Chinese QJ 2-10-2
The Last Army of Heavy Steam
4,717 Built — Last Fired in 2023

International Giants of Steam — Part 3

1. The Biggest Steam Fleet in History

Between 1956 and 1988 China built more heavy main-line steam locomotives than the rest of the world combined — after every other country had already quit.

2. Production

• Builders: Datong, Dalian, Qiqihar + others
• First prototype: 1956
• Last new-build: HP 0396, December 1988
• Total built: 4,717 — the most numerous single locomotive class ever

3. Specifications (final series)

Item	Value
Wheel arrangement	2-10-2 “Santa Fe”
Engine weight	102 tonnes
Total weight	~233 tonnes
Starting tractive effort	63,235 lbf (281 kN)
Top speed (service)	80–100 km/h
Drawbar horsepower	~3,000–3,400 hp

4. Territory — The Final Steam Strongholds

Red lines = last regular QJ routes 2015–2023
• Jingpeng Pass (double-headed spectaculars)
• JiTong Railway (last commercial steam on Earth until 2018)
• Sandaoling open-pit mine (last fired QJ: 7 January 2023)

5. The End

• Last regular passenger trains: 2005
• Last commercial freight: JiTong Railway, 2018
• Very last firing: Sandaoling № 7040 & 7081, 7 January 2023

6. Head-to-Head with the Giants

Locomotive	Units Built	Last Revenue Run
Chinese QJ	4,717	2023
German BR 52 Kriegslok	~7,794 (all types)	1980s (Europe)
UP Big Boy	45	1959 (revenue), 2025 (excursion)

7. Survivors 2025

~30 preserved in China (static), several in the West (UK, USA, Germany). None in regular service.

8. Final Thought

For sixty-seven years China kept building, running, and improving big steam long after the rest of the world walked away.

When the last QJ went cold in the Gobi in January 2023, the age of heavy main-line steam finally ended — everywhere.

Next: India’s WP & WG Pacifics — the locomotives that kept a continent moving.

— The Gipster, December 2025 —
International Giants of Steam
1. Soviet P38 ★ 2. South African Red Devil ★ 3. Chinese QJ ★ 4. Indian WP/WG (next)