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2-8-2 Steam Locomotive Nr. 23, built by Robert Stephenson & Hawthorn (England) in 1952. Amman. 2 April 2013. P.L. Guillemin (plguillemin@yahoo.fr)

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2-8-2 Steam Locomotive Nr. 23. Amman. 2 April 2013. P.L. Guillemin (plguillemin@yahoo.fr)

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Jordan 20.9.2008: Silhouttes as 2-8-2 No. 23 (RSH 7433/1952) takes water at Jiza. Ahead lies 41.5 miles (66.5kms), of desert before reaching Qatrana, where the tour group will transfer to a road coach for their onward journey. Roger Griffiths; roger.griffiths@hotmail.com

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Jordan 20.9.2008: The Hedjaz Railway is of course, most famous for its desert sections, but to be honest, there is a paucity of photo opportunities in what is largely a featureless landscape. Here though are some accompaniments to 2-8-2 No. 23 (RSH 7433/1952), gently descending a long grade over a small culvert, while some sparse scrub and a Bedouin’s tent and livestock add distant focus. Roger Griffiths; roger.griffiths@hotmail.com

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Jordan 20.9.2008: Eventually the train reached the classic Hedjaz Railway station in the desert at Deba’a, seemingly miles from anywhere. Er, no! Within a few minutes of our arrival this small boy and his donkey appeared literally as if from nowhere! Some Jordanian Dinars changed hands, so that we could capture a cliché, but nonetheless, charming picture. Roger Griffiths; roger.griffiths@hotmail.com

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Jordan 20.9.2008: In a land devoid of all life except a few scrub bushes, frequent evidence that it does rain in the desert – and when it does, IT DOES! Hence the regular piercing of the railway’s embankments by flood-relief culverts, as here, near Deba’a, with 2-8-2 No. 23 (RSH 7433/1952) trundling across. Roger Griffiths; roger.griffiths@hotmail.com

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Jordan 20.9.2008: The locomotive for the group’s train is seen outside Amman engine shed. Oil-fired 2-8-2 No.23, was built by the British firm of Robert Stephenson & Hawthorn (7433/1952), one of three provided to Jordan and strongly based upon the pre-Independence Indian Railways’ metre gauge Class YD. Inside the shed were 2-8-2s Nos. 51 and 71, Jung 12081/1955 and Haine St. Pierre [HSP] 2144/1956 respectively; both were in working order. Also in the shed were three, 1976-built General Electric Class U10B, A-1-A – A-1-A diesel electrics, all in working order and in the small annexe building was 2-6-2T No. 61 (HSP 2147/1956), not in working order. Roger Griffiths; roger.griffiths@hotmail.com

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Jordan 20.9.2008: The bi-lingual cabside number plate of 2-8-2 No. 23 (RSH 7433/1952). Notice to the lower right of the number plate where a crack in the cab side sheet has been stitch welded. Roger Griffiths; roger.griffiths@hotmail.com

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Jordan 20.9.2008: The Hedjaz Railway makes an uninterrupted climb of 7.25 miles(11.6kms), through the crowded southern suburbs of Amman, from Amman station to Qasir, on an average gradient of 1 in 57 (1.75%). The line is hardly ever straight, with numerous, often sharp, un-compensated curves, crossing many roads, including busy dual-carriageways, only one of which is gated, so the locomotive’s two whistles are sounding almost continuously. Therefore, the locomotive has to work very hard, even with such a lightweight train, before reaching a small respite, 10kms from Amman station – the straight and almost level, transit of Amman Viaduct. That classic location is seen here with 2-8-2 No. 23 (RSH 7433/1952), laying a smokescreen which nearly obscures the new “Mega Mall” in the distance. Amman Viaduct comprises ten 25 foot (7.6m) wide, masonry arches, with central supporting arches; the railway line is carried 65 feet (19.7m) above the roadway below. Roger Griffiths; roger.griffiths@hotmail.com

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Jordan 20.9.2008: Shortly after crossing Amman Viaduct the line does a 180 degree turn at the end of a valley, passing through a 460 foot (140m) long, curved tunnel. Immediately after the tunnel exit the line crosses a dual carriageway road on the level and it was here that the tour group saw the only road barriers in the entire climb to Qasir. They were hand-operated by a member of staff from Amman station, who had made a special journey out, in a car, to operate the gates. With whistle shrieking and wheels squealing on the tight curve, 2-8-2 No. 23 (RSH 7433/1952), blasts out of the tunnel. Roger Griffiths; roger.griffiths@hotmail.com

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Jordan 20.9.2008: Street running near Qasir! 2-8-2 No. 23 (RSH 7433/1952) blasts along, with whistle shrieking a warning to motorists – “you had better stop, because I WILL NOT!” as the train approaches an un-gated level crossing of a major dual-carriageway road. Roger Griffiths; roger.griffiths@hotmail.com