BLE Focus

Summer 2003
Volume 110 - No. 2

BLE Focus

A locomotive engineer's dream come true in China

One of the many locomotives Brother Zagel saw in China.

Looking out his airplane window in 1996, BLE Division 294 (Bensenville, Ill.) member Allen Zagel could not believe his eyes. After many years of dreaming, he was finally visiting the mystical place he always dreamed about.

"I remember when I was a child, my parents told me if I dug a hole in the back yard and dug deep enough, I'd come out in China on the other side of the world," Zagel said. "And now I was going to be in China.

"Landing in Beijing and looking out the airplane window, I was in awe. I couldn't believe I was actually fulfilling a lifelong dream."

Even though he was visiting a foreign country, Zagel was not apprehensive. He had penpals there who would make him feel at home.

His friends in China had a full schedule for him. They showed him various cultural sites around Beijing. They toured the Great Wall, the Forbidden City, the Temple of Heaven and all the other magnificent cultural sites of China's 6,000 year culture.

When they finally had a free day, Zagel's curiosity as a locomotive engineer took over and he asked to visit the country's railroads. He wanted to see some trains and meet some railway folks in China. So, with the help of his pen pals, he went to the Beijing Main railway station.

According to Zagel, one of the many differences between North American railroads and Chinese railroads is that you need to have a ticket for a train in order to get into a railroad station.

"You don't just walk into the railway station and have a look around," Zagel said. "They don't let you into the station until just before your train is ready to depart, so everyone queues outside. You can, however, buy a 'platform pass' that will allow you inside to have a look around."

Once inside, Zagel took many pictures and then worked to make a few friends among the railroad workers at the station. The locomotive engineers in China were very excited to meet Zagel and referred to him as "brother."

"We found a train that had just arrived and my friend went up to the 'driver' - that's that they call them there. He invited us up into 'his' engine," Zagel said. "There was another train arriving with a double headed diesel. We also were invited up to see those also. The second unit I was told was a German made Henshel. That one has the older European 'wheel' type throttle."

In 1997, he returned to Beijing and visited the city's new West Station. During his visit, he saw the depot switcher similar to one used years ago in the Chicago Union Station on the old Milwaukee Road when he first started his railroad career.

"They were taking trains to and from the yard and I thought 'here's my chance,'" Zagel said. "Being a typical outgoing American, I gave a modified 'slow down' sign and sure enough the train crew was looking and stopped. We went up to the engine and my friend talked to the crew and told them who I was.

"Well, to my surprise, their response was 'hello brother, come on up here!' They didn't speak English and I didn't speak Chinese but I was lucky in that I had a translator with me. We rode with them for about an hour. For me it was very exciting."

Zagel has taken several long trips aboard China's railroads and visited many cities, including Shanghai.

"I was told if I liked Beijing, I wouldn't like Shanghai," Zagel said. "That proved to be in error because I understood the difference between the two cities.

"Beijing is the 'cultural' capital and Shanghai the 'financial' capital. Shanghai is very cosmopolitan. Mainly built by the 'foreign invaders,' there's a lot of German and French architecture. Each had its own corner of the city and the buildings today still reflect that old style. But more and more the old city is being torn down (slums we'd call them now) and new modern skyscrapers are going up."

His various trips have allowed him to experience the wide-ranging topography of the countryside, including a trip through beautiful mountains and gorges similar to the Colorado River gorges.

Rail employees and authorities in China have allowed him to run trains on several trips, and Zagel noted the various similarities and differences between the railroads in North American, which he has worked on for many years, and those in China.

"There's a separate power car on each long distance train and a fellow who 'lives' there and takes care of it," Zagel said. "Short distance trains are usually made up of the older cars. No air-conditioning, windows open, similar to railroads here back in the 1930s. Axle generators provide the power for the lights and ceiling fans.

"Safety is very important there and there's various types of TMACs, train control, cab signals and dead-man resets," Zagel said. "In fact, on the engines I rode, they had to reset a counter box in the cab at every 'home' signal and it counted down to the next signal. I still don't fully understand that box."

Zagel also was able to assess the working situations of locomotive engineers in China and compare it to those in North America.

"Most engines are assigned to the engineer," Zagel said. "Just like the old railroads here assigning cabooses. If the engineer is working, he's on 'his' engine and if the engine is in for service, he's there with it. The engineer does some of the service himself, so the equipment is clean and in very good shape. Comfortable, quiet and smooth riding.

"They have an extra-board same as we do. They pick and choose their runs sometimes. But they have no unions. Some engineers get vacation time and some don't."

For Zagel, who began his railroad career on the Chicago Transit Authority before becoming a locomotive engineer on the Milwaukee Road, China has a more personal side. It is where he met his wife, Shunjuan.

"My wife had died a few years before and I decided to try to make friends in other parts of the world," Zagel said. "And after several trips, I met my wife who was also widowed."

Zagel has adopted his wife's son Stephen.

Zagel has made four trips to China, including his first in 1996 and he is building a condo there to retire in. An experienced videographer, he has also produced a video about the Chinese Railways. He and his wife are planning to go again in December.

Most of the photos taken on Zagel's trips are available on his web sit at http://www.azagel.com. His 30-minute video shows a couple of bus rides, a three-wheel taxi and many trains.

"I tried to make it look like a travel log and it's narrated with a lot of technical information," Zagel said.

BLE members can purchase the video from Zagel's website.

Photo Caption: Inside the cab of a Chinese locomotive.

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