A Return After Nine Years: Independent Scholar and Photographer Wang Wei's New Work Chasing Trains: Northwest and Qinghai-Tibet Volume Officially Released

"Good works are not afraid of waiting; imagery requires time to settle and ferment."

Following the publication of Chasing Trains: North and Northeast China Volume 9 years ago and the My Beijing-Zhangjiakou Railway series 7 years ago, independent scholar and photographer Wang Wei has finally led us onto that vast, profound, and historically layered land of the Northwest. This is not merely a photo album, but Wang Wei's most affectionate confession to the railway heritage of the Northwest and Qinghai-Tibet during his nearly twenty-year career of "chasing trains."

[The Northwest: The Historical Overlap of Railways, the Great Wall, and Camels]

In Wang Wei's eyes, the Northwest is an exceptional place for photographing trains. Here, modern iron giants traverse the Gobi and deserts, running parallel to rammed-earth sections of the Han and Ming Dynasty Great Walls. He is particularly enthusiastic about capturing this "cross-temporal" imagery: in the distance, a train spews smoke and fire, while in the foreground, camels walk slowly—this traditional mode of transportation, once featured on postcards a century ago, completes a century-long dialogue with the modern railway through his lens.

[Stunning Collection: The Final Silhouettes of Iron Giants]

The book comprehensively records precious imagery from trunk lines such as the Baotou-Lanzhou, Lanzhou-Xinjiang, Qinghai-Tibet, Southern Xinjiang, Jiayu Pass-Cewang, and Linhe-Hami railways:

• The Swan Song of the Steam Era: Documents the fire-breathing, push-pull steam locomotives of the Hami Sandaoling coal mine, as well as the final glory of those iron giants in Baotou, Baotian, Gongwusu, and other locations.

• Magnificent Railway Engineering: Displays the breathtaking scenes of white NJ2 locomotives running along the Qinghai-Tibet Railway's Guanguan loop line, the Southern Xinjiang Railway crossing the Tianshan Mountains, and the Linhe-Hami Railway traversing desert snowsheds.

• Vanishing Cross-Sections: Many landscapes in the book have already become lost history, such as the Sandaoling steam locomotives that officially retired in 2024, the diesel locomotives replaced by electric ones, and the gradually dwindling traditional vintage passenger cars.

[Warmth in Narrative: The Humanistic Connotation Beside the Railway]

As close friend Wang Lu noted in the preface, The Wang Wei I Know, the railways in Wang Wei's lens are never cold; they are full of human breath. From employees guarding solitary desert stations and drivers warmly greeting railfans, to the simple-hearted couple running a guesthouse deep in the Tianshan Mountains, these ordinary individuals construct a vivid railway culture.

Wang Lu also revealed the unknown hardships behind the photos: to photograph the sand-control snowsheds of the Linhe-Hami Railway, Wang Wei once waited for three hours in 52°C heat; in the freezing winds of Jiayu Pass, he even ate snow to quench his thirst. This persistence of "doing just one thing well in a lifetime" has transformed Wang Wei from a pure train fan into an apprentice and fighter protecting railway heritage.

[Exquisite Craftsmanship: A Collectible Work of Art]

• Original Dual-Cover Design: Features a reversible cover, allowing you to choose between the "Sandaoling fire-breathing moment" or the "driving wheel theme" symbolizing power.

• Magnificent Inner Cover: Utilizes a stunning image of the Kuqa-Russia Railway traversing the Tianshan Grand Canyon.

• Special Book-Included Gifts:

  • Comes with a special stamp of the "Ping-Sui Railway Mikado Type 12 locomotive" and Wang Wei's signature stamp.

  • Includes a randomly selected, rare 1990s Northwest region "hard-card train ticket."

  • Eligible for a 10% discount when purchasing the new product—the "Janney Coupler Bottle Opener" as an add-on.

"Entrust oneself to the cool breeze, searching for things that shine."