UK - Chinese C2, First Mainline Run, Frames Only, 16/6/2018
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- Опубліковано 10 лют 2025
- Chinese C2 Class 0-8-0 bought from Dahuichang, in the Beijing suburbs in 2006, has been slowly undergoing a major rebuild at the Boston Lodge Works of the Ffestiniog Railway in North Wales.
This powerful locomotive was bought by a group of enthusiasts for future use on the Welsh Highland Railway. It has had to be re-gauged from its original 2 feet 6 inches to the standard gauge of the Ffestiniog and Welsh Highland lines - 2 feet. This difficult work has now been completed and much of the technical work has been done.
The re-gauged frames were moved, temporarily, from Boston Lodge to Minffordd yard on the 16th June, 2018 in preparation for the line's H125 event - celebrating the 125th anniversary of Blanche and Linda, the Ffestiniog's two ageing Hunslet 0-4-0's.
In this lengthy sequence we have a glimpse of the special workshop built to house the C2 at Boston Lodge and then follow the frames as they are cautiously moved up the mainline to Minffordd, where the frames are negotiated over a traverser and into a storage building, ready for their first public displaying.
PLEASE NOTE - The C2 Project needs in excess of £50,000 to complete the certification of its boiler and rebuilding of the cab and tender body. Donations are gratefully received. Please visit - c2project.org/i...
to make a donation. THANK YOU !
A video showing the locomotive being inspected prior to purchase, can be seen at -
• UK - Buying a Chinese ...
I hope that one day we will see this loco running regularly on the line. It would be wonderful to see this loco become a staple of north wales engines
I agree but right now the project seems a long way off .... Andy
It's nice to see the equivalent of a dog pound rescue get a new lease on life, shiny new everything and lovely, green scenery the whole way. A far cry from the industrial browns and greys for sure.
When it's finished it'll certainly be in different surroundings to the limestone quarry it worked in China. Andy
great to see the progress on this Loco !
They're doing a great job on the C2 but they've run out of money. They need another £50k to complete the job. To make a donation, please go to - c2project.org/index.php?page=contact Thanks .... Andy
Hello Andy & Dandan Fisher,
My Name is Jordan Shingler, I have just watched your video a while ago.
I was at the Hunslet 125 on the Ffestiniog Railway for 3 days last weekend, I was very lucky to see the frames of the Chinese C2 in the shed at Minffordd Yard, I even brought a DVD of the Chinese C2 Steam Locomotives from the C2 Project and donate a bit of money to them.
I cannot wait to see No.4 fully restored and running on the Ffestiniog & Welsh Highland Railways in a couple of years time, this is my first time seeing a Chinese Narrow Gauge Steam Locomotive.
This locomotive one day when fully restored and running will attract Chinese tourists from China and across the United Kingdom.
Kind Regards
Jordan Shingler :-)
Cheers Jordan. I'm pleased you took a look at No.4 in Minffordd yard and thanks for contributing to the cause. Keep in touch and, hopefully, I'll be posting more progress reports in the near future. Andy
I asked and was given a wonderful welcome back in 2009 when she was covered awaiting the workshop to be built. She was 18 then and lovely jokes about bringing a lovely 18 year old Chinese.........
Locomotive home with them. Lily arrived in 2005 so a year earlier. Our Katie is 11 this year!!
Wonderful progress and lovely colours.
I visited Shibanxi this time last year and had another few days of wildly driven C2 s to enjoy.
You must go on a whistle code shunting course and all will be fine!!!
Good luck with future progress.
Lots of Love from.
David, Lily and Katie.
Thank you for your good wishes. Keep calling in there whenever you get the chance. My Dandan arrived in the UK in 2005. We've been married now for 13 years. We've tried but no little Katie for us sadly. We've resigned ourselves to it now and given up. Where are you based? Andy
probably the most maintanance that loco has seen in years . shiny and new .
Definitely the most maintenance since being built ..... Andy
What a good idea . I guess this will save any bearing issues etc when the loco is reasssembled. A hot box would be horrible also i guess will see how an 080 will behave. Looking forward to seeing her in steam
It was a good chance to see how the wheel sets would run but the real reason was that the chassis was a display in a special exhibition at Mynffordd.
Andy
a lot of times & money must go into one of these. I would have liked to see how the regauging work was done.
I'm afraid you are correct. It's taking a huge amount of both time and money - and they guys who are doing it all have full time jobs in other work and only have their spare time, and any money that's left over from their home life!! Andy
Bet it will be cleaner than the few times I saw it running
That's for sure! ...... Andy
Cool 👍🏼
Hopefully, it'll be even better when it's complete! ..... Andy
It's great to see the frames rolling along the rails once more! Any idea if the C2 will be receiving some sort of name, or will she always simply be called "Number 4"?
The intention is that'll it'll always just be number 4. In fact, I think they're going to reproduce the hand painted numbers on the loco as original (a bit like the words Big Boy on the front of 4014) .... Andy
You've made a lot of progress, well done! (So who's going around without their socks?) :)
There's a small group of dedicated enthusiasts who are going without holidays and cars in order to save this loco. As far as I know, though, they're all still wearing socks! Andy
I wonder how long before they manage to get the boiler sorted out. I hope that there aren't any surprises there.
The livery would have to be Chinese State railways black + the insignia on the smokebox door, assuming it was carried. You couldn't tell whether the paint was gloss or matte from the fried remains of the paint on the locomotive.
I wonder if when they do the final painting they will apply the numbers with the same drippy horizontal strokes? They could explain that is how they found it in China & that is how it stays!
While the locomotive will carry the narrow cab it still needs to have the roof profile altered to suit the loading gauge.
I wonder what the official tractive effort is supposed to be for a C2?
Due to the conversion from 2'6" to 2ft does that mean the firebox would be too wide to fit between the frames? I assume they considered whether converting it to 2ft was possible without a new boiler being needed.
Actually, Princess is from 1863, but it has been significantly rebuilt at Boston Lodge in 1895. It was 125 years old when the C2 was built in 1988.
That's an interesting observation. Thank you. Andy
I always wondered where my spare socks went!
??!!! ..... Andy
Ah just found this video, so I’m guessing they are gonna be getting close to completion?
Ah. You found it !! Well done ... Andy
@@AndyDandanFisherSteam yes I did, thanks for your reply to your other video on the engine, so I’m guessing it’s still awaiting completion now? My favourite engines on this railway have to be the Garrett loco’s, built in my hometown of Manchester. Just up the road from us is the old factory, or what’s left of it in Gorton.
Hi there Andy, I've seen a video about the requisition of this particular C2 elsewhere and I have also became very interested in this project,and would be trilled to see her being brought back to life. However no updates have been heard ever since. Any idea what happened to this loco exactly?
Unfortunately, not much progress has been made since this latest update. The loco is still in the depot at Boston Lodge in North Wales. The guys doing the work seem to have run out of money for the time being ..... Andy
@@AndyDandanFisherSteam *sadness noise*
Hows the little c2 project going?
It's a little stalled at the moment. As it's turned out a new boiler is needed and that's a huge cost .... Andy
The C2 type was the largest single class of steam loco. Also used in Eastern Europe Communist countries and the old USSR.
There were similar designs all across the communist world (like the Polish Px48) but they're all slightly different. The C2's were a Chinese built variant on the design .... Andy
现在她怎么样了？听说她最近通过了锅炉认证，正在订购新锅炉……❤
I'm not certain of the present condition. I don't believe a boiler is fitted yet.
我不确定目前的情况。我不认为锅炉已经安装好
- Andy
Excellent progress. Interesting to see that the Smokebox/ Boiler Barrel is one-piece, like an Andrew Barclay industrial. Is this quite common?
I have to say that I can't give you any answer on that. I suggest you contact the group through their website. Sorry ..... Andy
I don't think I've ever seen just the wheels and frames of a steam loco being pulled outside of a workshop before!
It's not a common event ! They were being moved to form a display as part of the Hunslet 125 event. Andy
Hahahha i do also!
No commentary, no idea what’s going on moment by moment, but I get the principle from the description but still in the dark.
I'm teetering on the brink of overlaying some sort of commentary Steve. I give what information I can in the video description (above) and by using titling at the bottom of the screen. The reason I've never given any commentary up to now is that I reckon people want to see the trains - not hear my voice or see my face!! Andy
Interesting video. Do you know what are the rusty 'remains' outside the shed at about 2:30?
That's the original cab and tender body of the C2. New ones will be built for the loco. The cab that number 4 carried was of a wide version - it'll be fitted with a narrower (but authentic) version for use on the WHR. First priority is to get the boiler certified. Andy
Thanks for the update, I'll watch with interest.
What gauge was it made for originally?
The C2 was originally 750mm (2ft6in) gauge but this has been reduced to 2 feet gauge ...... Andy
where is she now?
The C2 is still at Boston Lodge Works being slowly restored. The project is currently held awaiting enough money for a new boiler ...... Andy
Is this the locomotive thats was bought from china?
Yes, it is. The pre-purchase inspection is on -
ua-cam.com/video/bttS3ebwN_g/v-deo.html
Andy
A drive axle with flange less wheels What manner of magic is this?
whorayful It's known as a blind driver. It allows the wheels to support the weight (and tractive effort) of the loco without binding in tight curves.
I've not heard the expression 'blind driver'. Possibly used in the US.
Flangeless driving wheels are not uncommon. Some large British single-driver types had them, as did the very last BR freight locos, the 9Fs.
Haven't noticed anything like this on mainland Australia, perhaps it's more common in areas with tighter radius bends?
Ray
Haven't noticed these on mainland Australia, but we do have plenty of room for large radius bends ;-)
whorayful You have to figure with 2 ft. gauge, you can make some very sharp turns that are not practical in larger gauges.
Not to diss the Chinese, but I can't wait to see what this loco will look like all shiny, and properly cleaned and maintained.
Me too --- you don't have £50k spare do you?! Andy
A lot of what comes out of China today is of poor quality - but do you know why? Because the western buyers are continuously asking for products cheaper and cheaper so they can beat their competitors .... so, the Chinese oblige them and send cheap stuff. Not everything Chinese is rubbish. Take a look at the computer (or phone) that you're reading this on right now. It's Chinese (or has Chinese components) and is fantastic. The entire country is now criss-crossed by Chinese built high speed railways, every bit as good as anything Europe has and far better than any railway that the USA has. Hope that we never get into a war with China too because I think we'll very quickly find out how good Chinese products can be then !! Andy
@@princessofthecape2078 Wasn't it the Chinese that helped build OUR transcontinental railway?
@goff0103 Sadly only about six locos left now at Sandaoling ... the very last full time industrial steam operation (non-tourist) anywhere in the world. Andy
Compared to how the chinese treated that engine, it will be a blessing, explain to them this is NOT how the chinese had their engines
It was probably like this once ..... when it was built !! Andy
@@AndyDandanFisherSteam Oh god yeah, but explaining the concept of maintenance and renewal to the chinese, it's impossible.
@@dethkon2284 I agree they're not great at maintenance - particularly with buildings - but having said that, their mainline steam fleet was pretty well maintained back in the day. Those QJ's that strained over the JingPeng Pass were in great condition. Even the remaining handful of JS's that are still at it in the Sandaoling coal mines are reasonably well maintained, considering they're probably in their last year or two now.
Andy
@@dethkon2284 Just seen a video of a pair of C2's on the Rongshan Prison railway. Both of them knocked like a bag of hammers and seemed as though they were in their death throes.
why is princess in storage ?
I don't believe Princess has steamed for many years. She was on display for some years but, presumably, there's nowhere to display her at the moment. Andy
big loco for a small narrow gauge line
I have to say that I was a bit concerned that it might be a bit too large but if you take a look at the Garratts that are working the WHR, the C2 doesn't look so large! (see ua-cam.com/video/ZIUzjNtijaE/v-deo.html for a Garratt).
Andy
Was this loco originally built in China or the UK ??
This is a Chinese built C2 Class loco produced at Harbin in 1988 - just about the last one built. They were a Chinese adaptation of a fairly standard design used across the Soviet Union from the 1950's. Examples were found in Russia, Poland, Hungary, Czechoslovakia and, surprisingly, Finland.
Andy
worlds smallest drive wheels
They are pretty tiny I must say. The C2's were designed to haul large loads at slow speeds over appalling track .... small drivers are ideal for this!
Andy
which i had the money it do that .
We wish you had the money too !!! Andy
thanks