TEM15-049 slag ladles Zhezqazgan. 3rd May 2025.
The smoke stacks became visible over forty five minutes ago and remained resolutely distant. The road gets worse the further west you travel, over the last one hundred and twenty kilometres there are almost as many casualties stopped by the side of the road as vehicles passed. Mostly flat tires. And so, after a drive of five hundred and ninety kilometres we eventually arrive at our destination.
Descending down past the huge settling lagoons, the large old TETS sits to one side, a long ore preperation plant sits behind and in front of us is the smelter. The city lies behind.
This is Zheqazgan, a copper producing city almost dead centre of Kazakhstan. The world has an increasing appetite for this metal.
I already had a good look around on the satellite maps, and know that the smelters slag tipping is on this side of town. And a ladle train the first train we see, which makes us almost uncontrollably excited. Plodding back from the tip to the smelter, we easily overhaul the train. Jane watches in astonishment as we both leap out of the car with our camera gear and pile across the road and over the tracks. We have enough time to set up. The sun is on the other side of the tracks you see. Our activity gets us a wave and a whistle blast from the driver, who is probably bemused to see us there. This is our welcome into town!
TEM15-049 plods along with discharged slag ladles returning to the copper smelter at Zhezqazgan on the 3rd of April 2025.
The TEM15 locomotive is an improved version of the TEM2, similar to the TEM2M with a 1200hp Kolomya 6D49 engine. Most were destined for Cuba but never got there, Perestroyka, and production ceased at 194 locomotives, built 1987 to 1995, in line with the discontinuation of the 6D49 engine.
This is the end of part one of this trip, which shall recommence in good time. I must catch up with some domestic trains and also prepare the following series so I can show it to my own satisfaction. Thank you to everyone who has taken an interest in this project.
TEM15-049 slag ladles Zhezqazgan. 3rd May 2025.
The smoke stacks became visible over forty five minutes ago and remained resolutely distant. The road gets worse the further west you travel, over the last one hundred and twenty kilometres there are almost as many casualties stopped by the side of the road as vehicles passed. Mostly flat tires. And so, after a drive of five hundred and ninety kilometres we eventually arrive at our destination.
Descending down past the huge settling lagoons, the large old TETS sits to one side, a long ore preperation plant sits behind and in front of us is the smelter. The city lies behind.
This is Zheqazgan, a copper producing city almost dead centre of Kazakhstan. The world has an increasing appetite for this metal.
I already had a good look around on the satellite maps, and know that the smelters slag tipping is on this side of town. And a ladle train the first train we see, which makes us almost uncontrollably excited. Plodding back from the tip to the smelter, we easily overhaul the train. Jane watches in astonishment as we both leap out of the car with our camera gear and pile across the road and over the tracks. We have enough time to set up. The sun is on the other side of the tracks you see. Our activity gets us a wave and a whistle blast from the driver, who is probably bemused to see us there. This is our welcome into town!
TEM15-049 plods along with discharged slag ladles returning to the copper smelter at Zhezqazgan on the 3rd of April 2025.
The TEM15 locomotive is an improved version of the TEM2, similar to the TEM2M with a 1200hp Kolomya 6D49 engine. Most were destined for Cuba but never got there, Perestroyka, and production ceased at 194 locomotives, built 1987 to 1995, in line with the discontinuation of the 6D49 engine.
This is the end of part one of this trip, which shall recommence in good time. I must catch up with some domestic trains and also prepare the following series so I can show it to my own satisfaction. Thank you to everyone who has taken an interest in this project.