Shibanxi Holiday, 2010 - Making the best of it

This is part of our photographic report from our 3 week visit in March 2010 - click here for the full report.

Shibanxi Heaven - The best steam narrow gauge railway on DVD when it was totally real. We really ought to find time to put our video footage from 2008/09/10 onto another DVD at some stage.

Despite two or three dismal cold and drizzly days where we retreated to bed and switched on the electric blankets, the colour of the countryside made a March visit quite rewarding photographically although there will never be many crystal clear days here. As for the red 'first class' coaches, they represent 'progress' and the chance for the railway to survive and prosper, they are so grubby these days that they no longer 'grate'. 

Approaching Caiziba (and again in detail although it merely exacerbates the inevitable afternoon haze):

Caiziba horseshoe:

Caiziba Halt:

The regular weekday train at Jiaoba using the new running line arrangement:

After Jiaoba on what was then a rare sunny day, although the second half of the holiday produced much better results.

Just below the spot above...

Between the tunnels approaching Bagou - heavily zoomed and cropped to avoid Chinese photographers festooned on the hillside. 

Approaching the Bagou bath house on the afternoon train:

Once past the bath house and round the corner is yellow flower heaven:

One of the train crews loves us and can't resist playing to the one person gallery...

Fruit blossom comes and goes more quickly than the yellow flowers, this is between Bagou and Huangcun on a day when we were returning from a hike in the hills at the right time, it was a shame about the light:

Journey's end - Huangcun Terminus