French-Imported ND4 Locomotive Placed at Fengtai Locomotive Depot; Railfans Fear Scraping; Reporter Learns—One-of-a-Kind Locomotive Expected to Enter Railway Museum
ND4 Locomotive: The prototype was the French CC 72000 diesel locomotive.
The ND4 locomotive parked at the Fengtai Locomotive Depot, though covered in rust, is sought after by railfans
March 20, 2012, 14:30 | Source: Legal Evening News | Author: Cui Yifei, News Observer
(Reporter Cui Yifei, News Observer Lao Meng) A locomotive named ND4, retired for many years, still weighs heavily on the minds of railfans. They worry that once this one-of-a-kind specimen is scrapped, Chinese railway history will lose a milestone artifact. Recently, reporters learned good news from the China Railway Museum: the ND4 is expected to be included in its collection.
The Beijing Railway Bureau's Fengtai Locomotive Depot is located in Fengtai Town, southwest of Beijing. Yesterday, in a corner of the depot, the reporter saw that this locomotive, numbered "ND4-15," was already covered in rust, yet railfans still made special trips there to take photos and commemorate it.
According to railfan Mr. Wang, in 1973, China imported 50 ND4 locomotives from France's Alsthom company, all allocated to the Beijing Railway Bureau's Fengtai Locomotive Depot and put into freight operations. This can be regarded as a milestone in the transition of China's railway freight locomotives from steam to diesel. Industry insiders have commented that the ND4's strong tractive effort and stable quality made a positive contribution to China's railway transportation.
However, with the development of the times, the ND4s successively withdrew from the historical stage. In April 2004, two of the last three remaining units (Nos. 05 and 46) were scrapped, leaving only this "No. 15," and it was unknown whether it could escape the fate of being dismantled.
In response, Wang Xinqiao, curator of the China Railway Museum, stated that the best destination for the ND4 is to be sent to the railway museum as an exhibit. They have already started researching and surveying exterior restoration, though the specific progress cannot yet be estimated.
Memories Concerning It
From 1977 to 1986, Master Fan specialized in repairing ND4 diesel engines at the Fengtai Locomotive Depot; all 50 locomotives had passed through his hands. Lao Fan recalled that back in those days, foreigners were rarely seen, let alone working alongside technicians sent by France's Alsthom company, and everyone found it all very novel.
One day in 1977, workers were installing the "piston connecting rod assembly" for an ND4 engine when they were suddenly yelled at to stop by the French. But no one understood French. The French technician simply tore a piece off his own silk cloth shirt, carefully wiped the parts until they were brand new, and only then permitted the installation. The meticulous working attitude of the Frenchmen remains unforgettable to Master Fan to this day.
Text / Reporter Cui Yifei
Photography / Reporter Cui Yifei
