THE SHANGHAI-NANKING RAILROAD

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP82-00047R000400480009-5
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 5
• Document Creation Date: December 27, 2016
• Document Release Date: April 30, 2013
• Sequence Number: 9
• Publication Date: June 28, 1954
• Content Type: REPORT

Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release @ 50-Yr2013/04/30 : CIA-RDP82-00047R000400480009-5
CLASSIFICATION 00NFI3ENTIAL
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
INFORMATION REPORT
COUNTRY China
SUBJECT The Shanghai-Nanking Railroad
PLACE
ACQUIRED
DATE
ACQUIRED B~
TNIf DOCVY[N1 CON T~INI INIORMIT ION RIFItTIMf TM[ RATIONAL 0[![1111
OF TNl UNIT[0 ITf T[II 11 TNIN THE 01RNINf 0l it TLL 10. f[CTI ONI 7I~
ANN 7641. OF THE U.N. COOK, Al .. R.. 0. 175 TRANSMISBION ON RIVE
LATION OF ITR CONTIN Tf TO OR IIC[11T RY RM VNAUTHORIOIO 1[59011 Il
IRONIIITIN IT LAW. THE R[1R000CT10N 01 THIS FORM If 150X11(T10.
SOURCE
THIS IS UNEVALUATED INFORMATION
1. Of all major railroads in China the Shanghai-Nanking Railroad was
considered to be the best in 1948. At that time the condition of repair.,
facilities,, and equipment, although below standard compared to US
railroads, was also considered to be best.
2. The main line wan single tracked with branch loop lines at each station.
The length of the railroad was 180 miles. The gauge wan standard,
i'8.". As of 1948 the railroad line had not undergone any gauge changes.
The ballast was crushed stone and crushed slag (2' thick). Treated wood
ties were 8" x 8" x 8,'. The ties were obtained from China, Canada, and
the US. The rails were international standard weight, 90# and were obtained
from China(,, England, Germany, and the US.
3. The movement of trains were controlled by signals and other communication
facilities. Both colored lights and disc flags were used. They were
located at stations and at intervals between. Normal telegraph and
telephone communications were also available. There wap a bypass located
between every two stations. A train could not, pass UtIough a station
without a pass or permission from the previous station.
The only tunnel was located at Chung-Kang (23?08'N, 113?51'E). The tunnel
was straight and was double tracked. There were several difficult curves
in the Danyang area. Ferries across the Yangtze River had electrical
loading facilities. The ferries could handle approximately 80 cars each.
The Ching-Yang-Kong bridge was located 20 miles out of Shanghai.
Coal facilities were fair,available stock piles contained approximately
10,000 tons. Locomotive coal stock piles and their estimated size were
as follows4
Nanking 3,000 tons.
Woosai 2,000 tons.
Shanghai 5,000 tons.
ORR Ev I /
CLASSIFICATION CONFItENTIAL
I T PAGE
AR A CODES
DATE DISTR.1f '' June 1954
ORR 7527
NO. OF PAGES
5 50X1
NO. OF ENCLS.
(LISTED BELOW)
SUPPLEMENT TO
REPORT NO. . 50X1
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uu^I
CONFIDENTIAL
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It took 1.5 minutes to replenish a locomotive tender's coal and water supply.
The coal piles were replenished daily. Water facilities were good, chemical
treatment was used to soften the -rater which was obtained from the Yangtze
and Huangpoo Rivers.,
6. Locations of passenger, freight cars, and locomotive repair facilities, round
houses, etc. were as follows: locomotive repair factory in Changchow,
locomotive storage sheds, light repairs and round house in Nanking, Changchow,
and Shanghai, passenger and freight car repair shops and. storage sheds in
Nanking and Shanghai. The Changchow factory also manufactured locomotives,
passenger cars, freight cars, and machine tools. It employed approximately
3,000 persons and had its own foundry and machine shop.
7. Turntables, snow sheds, slide fences, and other. facilities were also available.
The only portion of the road susceptible to flood or landslide was that portion
above the Yangtze River. Otherwise, climatic conditions did not affect the
road much. There were seven large stations and many smaller ones between
Shanghai and Nanking. All railroad installations were guarded by the regular
railroad policemen.
8. Railroad operating problems were caused by shortages of locomotiv-. spare parts,
lubricating oil, rails, ties, and other miscellaneous items. Factors which
contributed to the majority of the locomotive and rolling stock breakdowns
were wheel flanges out of gauge,, brakeshoe;s worn out, and defective air hose.
Greatest shortages existed in brakeshoes. When materials were available the
Shanghai-Nanking Railroad was maintained easily because the line was on a
relatively flat plain. At no point was it necessary for, two or more locomotives
to pull a train. The only steep grades, 3 to 5%, were in the Lungtung area.
In the factories or repair sheds, instructions and other orders were issued
by the engineer or master mechanic. On the road, orders were issued by the
conductor. in the station the crew obeyed the orders of the station master.
Although a speed limit of 90 kilometers per hour was set on the main line,
35 to 40 miles per hour was the fastest ever obtained. Onlridges and curves,
lower speeds were imposed.
10. . of 1948 the Shanghai-Nanking Railroad had no diesel or electric locomotives.
The railroad used three types of steam locomotives. The most popular was the
Pacific type used on all passenger trains. The Mikado type was used on freight
trains and the Consolidated type for yard shuting. Up to 1948 China imparted
ten locomotives annually from the US.
U. Assignment of locomotives and train crews was the responsibility of the foreman
who prepared a time schedule for each run two or three days in advance.
Locomotives of one particular district were not allowed to operate on lines
of another district. The average time lost due to terminal delay depended on the
condition of the locomotives in the repair sheds. The average time lost for
passenger trains was 15 to 30 minutes and for freight trains was 30 to 45
minutes. Locomotives had small or light repairs made after runs of 18,000
kilometers, medium repairs after a six-month period, and major repairs after
three years of operation. Boiler cleaning took place weekly and there were
inspections made at the end of each run. It took approximately four hours
between the arrival of a locomotive at the end of its run and the departure
for the return run..
12. The average run of passenger trains was eight trains daily and the maximum
was ten trains daily. For freight trains the daily average was four trains
and the maximum was five. Passenger train operations could be considered
efficient because they arrived and left the stations approximately on time.
Winter and other seasonal factors did not have too much affect on the operations
of trains or in average tonnage per car. The seasonal factor having the most
affect on traffic was the fall grain movement. During that time the track
'was very busy and most of the breakdowns occurred then. In 1947 and 1948 there
were no restrictions on, passenger travel.
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release @ 50-Yr2013/04/30 : CIA-RDP82-00047R000400480009-5
 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release @ 50-Yr2013/04/30 : CIA-RDP82-00047R000400480009-5
CONF]DENTTAL
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13. The line }sad three types of freight cars,'15, 25, and 40 tons (net tonnage).
The ma?imum.speed permitted for freight care was approximately 40 kilometers
per hour. The reason was bad rolling stock and track condition (despite the
fact that this road was in the best condition in China). Most of the freight
care were old and were'manufactured in Europe. Some of the newer freight cars
were mi ufactured in Dairen and Tsingtau. Prior to 1948 several hundred freight
cars were imported from Iran. Because most of the freight cars were transferred,
to other lines during the Chinese Civil War, the Shanghai-Nanking Railroad suffered
a shortage of good freight cars.' Those which were reclaimed were in very bad
condition because In 1948 the equipment of other lines was worse than that of the
S'tiarighai-Nanking line,
14. Twelve hours was normally required from the time a freight car arrived at a
station to the time it left.. Two or three hqurs wa19 required for loading or
unloading, 1/2 hour for inspection, one hour i'Qr, switching and classification)
and the rest for waiting. If the car jas classified 3n'the yard but not. loaded
or unloaded there, the average time between the entry of a car into the yard
and its exit was one hour. Most freight care were loaded to their volumetric
capacity. Loaded freight care were always sealed and locked. The papers which
were attached to the outside of a freight car indicated the origin, designation,
routing, and contents except in the case of military items when the contents
were not indicated. No time limits were invoked for'either loading or unloading
as this was done by workers. not employed by the railroad,. The charges were
figured according to the size of the car. In 1948 there were no hourly rates
in existence in China. Most of the loading and unloading was done by manpower.
The'chief problem of this method was the time required. Depending upon the number
of workers employed it sometimes took a full day to unload a single car.
15. When using the maximum sized freight car (40 tons) the average freight train
consisted of 30 cars. On the Shanghai-Nanking Railroad freight shipments always
follow 3 the same route, as'its short length did not require rerouting.
16. As of 1948 the rolling stock of the Shanghai-Nanking Railroad consisted of 100
locomotives, 2,000 freight cars, and 400 passenger cars. The Nanking shed housed
40 locomotives, the Shanghai shed housed 40 and the Changchow housed 20.
Passenger and freight cars had a thorough inspection made every year. Inspections
of axle boxes and wheel flanges were held at the end of each run. A major repair
on a locomotive took from two to four weeks while a medium repair took from
one to two weeks. Passenger and freight car repairs took from one to three days.
17=
18. The greatest tonnage ratings(the same in either direction) on the Shanghai-
Nanking line was approximately 1200 tons. This w?i for the Mikado type
locomotives pulling a train under normal conditions:4`
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release @ 50-Yr2013/04/30 : CIA-RDP82-00047R000400480009-5
 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release @ 50-Yr2013/04/30 : CIA-RDP82-00047R000400480009-5
CONFIDENTIAL
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19. Organizational Chart
Mechanica
Dept.
2 Vice
Directors
Sec.
of
Pers.
Police
Dept..
Police
Stations
& Jails
Traffic
Dept.
Power
Plant
RepaLr
Fact ry
Shepa r
ed
Faff ip
napes ors
Engr.
Dept..
Engr.
Sect1o '
Material
Pur. Dept .
20. The Police Department was in charge of all the uniformed forces that guarded
the line property. The Mechanical Department was in charge of the tower
plants, the repair factory, and the repair sheds.. It repaired and maintained
locomotives, passenger and freight cars, and road signals. The Traffic
Department handled all of the passenger and freight business. It also maintained
traffic inspection and station upkeep. The Treasury administered wages of all
of the employees and incomes of the road. The Engineering Department supervised
the maintenance of tracks, bridges, and buildings. Materials PurchasingDepartment
was in charge of purchasing and storage of parts and other materials.
21. In 19+8 the director of the road was a Mr. P. C. Chen. He had been the under-
secretary of the Communications Ministry of the Chinese Central Government. He
graduated from Harvard University.
22. In 19+8 the Shanghai-Nanking Railroad had approximately 25,000 employees. The
breakdown was:
Personnel
500
Police Department
1500
Mechanical Department
7000
Traffic Department
8000
Treasury
1000
Engineering Department
6000
Materials Purchasing Dept.
1,000
These figures included many employees of other lines because their lines had
been damaged or destroyed during World War Il.
CONFIDENTIAL
Stationd
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Store- ousel
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CONFIDENTIAL
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23. The general level of efficiency was quite good., especially among the train
crews, the repair personnel, and technicians. Eighty per cent of the. train
crews and repair personnel had been trained by the Japanese. A few of the
technicians also had been educated in Japan, the UK, and the US. Absenteeism
was at a minimum. Generally speaking the morale of the personnel was good.
21+. To'change the type or location of his job the worker simply submitted his
request to his immediate boss for approval. Occasionally, final approval had
to be obtained from the department heads or from the director of the railroad.
The Shanghai-Nanking Railroad did not have many job changes annually because
it was in the best operating condition and employment was steady.
25. Accidents by employees did not occur frequently. Isolated cases of train
collisions sometimes resulted in loss of limb or life. Most of the minor
train accidents were caused by bad. sections of track, wheel flanges out of
gauge, and occasionally by improper operation of signals and switches. Some
of the larger or more serious tc. iderxts were caused by communist sabotage.
26. Operation plans and goals ait? .by the local units of the ShanglI-Nanking
Railroad were -usually fulfilled because of rewards paid to employees. In 1918
there were champions or those who exceeded their production standards and quotas
in the Traffic, Mechanical, and Engineering Departments. There were also coal
and oil economy champions among the train crew, accident elimination champions
among the repair personnel, ticket and inspection champions among the traffic
inspectors, and a conductor's champion who increased business the greatest.
27. Basic wages paid to employee; as of 191+8 were : car washer US $30 to 50 per month;
firemen US $50 to 70 per month; drivers US $70 to 90 per month;,-inspectors
US $96 to 120 per month; and road crew foremen US $120 to 180'per month,, Others
were: apprentices US $30 to 50 a month; machinists US $50 to 90 per month;
mechanical shop superintendents ,1 $90 to 120 per month; mechanical shop
foremen US $120 to 180 per month; and master mechanics and engineers US $200
to 360 per month.
28. For train crews, the average working period was eight hours per day and six
days per week. The maximum working period per doy was twelve hours.
29, Statistical publications issued by the railroad were the Nanking-Shanghai
Weekly published by the secretary of the Personnel Department and the Traffic
Weekly Report published by the secretary of the Traffic Department.
309 The National Chico-Tung University, also known as the Communications University,
was the largest school in China to annually graduate students trained in
railroad operations. its curricula, equipment, and standards were comparable
to US universities.
-end-
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