be electrified. Some may wish to spend a portion of their time watching the regular freight and passenger traffic roll by. In addition to the big open pit, there are a number of service and transfer facilites worthy of visit. Recent news is that there may be one or two diesels on the property or pending delivery, but there are usually over two dozen mostly JS-class 2-8-2s on duty. DAY 15 TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 15: We will have a 2nd full day along the Sandaoling Coal Mine Railway before we board train T266 at Hami at 9:14pm in soft class sleepers, for Lanzhou. DAY 16 WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 16: Great morning scenery through the Wei River Valley, where two main tracks zip over viaducts and through tunnels, then cross the Yellow River before arriving into Lanzhou at 11:38am. Following lunch, a two hour scenic bus ride on a new highway brings us to Baiyin. Two nights here, near the Copper Smelting Railway. Still 100% SY steam, plans for a new diesel appear to have been put on hold. There are two pairs of passenger trains operating on 2% grades, and you will want to ride one of these (fare is about 15 cents...). In 2007, and maybe still in 2009, a one car steam powered school shuttle service was in operation. This was once a much busier mine complex, but still keeps 4 or 5 locos busy on most days. DAY 17 THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 17: 2nd full day along the Copper Smelting Railway. DAY 18 FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 18: Morning hours along the Copper Railway. In the afternoon we transfer back to Lanzhou; evening flight from Lanzhou return to Beijing, with night at the Sino-Swiss Hotel. DAY 19 SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 19: Flights for home. OPTIONAL ADD ON: Pingdingshan; Batou, and diesel trains over Jingpeng Pass. If interested Please ask for details.
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PRICES ARE PER PERSON Double room occupancy..................$2,998 Single room supplement.................$ 495 Deposit to hold space..................$ 400 Final payment due by June 30, 2009 |
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TOUR PRICE: All tour prices are subject to change without notice at any time.
CHANGE OF ITINERARY: We reserve the right to substitute, change train routing, alter or modify the tour if any unexpected and unforeseen conditions beyond our control occur. As almost everyone knows, in the railroad industry last minute changes do occur.
RESERVATION CHANGES: A $50 per person charge will apply for any changes made to a reservation. This will also apply for any changes in credit cards usded.
DEPOSITS AND FINAL PAYMENTS: The required deposit is due in our office within 14 days of making a booking. For most tours the final payment is due in our office 90 days before the start of the tour. Due dates are posted for each tour and will also be on your invoice and in some cases we will vary the due Date depending upon the tour in question.
MILEAGE COLLECTORS: Mileage collectors please take note before you book! Trains and Travel does not cater just to mileage collectors. We cater to all people that enjoy the railroad hobby. 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 with us is to collect the rare mileage, may we suggest that you be prepared for possible route changes.
RESPONSIBILITY AND LIMITATION OF LIABILITY: We 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 engaging in transportation, accommodations or services related to the accomplishment of the tour including Trains and Travel. We have no control on the timings of our charter trains and indeed passenger trains and charters can and do run late most of the time. Nor do we assume responsibility for natural disaster, social or political upheaval, acts of terrorism or acts of nature. The right is reserved to substitute hotels, tour leaders, equipment, motive power, trains, routes and to alter the itinerary when deemed necessary without notice. We are not responsible for expenses incurred by tour members in preparing for the tour.
CANCELLATIONS: Trains and Travel does not accept cancellations on the phone. Cancellations must be received by postal mail, e mail or fax before any refunds will be processed. Be sure and allow enough time if sending your written notice by the very slow 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 process some refunds in but most cases refunds will be issued in half that time. Cancellation refund rules: 100 days prior to the start of any tour you will receive a full refund less a $200 per person administration fee. 99 to 75 days before the departure of any tour there will be a 80% cancellation penalty based on the full cost of the tour. Any cancellations received 74 or less days before the start of any tour will not receive any refund. These cancellations rules apply to everyone and will be enforced.
RIGHT TO REFUSE SERVICE: Trains and Travel reserves the right to refuse service to anyone we deem necessary, to insure that all of our clients will have the best possible tour.
PRE-DEPARTURE TOUR BULLETINS: Tour bulletins will be sent to clients that have booked on our tours. Bulletins include weather, packing tips, food, health, updates and much more. Tickets and a detailed itinerary booklet will be sent out about three weeks before the tour begins.
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, Discover or American Express. 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 may 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 TU needs to cancel any tour everyone will receive a full refund. Please take note that 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.
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