China: The World's Last Steam Railway

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Three photographers, who have visited China 35 times over a ten-year period, create what will likely be the world’s final photographic essay of the steam engine era. Nostalgic and evocative, these images capture a special moment in history. China was the last country to build steam locomotives…and the last to stop using them. For years, authorities planned to eradicate steam by the 2008 Olympics; they have now practically achieved this goal. Scenes such as those shown in these pages will be no more. The remarkable array of photos includes sheds, workshops, and steelworks; trains, stations, and ticket booths; narrow-gauge railways in Beijing and the northeast; and every region from Tonghua and Hunjiang to Pingdingshan. Most impressive of all: the JiTong Railway, the greatest steam show on earth.