China State Railways / Chinese State Railways 2-8-2 Locomotives in China

Class Jianshe (Construction) (Locobase 2160)

Data from [] . Production by Datong and Dalian Locomotive Works

These post-Revolution SJ Mikados were the second most numerous standard locomotive class. Like the Qianjins, production of SJs ceased only in December 1988.

[] notes that SJ 8419 was delivered new to the Boone & Scenic Valley Railroad in Iowa in 1989; it was one of the very last steam locomotives to be produced in China. Dr. Smith's data shows a relatively small boiler for the cylinders.

The Boone Valley site offers some "Operating facts" about running 8419 in Iowa in the 2000s: "The engine takes roughly six hours of start-up time when "cold" and about 2 hours when "warm". The crew consists of 1 driver and 1 fireman. Each run consumes about 1,500 gallons [5,678 litres] of water, and less than 1 ton [907 kg] of coal. The cab temperature on a hot day can exceed 120 degrees F."

Class Jiefang / JF 6 / Mikaro (Locobase 6333)

According to Duncan Cotterill's Tractive Efforts website ([] ...(visited 13 October 2004), JF 1 locomotives proved too heavy for many of the Manchurian lines.

[] by Ejii Nozawa also notes that Sifang Railway Works in the PRC began producing this engine in July 1952 as the first domestically produced steam locomotive (other jf 6s came from the South Manchuria Railway, the Manchukuo National Railway, and North China Transport).. 454 of this later class was delivered from 1952 to 1960. They succeeded several 2-8-2 classes with similar power and dimensions (see for example Locobase 3845 and Locobase 20946), but were newbuilds.

"As would be expected for a standard design", wrote Cottrell, "JFs were in widespread use over the whole Chinese system from Heilongjiang to Hainan."

Class SY (Aiming High) (Locobase 4221)

Data from [] for construction data. See also Data from Duncan Cotterill, "SY Class 2-8-2s" on his Railography : Chinese Steam Locomotive Profiles website at [], last accessed 4 November 2020. See also Ron Amberger, "Chinese SY Type 2-8-2 Steam Locomotive for the New York, Susquehanna and Western Railroad", archived on the NYS&W Historical Society website at [] - 2018, last accessed 5 February 2023.

This light-duty design was based on the JF-6 series (Locobase 6333) produced post-war in China. The design also derived from the pre-war and wartime locomotives (Locobase 3083) originally produced by Alco and subsequently by Japanese builders.

Three were built for United States tourist railroads, but only two arrived. See Locobase 16631. The Korean National Railway bought an SY in 1994 (works number 3016) as their 901, which hauled excursion trains until taken out of service in 2012.

[] (20 June 2003)

At the same time that the Valley Railroad's order was being manufactured at Tang Shun, a twin sister, engine no. 1651, was produced and shipped for the Knox & Kane Railroad in Marienville, PA.